Skip to main content

Fantasia Fest 2016 Review: LITTLE SISTER

Image result for little sister 2016 


2016
Directed By: Zach Clark
Starring: Addison Timlin, Ally Sheedy and Keith Poulson

GWAR was a pretty decent litmus test for potential friends when I was 16. Its not that I was a huge fan but I did think they were fun as hell. I completely understood why they had such a rabid fan base. You either got the crude joke or you didn't, I'm not sure if there was a more divisive band than GWAR. If you're not familiar, they were a metal band from Virginia who met in art school. Unlike any other metal band of their time they were intentionally offensive, over the top disgusting and most of all funny. When you hear the lyrics... 

"Mommies, I've been stealing your babies I gag the brat and then maybe...
I'll suck out his brain
You know... Dead kids, they're making me feel almost hard
Go get one from the school yard
He bled like a stuck pig"

You either laugh at the absurdity or take it seriously and turn off the radio. This is a band that grew with the PRMC, almost as a reaction to it. They were also one of the only bands that the metal heads, punk rockers and hippies could all agree on.

I'm a dad and this song still makes me giggle, it takes me back to a really fun time in my life when I was first learning how to express myself. I never really felt significant before my teenage years. My older brother was a pain in the ass so he took up most of my parents attention and at school I didn't have many friends... or enemies. I felt insignificant, invisible. I remember actually wondering who would show up to my funeral if I died. I wasn't depressed just lonely and mute. Like most young adults I tried on different voices over the years until I found my own.

We all grew up, bought houses, had kids, had divorces, had tragedies and were able to navigate them with a strength unlike most of our peers. As a survival instinct, we learned to laugh at the most offensively terrible things in life. When you show me a goth kid, metal head, punk rocker, burn out or even a juggalo I don't see a weirdo, I see a kid trying to find their tribe.

I'm not sure how autobiographical LITTLE SISTER is but Clarks film felt remarkably honest. I knew the people that inhabited this movie. He treated them with compassion and respect in a way that was refreshing. When you see a nun with pink hair dancing to GWAR's Have You Seen Me it could come across as shocking for the sake of being shocking, but trust me its a tender moment that almost had me in tears. 







Popular posts from this blog

Explaining the Ending of MULHOLLAND DRIVE

MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a complex and surreal film directed by David Lynch, known for its non-linear narrative and dreamlike sequences. The ending is open to interpretation and has been the subject of much debate among viewers. Here's a breakdown of the ending: Diane's Dream vs. Reality: Throughout the film, there are two main narrative threads: one follows Betty/Diane's dreamlike experiences in Hollywood, and the other delves into Diane's harsh reality. The ending reveals that the majority of the film has been a dream constructed by Diane Selwyn, a failed actress, as a means to escape the guilt and pain of her actions. Betty/Diane's Descent into Madness: Betty, played by Naomi Watts, represents Diane's idealized self—a hopeful and innocent aspiring actress. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that Betty's story is unraveling, and her identity begins to merge with Diane's. This culminates in the revelation that Betty is merely a construct of Di...

Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

The long-running and fan-favorite horror series Final Destination is set to make its return with Final Destination Bloodlines, bringing a new chapter of supernatural terror to the big screen. Scheduled for a theatrical and IMAX release on May 16, 2025, in the U.S. (and internationally beginning May 14), the film promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of chilling premonitions and inescapable fate. The upcoming installment features a fresh ensemble cast, including Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, The Flash), Teo Briones (Chucky, Will vs. The Future), Richard Harmon (The 100, The Age of Adaline), Owen Patrick Joyner (Julie and the Phantoms, 100 Things to Do Before High School), and Anna Lore (They/Them, Gotham Knights). Also joining the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) and horror icon Tony Todd, who reprises his role from the original Final Destination films. Todd, best known for his chilling portrayal of the titular character in the Candyman fra...

4K Blu-ray Review: Drop (2025) — A Tense, Tech-Driven Thriller That Mostly Sticks the Landing

In Drop, director Christopher Landon (Freaky, Happy Death Day) crafts a nerve-wracking thriller centered on a devastating dilemma: would you take a life to save the ones you love? The story follows Violet, a widowed single mom attempting to re-enter the dating world after years of grief and recovery. Played with emotional precision by Meghann Fahy, Violet finds herself on a promising first date with the affable and seemingly genuine Henry (Brandon Sklenar) in an elegant, glass-walled Chicago restaurant. But their evening takes a sinister turn when Violet receives a disturbing message via a sleek, anonymous app called DigiDrop: if she doesn’t kill her date before the check arrives, her son and sister will die. What unfolds is a tightly wound 95-minute thriller that feels both classic and timely. The film builds its suspense through confinement, not action. Most of the story unfolds in real-time at their dinner table, creating a pressure-cooker environment that reflects Violet’s psycholo...