Tweet
Released by: Pookie Films
Released on: 2002.
Director: Damon Packard
Cast: Damon Packard
Year: 2002
Purchase From Amazon
Reflections Of Evil - Movie Review:
Reflections of Evil is one freaked out, mad-daddy of a film, one that will probably grate the nerves of most viewers like nails on a chalk board. The creation of independent filmmaker Damon Packard, this self-proclaimed 'epic film of mammoth proportions' starts off with an introduction by Tony Curtis, dubbed in the appropriate parts to make it seem as if he's proclaiming the genius of Packard and his film. It's fucking awesome.
From there we hit a few TV spots, like a vintage mattress commercial from the 70s and then spiral out of the TV into the living room of a couple who are taken aside by a strange, angry, and very obese man vomiting in the street outside their apartment. This man is Bob and Bob is played by Packard himself.
From here we follow Bob around while he tries to sell watches for a measly $5.00 on the streets of Los
Angeles. He does this while avoiding fights with real homeless people and trying not to get eaten by the vicious dogs that seem to follow him no matter where he goes.
After eating himself sick (he has a compulsive eating problem) he returns to his home where he raids the
fridge, gorges himself, and escapes into late night TV while a horrifying old woman shrieks at him about
his eating. From here things take a drastic turn for the even weirder as we witness a flashback to a hippy
cult breaking down, and once we get back to the present, well, it just gets stranger and stranger from
here on in. We're not going to spoil it but will say that quite frankly it's amazing that Packard was able to pull this off and not get sued by Steven Spielberg.
The final half hour of the film has to be seen to be believed. Here, Bob, on the run from the Police, escapes into the corporate comfort zone of Universal Studios where he finds himself wandering into some all too familiar areas of Hollywood in theme park form.
Let me get this straight, as I realize that that plot description sounds convoluted at best, this movie is confusing. No two ways about it. It's not easy to follow, and while the linear story is there, you've really got to dig into it and absorb it to really get anything out of it. This is probably a movie best watched alone in the dark to fully appreciate.
Packard's use of old TV footage and various forms of media to create this visual assault on the senses
also makes use of an absolutely insane soundtrack made up of nonstop shrieking profanity, disgusting and slobberous eating noises, dogs growling and just overall weird sounds, mixed in with some musical scores that will definitely sound familiar.
In short, Reflections of Evil is one of the ballsiest, freakiest films, independent or otherwise, you'll ever have the pleasure to see. If you get the chance, check it out. You might hate it, but you won't forget it.
Reflections Of Evil - DVD Review:
Presented full frame, which is its original aspect ratio, the video is all over the place on this disc because of the various sources used to create the final visual product. Shot on 16mm, Digital Video, and other formats and interspersed with clips from old 70s television programs, for the most part this presentation looks really good. The older TV footage shows wear, but the transfer is very clean and there are no compression problems to speak of.
As far as the audio goes? First off, turn you speakers down when you start this film or you could be in for a shock. This is probably one of the most aggressive mixes you'll hear on a DVD and it's meant to be that way. Level issues aside, the mix here, while deafening at times, is very effective and hammers home the insanity so well captured in the film.
In regards to the extra features, the DVD contains a trailer for Reflections of Evil and some of Packard's earlier work including Apple, a strange and surreal Lord of The Rings style fantasy short.
Reflections Of Evil - The Final Word:
You might love it, you might hate, you might just not know what to think, but the bottom line remains, you should see this movie. There's nothing quite like Reflections Of Evil and probably never will be again.
