Mackinaw Mail

All the Folks Down in Who.... Newville

MOVIE REVIEW
The Mean One

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Genre: Horror
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 31m
Director(s): Steven LaMorte
Writer(s): Finn Kobler, Flip Kobler
Cast: David Howard Thornton, Krystle Martin, Chase Mullins, John Bigham, Erik Baker, Flip Kobler, Amy Schumacher
Where To Watch: Slashing into theaters December 9, 2022, from A Sleight of Hand Productions, Amy Rose Productions, Kali Pictures (some advanced screenings on December 8 can be found here The Mean One Movie)


RAVING REVIEW: The Mean One, The Green One, the one that keeps Newville up at night. The world got a taste for beloved childhood favorites turned killers, and there’s no sign of anything slowing down. With the imminent release of WINNIE-THE-POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY, this one beat it to the finish line.


So I won’t lie; I was the first in line to get hyped when I saw the announcements of all of these memorable characters taking on a new form. The attachment of David Howard Thornton (TERRIFIER) upped the ante for me. I knew what to expect here, which is one of the most important parts. This is an “unauthorized” parody of a property that’s been around the world and back. The new wave of Horrorplotation films will follow this trend, either as classics become public domain or ripped as straight parodies.

While I was excited to see Thornton’s portrayal of “the mean one,” it ended up being Christopher Sanders' (doing his best, Vincent Price) narration that sold the film as a parody of the classic. I would have loved to have more of it, honestly.

Being a parody, the film had to take multiple creative liberties throughout, most of which were very well done. They were clear enough that you had no question what was being mentioned but out there enough that would put a smile on your face (I’m looking at you, Cindy You Know Who.)

The “twist” we ended up getting made the entire film a step up better than what I had it as nearing the end. It left you thinking and pondering what it meant and who the villain was. My biggest knocks on the film were the use of CGI blood throughout (it took away from the old-school slasher it could’ve been) and the slow-burn aspect we had until things got going. Once it hit the ground running, it didn’t stop.

This isn’t going to revamp the entire horror genre, but let me tell you, I wouldn’t mind revisiting “Newville”!

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[photo courtesy of A SLEIGHT OF HAND PRODUCTIONS, AMY ROSE PRODUCTIONS, KALI PICTURES]