Hello from the gray walled rectangle that is my living room!
Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend a special screening of Cinemax's new show
Outcast, which is based on the comic by Robert Kirkman (writer,
The Walking Dead) and artist Paul Azaceta.
I was overly happy to be attending this screening as I had been itching to see something that was visually gripping and disturbingly told. Let me say, I was not disappointed. Before I continue, I want to disclose that I have NOT read the
Outcast comic, so my indoctrination to this series was by the show, though the first issue of the comic was enticingly left upon the movie table. Along with popcorn. Because you can never go wrong with popcorn (Unless it is drenched in butter, then that is a horror movie unto itself!).
Also, I got a beanie!! And since I live in the city of which Mark Twain said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco," I will most likely be making good use of said beanie. Plus, it's black. And black is my favorite color <3
Anyways...this review will have SPOILERS!! I suggest you heed David Bowie's words:
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I suggest you let the Goblin King have ALL the power over you.
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As someone who is originally from Texas, I can attest that its motto of everything being bigger is true.
Especially when it comes to cockroaches. Well, the opening scene of
Outcast decides to make use of this illustrious, noble insect and a child (because children are inherently scary. If you don't believe me, just
watch Stephen King's The Shining) and literally mash the two together. If that wasn't enough, said child then decides to eat the now head-butted sacrificial insect by
licking it off the wall. A later scene shows the kid eating his own finger, but, really, nothing tops eating a squished cockroach. Before you judge me, try smashing a meaty cockroach yourself and then behold the amount of guts said creature is capable of expelling. Truly terrifying.
Anyone who is familiar with Kirkman's The Walking Dead knows to expect gore porn, and Outcast definitely delivers in that vein. It can even be said that Cinemax's opening scene is almost a caveat saying,"This is what you're getting yourself into. You've been warned. Don't blame us if you piss yourself at night when you see a cockroach."
As the story unfolds, we are introduced to Kyle, a man who--we learn--has a tortured past. In almost the same scene we are introduced to his adopted sister, Megan, who, despite not being related by blood, takes it upon herself to give two fucks for him, because Kyle and everyone else around him can't seem to. I like Megan. She's chirpy without being annoying. And really, how can you not like someone who is this loyal?
In episode one, we are also introduced to Reverend Anderson, whom I thought was the most interesting of all the characters. On the surface, there doesn't seem to be anything tortured about him (though I learned an interesting tid-bit in the comic, but this is about the show, not the comic). But, maybe that's why I was drawn to him, because usually when someone appears to be a-okay on the surface, they wind up being the most screwed up character of all.
So as the show progresses, we learn that Kyle can hurt demons that have possessed people by punching the crap out of them (yes, a child was punched in the making of this film, well, on screen, at least), and that the reason Kyle's life has been so shitty is because the demons have a special interest in him.
At the end of the show, you are left with the dynamic duo of Reverend Anderson and Kyle-I'm-Gonna-Punch-That-Demon-Out.
Overall impression: The mystery of why the demons are interested in Kyle and why they seem to be popping up with more frequency is something I definitely want to know. The first episode did a great job in introducing us to what I assume will be the repeating characters (again, I have not read the comic, so I don't know), and subtly laying out the mystery of why I should care about Kyle's plight.
So, now that I have exorcised (oh, so funny) my two cents about the show, I will move on to my Patrick Fugit story. Long story short, I did not know who Fugit was, so I sat in a seat that had a paper with the word 'Fugit' taped onto it. I didn't think much of this and dismissed it as Alamo Drafthouse speak (hey, they do odd things). Not until later, when some other people tried to take a seat, did I realize exactly what I had done. So, this nice guy, who I will call Victor, had taken a seat in one of the Fugit chairs and when these two dudes tried to sit he informed them that the seats were reserved. Upon hearing this, I felt super embarrassed and turned to him and said that I hadn't realized the seats were reserved and that I would move. Victor, such a gentlemen, said that it was not a problem and that I could stay seated, since he knew for sure that one person had canceled and was not coming. Moving on, at the end of the Outcast screening Patrick Fugit himself came out on stage so he could be interviewed. Toward the end of the interview, he waved "Hi" to Vincent and at that moment I couldn't help but wonder if he thought, "Who the hell is that girl sitting in my reserved seats?"
If I didn't know who Patrick Fugit was before, I sure as hell know now!
Overall, I had a great time, but unfortunately I was fighting off a creeping migraine, which I have a feeling kept me from connecting with Kyle, who seemed to be fighting off a hell of a migraine as well.
Have you seen Outcast? What did you think?
