In Jay Baruchel's ugly-as-sin RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE, slashing is touted then trashed

You've got to hand it to co-writer/director Jay Baruchel (an actor I've much enjoyed over the years): He has given us a slasher movie riddled with guts 'n gore and then made that movie about as ugly as it could be -- in everything from its story and theme to its sets and cinematography. 

Best of all, while RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE offers a comic-book series of bloody, brutal killings based on supposedly-real-life-but-actually-fictional events that drenches its readers in horror, while delivering the same thing in the movie itself, it also manages to target the comic book artist and his business partner/producer as damnable agents of this horror. No one here gets out unscathed. In fact, just about no one here gets out -- period.

Baruchel's star is that hunky actor Jesse Williams, as Todd (below, second from left), a successful comic book artist having some trouble finding the correct conclusion for his final issue. He and his girlfriend Kathy (Jordana Brewster, below, left) are off to Comic-Con, along with his partner/producer (played by Baruchel, shown in directing mode at right) and artist/assistant (Niamh Wilson, below, right), the latter of whom, when she sees anything disturbing, must then draw it on paper to help get it out of her conscious mind.

Turns out that Kathy is currently writing a book about all the victims of this slasher/killer, and at each stop along their road trip, something increasingly horrible happens that apes far too closely what has earlier appeared in Todd's comic, which is  turn is based on those even earlier real-life murders.

So here we have art imitating life, and life (or in this case death) imitating art, with events moving from ghastlier to gorier in no time flat. Normally TrustMovies is not a big fan of either slasher movies or gore-fests like this one. Even now, I can't really call myself a fan of Random Acts of Violence. Yet the movie did hold the attention of both my spouse and me because of its sheer ugliness and refusal to make things easy on the audience.

And if you accuse the film of glamorizing the violence, Baruchel and crew make certain that everyone pays for their part in it all, including, I believe, us viewers. And certainly it does not excuse or in any way champion comic book violence nor the nitwit movie shit that this violence engenders. 

Everything about the film -- from its writing and direction to the colors, costumes, sets, cinematography, editing and special effects -- simply reeks of ugliness, horror and decay.  I almost think that Random Acts of Violence just might put viewers off slasher films in perpetuity. And though this may not sound like it, I mean that statement as a compliment.

We should be so lucky. Meanwhile, the movie, from AMC's SHUDDER, the subscription service for horror, thriller and suspense genres, and running just 80 minutes, is available now for viewing. Click here for more info and how to watch. 

DVD/Streaming: With THE TROTSKY, Jacob Tierney finds fun/wisdom in "the struggle"

Movies that offer a good premise -- and then don't live up to it -- abound. Films that do the reverse -- in which the premise seems a bit shaky, at best, yet the story unfolds well and the ideas encompass us -- are much the rarer bird. I'm happy to count THE TROTSKY, written and directed by Jacob Tierney (shown below), among the small, latter group.

That premise --  in which our lead character, Leon Bronstein (a wonderful match for the talents of Jay Baruchel, shown below), has decided that he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky -- would be grounds for "committal" to an institution (or at the very least heavy-duty time with a shrink) in anything approaching the real world. Does Leon really believe this, or does he just want to emulate his hero? Who knows? So we must let  the premise pass in order to get to the good stuff. Leon wants to change the world. But don't they all, those revolutionaries!

How our fellow does this, or tries -- first at his father's factory, then at his new school -- is the meat of this movie, which bounces giddily along, with scene after scene of charming, slyly political and satiric goings-on. This isn't nasty satire (Fran Lebowitz would not approve); it's more on the gentle side. (Well, the movie's Canadian.) Yet it does raise a lot of interesting questions along the way. Putting aside for a moment our notions of ego and power-grabs, for whmo are revolutions -- yes, like the original that Trotsky was involved in or the high-school version sparked by our young hero -- actually created?  The people, of course.

OK. Whether we take a rueful look at the Russian people today, or at the high school kids shown here, we'll detect a certain... apathy. So does the film -- which points this out from several angles: that of the "power elite," the "reformers" and the kids themselves. Along with the bubbly charm and amusement, there's enough to think about to make the movie more than just another high-school episode. And if The Trotsky never rises to anything approaching greatness, it is also never less than thoughtful fun.

As a filmmaker, Tierney keeps things bouncing, using editing and split screen effectively.  He's assembled a very good cast, too, some of whom -- Saul Rubinek, Geneviève Bujold, Michael Murphy, Colm Feore -- should be quite familiar, while others -- Emily Hampshire, Liane Balaban, Jessica Paré -- maybe not. Ms Hampshire in particular (shown above) makes a fine "older woman" for Mr. Baruchel. It's good to see this actress, intelligent and vital (who was so indelible in one of the finest Canadian films of the last decade, Snow Cake) in another worthwhile role.

The Trotsky, via Tribeca Film, made its U.S. debut at the Tribeca Film Festival, and is now available on DVD and/or to stream from Netflix, iTunes or Amazon.

TrustMovies owes a shout-out to his compatriot, Nora Lee Mandel, 

who recommended the film to him earlier this week.

And to all of my readers: 
May the new year be better than the past one!