PIC of the Week – Tragedy Girls
Article series by Ray Schillaci
Relative newcomer Gunpowder & Sky (2016) seems to have a lock on some really edgy titles including the off-beat nun comedy The Little Hours starring the very funny Aubrey Plaza and the much talked about crime thriller, Hounds of Love. Their newest release is Tragedy Girls, an amalgamation of very smart social commentary/horror/slasher/black comedy that runs the gamut on self-obsessed teens, todays vapid life in high schools, and skewering social media.
It sounds like a lot to take in, but writer/director Tyler MacIntyre and his co-writing team Chris Lee Hill and Justin Olson successfully juggle and balance all the bloody pieces together to deliver something quite telling for this day and age. I raved about this one back in October in its first release. It’s bound to take on a new life of its own in the home video market being as smart and original as it is.
It also helps when one has two great actresses that share a wonderful chemistry. Brianna Hildebrand (Deadpool) as Sadie Cunningham and Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse) as McKayla Hooper are a pure delight as the Tragedy Girls, two death-obsessed high school girls who use their online antics to focus on real life tragedies to gain followers and popularity. Yes, some will find it a very sick concept, and it is, but the open-minded will laugh at their exploits and the trouble they get in.
The one drawback on this release is that it is hard to find. You cannot just walk into your nearest big box store and ask for Tragedy. Yes, it’s a tragedy that Gunpowder & Sky does not have the legs to deliver to a larger market with such cool titles, but their catalogue is well worth checking out. So, we have to settle for a Blu that is manufactured on demand. You know what that means, what we get is a BD-R which does not sit well with many of us. That is unless you get the European release which is a true Blu pressing. But, with that there is no extras at all.
Extras on the BD-R version? Nothing special, just a writer/director commentary. The sad part; no cast and crew interviews, no trailer, no deleted scenes (and, they are available somewhere). So, other than a 1080p picture and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track the entertainment value of this film stands on its own. Is it worth it? To anarchists, horror fans, and lovers of edgy sinema – an absolute yes. But, this also comes with a warning; this disc will not play on a Microsoft Xbox One. Sorry gamers.
Amazon – $17.99
Also available on Amazon instant video, iTunes, Google play, Microsoft Movies&TV, and VUDU.
