Theater Recommendation - GREEN ROOM (dir. JEREMY SAULNIER)

I went to an early screening of Jeremey Saulnier's Green Room, a hardcore-punk-nazi-horror film, 

and oh my god... wow. This follow-up to the surprising Blue Ruin stars Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner as a punk band who find themselves in some serious shit when they play a gig at a Nazi-run venue... It's so gross and sleazy and honestly one of the best horror films I've seen in a long time, and it's already been a great year for horror (The Witch and 10 Cloverfield Lane). Imogen Poots, Mark Weber, Eric Edelstein, Macon Blair, and Patrick Stewart, giving one of his most bizarre and impressive performances ever as the Nazi club owner, make up the rest of the cast.

Okay, yes, this film is not for everyone, but legit horror fans should definitely check this out! The practical effects are some of the most disturbing I've ever seen and all of the scares are legitimate and surprising. It's sickly funny at times when you do not at all expect comedy. It's just fucking wild.

The film opens in NYC and LA on April 15th, and opens wide on April 29th.

Jeremey Saulnier also did a Q&A after the screening, so I'll list every interesting thing I learned below.






Apologies for the shitty photo, but Jeremey Saulnier is sitting on the right.

Now for the deets...

• Saulnier, after his breakout Blue Ruin, aimed to make a “‘bigger’ small movie,” a homage to badass exploitation films and hardcore punk that “makes [the audience] hurt.” It is his belief (one I agree with) that it is more responsible for movies to depict violence brutally (aka more realistically) than to just have nonsensical violence with no repercussions. 
• Saulnier was part of the skate punk scene in the 80s and 90s and wanted to heighten the violence he witnessed and experienced during that time (he said he was badly beaten up by a random fan of his band for no reason.) 
• Saulnier said that the Nazi presence during punk shows in the 90s was very real, even though they were not welcomed. They attracted violence and were essentially “militarized.” They were the main influence for the nazi characters in the film. 
• Even though the Nazi’s are rightfully depicted as horrifying, dangerous, and disgusting people, Saulnier still thought it was important to humanize them as much as possible in order to make the film more intense. 
• When asked if he’d ever want to make a studio film, Saulnier jokingly replied “yes, I love studio movies… from the 70s and 80s.”
• He wanted to shoot Green Room now before he gets older and “softer.” 
• Sean Porter was chosen to be the cinematographer because Saulnier, who shot Blue Ruin himself, liked Porter's versatility and that all his films look different.
• The humor in the film wasn’t planned, but Saulnier thinks “lightness” always finds itself in the horror genre. 
• Saulnier’s favorite "comedies": Zodiac (2007, dir. David Fincher) and Boogie Nights (1997, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson).

That is all.