I saw two new movies over the weekend. Both movies were full of wit and charm featuring a slew of colorful characters with heroes and heroines worth rooting for. Both movies were brilliantly executed on a technical level and the stories were played out in a seamless manor. Both movies were filled with heart, leaving every single other audience member that's I saw leave the theater don a wide grin. One of these movies was A Band Called Impaled Rektum. The other one was Incredibles 2.





The parallels between a Finnish film about a death metal band and an animated sequel about a family of a superheroes ought to be far and few between, yet somehow that comparison can be made when regarding well-made films in general. A Band Called Impaled Rektum, or Heavy Trip is by far one of the best films I have seen all year, all biases to the metal genre aside. It's landscape is stunning, the script is sprightly, and every performance is as vivacious as the characters call for.





It can be simply put that Heavy Trip is a story about overcoming fears and following dreams, using a couple of long-haired death metal dudes as a device to convey this message. With a small Finnish village set as it’s backdrop, the band that will go on to be called Impaled Rektum graduate from practicing covers in the basement to enduring a fervent journey to get to play the biggest metal musical festival in Norway. The adventure they undergo and the obstacles that they face is a twist of slapstick and dark humor, perfectly appropriating to the metal genre. Still, it is truly a feat to try and find something not to be enjoyed about this film. There is a great deal of heart amongst the twisted humor. There is an underlying message of brotherhood and sticking together no matter what. There is a very strong message of facing your fears, whether it is standing up to your enemies or asking the pretty girl out. Most important of all, it is about the outcasts and why they should never be underestimated.









Heavy Trip has been making it’s festival rounds from Inferno Metal Festival in Norway all the way to SXSW. I had the pleasure of seeing this at the Cinepocalypse festival held at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theater. This will be the first movie to ever be distributed by the Music Box in conjunction with Bloody Disgusting. No word yet on where Heavy Trip is playing next, but it is more than worth it to keep a close eye out for this film as it makes it’s rounds.





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-Holly Glinski



