Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Brooklynn
There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
Eric Arsnow (foofighter2083)
I was fortunate enough to catch the 4-D All About Evil Experience in Milwaukee.Not only was the pre-show with Peaches Christ and Mink Stole a blast, but the film couldn't have been more enjoyable!There is a fine balance that Horror films of this genre run where the comedy and heightened acting can either be extremely entertaining and clever or completely immature and ridiculous. All About Evil definitely fell into the first camp and all of the performances were top notch for this style of film! I couldn't help but laughing constantly throughout the film even though parts of it got rather morbid.Secondly, clearly this film has its inspirations and in some respects it becomes a homage to many great filmmakers and genres. I have seen many homage genre films fall apart and become a complete waste of time due to the lack of ingenuity and a lack of understanding of the genre. Clearly Joshua has done his homework and delivered a skilled and well-crafted film that not only does the genre-filmmaking justice but brought much fun to the style. His film even has enough of his personal touch that All About Evil supersedes being just another homage film and stands well enough on it's own freakish legs as a new, great installment to horror films!Go check it out! It's a blast!
Greg
When Walter Tennis passes away, he leaves a single screen theatre named the Victoria to both his daughter Deborah (Natasha Lyonne) and estranged evil mother Tammy (Julie Caitlin Brown). Deborah and the elderly projectionist Mr. Twigs (Jack Donner) want to carry on their father's tradition of showing horror films, while mother Tammy wants to sell the property for a quick profit.When both family members collide in conversation to discuss the future of the Victoria in the theatre lobby, Tammy loses control and kills her mother with the very pen the mother offered to sign over ownership.What Tammy doesn't know is that the security cameras caught the murder on tape and thanks to her inexperience in operating the projection equipment, she inadvertently projects the homicide on the screen much to the delight of the paying audience that believes they are viewing a horror short film.Most admiring of her work is horror film fan Steven (Thomas Dekker), a regular at the Victoria and dotting fan of elder Deborah. Steven will continue to visit the Victoria as Deborah builds on her fame established with grisly shorts. And as fans begin to line up and sell out the theatre, Deborah begins her murdering rampage while creating such great film titles as A Tale of Two Severed Titties, Gore and Peace and Slasher in the Rye.All About Evil is the directorial debut of Joshua Grannell who works the camera and moves his actors and story along like a seasoned veteran. From the opening credits (which we just loved!) through the bloody meta ending.Contributing in supporting roles are Cassandra Peterson (don't make me tell you) as Steven's mom and Noah Segan who seems to be in just about every other obscure film I have watched in the past month. Noah's character Adrian will work as part of Deborah's filming rampage crew alongside homicidal and pale twins Veda and Vera (Jade and Nikita Ramsey).With films like The Maiming of the Shrew and The Scarlet Leper titillating packed houses, we as a viewing audience get treated to the making of films inside the film with all the fun and camp exploited without excuses.The film may go down occasional paths of expectedness – in particular when it comes to the investigating detective who is looking for missing schoolgirl Claire last seen at the Victoria, but there is little stereotypical in All About Evil.It is at times horror, at times spoof, at times meta and it is very much a throwback to some of the campy horror films that paved the way to today's standards. As the body count increased, I could only imagine a packed house of theatre patrons engulfed in the horror premise – cheering and laughing with each new development.All About Evil is headed to Canada in August 2010 as part of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. I will be attending the Festival and I look forward to revisiting the experience with a couple of hundred strangers. For not only is All About Evil a fun and ultimately rewarding film, but it is also a definite must to enjoy in the company of others.www.killerreviews.com
preppy-3
Mousy librarian Deborah Tennis (Natasha Lyonne) inherits her father's beloved old theatre (the Victoria) which shows only horror films. Somebody pushes her too far one night...and she kills them in a VERY gory manner. The audience sees it...and think it's just a movie! Deborah realizes she enjoys what she's doing and decides to kill off other people and film it...and pass it off as fiction.Wildly overacted with dime store gore but this sucker works! It pulled me in very quickly (cause I'm a horror fan) and I was loving it halfway through. It's chockful of black BLACK humor and throw everything they can think of up on the screen. It's a throwback to those incredibly gory horror films of the 1980s that actually got booking in respectful cinemas. Tons of blood and gore are in here but it's impossible to take it seriously. Also add a cast that includes Mink Stole and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and u have a genuine cult movie! Also Lyonne chews the scenery again and again and AGAIN...but she's a LOT of fun. A must-see for horror fans. It was unrated at the film festival I caught it at...but this is NC-17 material all the way. Let's hope it's not cut down to an R. Also the writer, producer and director all GAY were there! It was playing in a gay resort town (Provincetown) and when the gratuitous female nudity came on the mostly gay audience roared and accepted it as a joke and not some sleazy turn on:)
jlissabeth
All About Evil is nothing short of pure orgasmic bliss for connoisseurs of B-Movies, Horror Films, and John Waters fans. Upon leaving the world premiere, I overheard several declaring it "the best written film in years" and this more-often-than-not disappointed movie-goer has to agree. Forget the capitalistic-driven run-of-the-mill Hollywood machine movies of summer and DEMAND your local theater bring All About Evil. This is pure cinematic artwork at its peak.The ensemble of bizarre characters is played by an equally eccentric cast, including Mink Stole (Hairspray/Female Trouble/Pink Flamingos), Noah Segan (Still Green/Self-Medicated), Jack Donner (Star Trek) and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) who once again shows us she is a very talented actress. It also includes a young cast who are definitely on their way to becoming major film players - Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Jade and Nikita Ramsey, Ariel Hart, and Ashley Fink. At the center of the film is the very talented Natasha Lyonne's who almost seems to channel Faye Dunnaway in Mommie Dearest and deliver a performance on par with Nicole Kidman in "To Die For". This performance is deserving of any and all acting awards.For those who have had the privilege of attending San Francisco's Midnight Mass with Peaches Christ, they will not be disappointed with this instant "cult classic" (as it has been called by several magazines and newspapers - less than a week after its world premier). Peaches Christ is a bona fide institution in San Francisco - honored by the Museum of Modern Art - and those unfamiliar can reveal in the mastermind behind this Diva, one Joshua Grannell.All About Evil is a film that will not be appreciated, or even seen, by mass audiences. But, like John Waters films, it was never intended to. This reviewer is excited to see what Writer/Director Grannell creates next!
