This week’s Vincent Price’s Laugh is a bit somber, as we honor one of our favorite actors, the late Anton Yelchin.
In the episode, we discuss some of Yelchin’s best genre work, and why we loved him as a performer.
Featured films:
Odd Thomas (2013)
Based on the Dean Koontz novel series, Odd Thomas tells the story of a quirky young lad whose extra-sensory perception allows him to help police solve crimes, as well as try to prevent tragedies before they happen. This film could be a cool, modern take on a noir-type detective story mixed with elements of a supernatural creature feature, but we think something about director Stephen Sommers’s (The Mummy, Van Helsing) vision of the story is lacking – although the players, especially Yelchin, do admirable work.
Burying the Ex (2014)
Perhaps “zombie romantic comedy” is an over-simplification of this film, but honestly, there’s not much else going on. Basically, “What if you’re in a bad relationship you can’t seem to get out of, then when your girlfriend dies in an accident, she comes back as a zombie?! ZANY!” Master of Horror Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling) directs.
Fright Night (2011)
There are so many reasons we love this remake of the 1985 cult classic. Director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl) and screenwriter Marti Noxon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) handle their adaptation of the original Tom Holland story in a very fresh and loving way; Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse – all amazing performances in a film that gives appropriate nods to the original while taking the story and characters to an entirely new level.
Green Room (2015)
This buzzworthy film made its way around the indie festival circuit in 2015 before being picked up by up-and-coming film company A24 for wide release in 2016. Gritty and realistic, the film tells the harrowing tale of a touring punk band caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. Gutsy director Jeremy Saulnier made a name for himself with 2013’s Blue Ruin, and no doubt will he be a filmmaker with staying power.
In each of these films, no matter what the end product, the one thing that is evident is the consistency and quality of Yelchin’s work. If the films themselves don’t convince you, surely Anton Yelchin’s performances will.
Thanks, Anton.
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