John Dies at the End

Don't fret over the title of this loopy horror-comedy, which is so full of ruptured realities, alternative timelines, parallel universes, and projected nightmares that spoilers are essentially irrelevant. In other words, if John (Rob Mayes) is ever really dead in John Dies at the End, he is also forever alive and talking from the future to his friend Dave (Chase Williamson) via, among other things, a hotdog that functions like a telephone because, well… because. A peculiarly engaging (if also gruesome) fantasy based on a popular novel by David Wong and directed by Don Coscarelli, the film's opening minutes will seem frustrating due to an incoherent narrative, random grisliness, and an abundance of squiggly creatures, but it eventually finds its own rhythm and settles into meaningful chaos. Of course, it helps to have recurring scenes in which Dave meets with a bemused journalist (Paul Giamatti) at a Chinese restaurant to explain the connections between a powerful hallucinogenic drug called Soy Sauce and a space invasion of fluttering white creatures. Also on hand are a prophetic Jamaican, a girl with a prosthetic hand, a rogue detective, exploding body parts, and hidden dimensions in which slackers Dave and John are treated as heroes. Viewers willing to just let go on this through-the-looking-glass journey may well enjoy the ride. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Don Coscarelli, producer Brad Baruh, and costars Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes, deleted scenes (10 min.), a Fangoria interview with costar Paul Giamatti (10 min.), the production featurettes “Creature Corps: The Effects of Soy Sauce” (9 min.) and “Casting Sessions” (7 min.), a “making-of” featurette (7 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a weird but entertaining flick.] (T. Keogh)