Abraxas Video

Abraxas Video will be closed on several days during the upcoming week and a half for various family events, plus the holidays. We will be closed on the 16th, 18th, 19th, 21st, plus the 23rd through the 25th.

We will be open on the 17th, 20th, and 22nd, from approximately 4-6pm. We recommend calling before coming down, just to make sure that we are open.

Our return box will remain available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we will be checking it daily.

If you have any questions, please send us a message through Facebook, or call and leave a message.

Spotlight: the Films of Christopher Bickel Pt 1
Theta Girl

A few years ago, a friend of mine sent my video store a message asking if we were going to get the film Theta Girl. I looked it up, and after a brief bit of research, ordered it. At the time, it was only available direct as a blu ray, but as I understand it, this film hit the film fest circuit pretty hard a bit later. Still no DVD, but the Blu ray is sitting on my shelf.

On to the film. Theta Girl is incredibly low budget but definitely a stand out in wired cinema. While the main premise, a drug that lets you see into other dimensions, is an old trope (John Dies At The End would be a good example of another successfully odd take on the idea) The style, ex*****on, and sometimes directionless weirdness of this film make it unique. The film is shot in a gritty/grainy style that reminds me of old Troma films more than it does the grind house vibe, and the gore and reliance on punk ethos makes that connection stronger. But even for troma, the gore is prtty outrageous. Though the pacing of party scenes is slow, the overall film flows pretty well.

What makes it strange though is the head scratching way it seems like it is making a profound point, but you’re not quite sure what it is. My best guess would be that if you try to take your orders from unknowable forces, you will end up doing some messed up stuff, but if you flip it off you get to chill with force ghosts.

Without the supernatural element, this would be a respectable splatter film, but the bird like David Bowie androgenoid god monster takes it to a whole other place.
My favorite part is that, unlike a lot of movies with a heavy beyond element, the question isn’t so much “is the Entity real” as it is “what game is the Entity playing?” And the focus isn’t on “how do we stop it” as it is on “why is it here and do we need to be concerned”. In that way it is a kind of laid back lovecraftian that I very much enjoyed. Also, the beyond element is heavy, but it does not overshadow the human story.

Now final thought. This movie will not change the way you feel about cinema, nor I think will it ever become a shining cultural jewel. It could certainly have been better, but it is a fun watch and I have not seen anything quite like it. For a first time effort on a micro budget, it is definitely more worthwhile than a lot of movies that cost millions to make.

July 20th's NEW RELEASES:

Batman: The Long Halloween; Part One
Godzilla vs Kong
Land
The Marksman
The Mauritanium
Mortal Kombat
Night of the Sicario
Nobody
The Paper Tigers
Percy vs Goliath
Rock Dog 2: Rock Around the Park
Rose Plays Julie
Separation
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run
The Unholy
Voyagers
Walking Dead: World Beyond; Season One
What Happened Was...
Wrath of Man