Alex Wolfe" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Alex Wolfe
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • The Marvels (2023)

      Alex Wolfe
      November 22, 2023
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • The Marvels (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      November 22, 2023
    • The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

      Peterson Hill
      October 23, 2023
    • Heart of Stone (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      August 18, 2023
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Alex Wolfe
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • "PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT" UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR - A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON!

      Alex Wolfe
      November 15, 2023
      Movies, News
    Recent
    • “PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT” UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR – A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON!

      psychodr
      November 15, 2023
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Paul Brian McCoy
      February 1, 2023
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • The Marvels (2023)
  • The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
  • Heart of Stone (2023)
  • Obstacle Corpse (2022)
  • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
DVD/Blu-ray

Odd Thomas (2014)

Alex Wolfe
December 22, 2014
DVD/Blu-ray, Movies, Reviews

Told myself I wasn’t gonna cry at the end of this movie, this time. Totally lied. Oh well.

Anyway, when Abrams’ Star Trek film first came out, the whole world lined up to collectively hate Anton Yelchin, whose name sounds like someone trying to vomit and hiccup simultaneously. And hey, it was with good reason – he was horrible in that flick, ruining a childhood character of geeks worldwide. I was right there alongside them, damning his scrawny ass for his stupid floppy Stray Cats haircut and his laughably fake accent.

Odd Thomas, however, efficiently proved to me that his level of suckitude in Star Trek was either miscasting or, perhaps, a directorial issue. Shining like a star in the lead role as the eponymous Odd Thomas, Yelchin’s performance is really spectacular, and he manages to dazzle alongside and even upstage seasoned masters like co-star Willem Dafoe. I’d say he holds the movie up with his performance… except that Odd Thomas really isn’t a film that requires holding.

OT1

“I LEFT THE OVEN ON.”

I suppose I should explain – this movie is fucking amazing. It wins points with me right away by featuring a first-person narrative, keeping the film (based on a Dean Koontz story, or so Brooke tells me) afloat and engaging before it even starts. It wastes little time in getting things moving along, which is for the best: The runtime is packed with mystery and horror as Odd (yes, that’s his actual first name) unravels a cataclysmic plot that threatens to collapse the small town in which he lives. The twists are unexpected, Odd’s detective skills seem pretty solid, and each character is vibrant and welcome to the cast. There are a few bizarre cameos (Arnold Vosloo as a ghost, and Patton Oswalt as… Patton Oswalt. Though in retrospect the former cameo makes more sense, since the director also helmed The Mummy), and while they often don’t seem totally necessary they’re welcome enough, and don’t distract from the plot so much as add a bit of charm to a flick that has well enough of in the first place.

Odd Thomas sees dead people, y’see (and yes, there’s a Sixth Sense joke in there, for you who I know can’t do without it). They know he can see them and they come to him, sharing their experiences with him (somehow, since they are incapable of speech) so that he may avenge them in his own special way (occasionally involving an asskicking but usually just involving some good detective work). Vigilantism, however, isn’t really the focus of the plotline so much as the film’s backstory to explain Odd’s unique skillset, lifestyle, and supporting cast. He does his best to work within the law, alongside a cop (the aforementioned Willem Defoe) who covers his ass wherever he can.

ODD-THOMAS_STILL_201.jpg

Actually kicks a lot of ass for such a little guy.

Speaking of supporting cast, I should mention this flick’s relationships – specifically the one between Odd and his girlfriend, Stormy (portrayed by Addison Timlin). Rare are satisfactory portrayals of a “perfect” couple – this really feels like one of them. The chemistry between these two actors is fantastic, and the dialogue feels organic while being vibrant enough to show that these two really are peas in a pod. We meet this relationship with the idea that they’re “destined to be together forever.” By the end, we believe it.

The more intense special effects are CGI (and fairly low-grade CGI at that), but the creativity with which it’s used and the creatures it’s being used to portray kinda… well, work. More importantly, Yelchin’s reactions to the things he sees help to convince us even more that the things he’s seeing are real, whether or not we don’t want to think so. This makes itself the most clear with the “bodaks,” spectral entities that only Odd can see. Thing is, they don’t know he can see them, so he has to both react to their presence and pretend he isn’t, while the actual actor looks at nothing at all. This balancing act of a performance is pulled off flawlessly.

OT3

Pictured: That stuff I was just talking about. Seriously, keep up.

The dialogue is just over-the-top enough while not having that schlocky, “written-by-a-teenage-boy” flair and coming off instead as a sort of witty, well-lit noir. This could just be a matter of my personal preferences, of course, since everything’s a matter of taste except for The Princess Bride. Still, while the dialogue may not be 100% “realistic,” nor is it dull, and each interaction is filled with quirky lines and a lot of really great chemistry between the actors.

I don’t want to spoil the end, but since I already mentioned it, I’ll warn you – while Titantic did nothing but bore me, the end of this movie makes me sob like a little bitch every time I see it. It’s a brutal gut-punch so bring tissues if you have a habit of waterworks displays (no, not watersports, that’s a different thing).

To my taste, Odd Thomas is a masterpiece. Balancing wit, suspense, personality, drama, humor, action, and atmosphere on the edge of a knife, the spectacular cast, vibrant script, and quirky style really set this apart from the flock. You may not like it as much as I did – it plays to a lot of things I specifically enjoy – but I won’t accept that this isn’t a competent and charming experience that was just as good the second time as it was the first.

APPIP ERROR: amazonproducts[
AccessDeniedAwsUsers|The Access Key Id AKIAIIK4RQAHE2XK6RNA is not enabled for accessing this version of Product Advertising API. Please migrate your credentials as referred here https://webservices.amazon.com/paapi5/documentation/migrating-your-product-advertising-api-account-from-your-aws-account.html.
]
(Visited 115 times, 1 visits today)

Related

Alex WolfeAnton YelchinArnold VoslooOdd ThomasPatton OswaltWillem Defoe

The Eighth Day of Christmas: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)

About The Author

monsterid
Alex Wolfe
Dragon Lady

Alex is a borderline-hermetic, overopinionated, Chaotic Neutral critic, author, gamer, and overall dweeb. When not mocking others of lesser fandoms, she is creating wildly-overthought character builds for Dungeons and Dragons, listening to punk rock, or trying to come up with the next great American novel (which inevitably fails on account of her attention span). She's a big fan of using parentheses and dashes way more than any self-respecting writer should, and firmly believes that character development and strength are far more important than actual narrative, storyline, or atmosphere. In the coming years, science will prove this theory to be indisputably correct. She has a Tumblr page, but don't expect to find anything of worth on there besides pictures of kittens and backsides. She also has an infrequently-updated blog.

Related Posts

  • ABCs of Horror Day 18: M is for Maniac

    Alex Wolfe
    October 18, 2014
  • The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

    Alex Wolfe
    December 25, 2014

Daily Top Ten

  • resident-evil-final-chapter-headerResident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • trueblood409b copyTrue Blood 4.09 “Let’s Get Out of Here” by Rafael Gaitan
  • PF3Pulp Fiction (1994) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • AttackInterview of the 50 Foot Cheerleaders! by Jason Sacks
  • sidonia-00Big Eyes Smart Mouth: Knights of Sidonia (2014) by Serdar Yegulalp
  • cake-05Cake (2014) by The Final Girl
  • tales-from-the-crypt-headerBeautiful Creatures: Tales from the Crypt by Dan Lee
  • Hannibal – Season 2Hannibal 2.05 “Mukozuke” by Amanda Lafond
  • i-spit-on-your-grave-09Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • i-spit-on-your-grave-09Women in Horror: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • blade-runner-2049-headerBLADE RUNNER 2049: The Sad and Lonely World of the… by Psychodr
  • HHSR-harlotHaunted House on Sorority Row (2014) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • legend-tarzan-headerAdvance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • 2-headed-shark-attack-headerUnnatural Selections: Two-Headed Shark Attack (2012) by Brooke Brewer
  • salo-headerSick Flix: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) by Corin Totin
  • Murder-Set-Pieces-03Sick Flix: Murder-Set-Pieces (2004) by Corin Totin
  • RY-pictureAdvance Review: Russian Yeti – The Killer Lives by Paul Brian McCoy
  • shin-godzilla-04Beautiful Creatures: Shin Godzilla by Dan Lee
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

Latest Reviews

  • The Marvels (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    November 22, 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

    Peterson Hill
    October 23, 2023
  • Heart of Stone (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    August 18, 2023

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Marvels (2 Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Marvels (2023)

No Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie has had a bigger trail of negative buzz than The Marvels.
---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#CaptainMarvel #MsMarvel #WandaVision #TheMarvels #CaptainMarvel2 #NiaDeCosta #BrieLarson #TeyonahParris #ZaweAshton #ImanVellani #SamuelLJackson
Today at https://psychodrivein.com "PATER NOSTER Today at https://psychodrivein.com

"PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT" UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR - A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON! 

The eagerly awaited underground horror movie from Christopher Bickel, "Pater Noster and the Mission of Light," enters its final stages of post-production with an anticipated release in early 2024.
---
Read more at the link in our profile!

#PaterNoster #MissionOfLight #PaterNosterAndTheMissionOfLight #ChristopherBickel #UndergroundCinema #UndergroundHorror #IndipendentFilm #AdaraStarr #BadGirls #TheThetaGirl
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation: The Bond Project - Goldfinger

Goldfinger is the prototypical 007 film and performed well at the box office.
—-
Read more of Scott’s article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #TheBondProject #Goldfinger #SeanConnery #HonorBlackman #BernardLee #CecLinder #DesmondLlewelyn #GertFrobe #HaroldSakata #IanFleming #JamesBond #ToshTogo #LoisMaxwell
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E70 - Pyramid Of Darkness (4) / Chaos In The Sea Of Lost Souls 

Greg and Jaren continue their journey as Cobra tries to activate the fourth and final control cube! Will they succeed? Will someone explain to me how Tomax and Xamot feel pain? 
---
Watch the guys from @AnythingJoesPod at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #GIJoeARealAmericanHero #PyramidOfDarkness #ChaosInTheSeaOfLostSouls
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 451: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law

She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law leans heavily into one of Marvel Comics’ strengths – characters who are more than just a heroic icon, superheroes who have lives outside being a hero where the two halves interfere.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #SheHulk #SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw #BenedictWong #CharlieCox #GingerGonzaga #JameelaJamil #JoshSegarra #MaliahArrayah #MarkRuffalo #TatianaMaslany #TimRoth
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E69 - Snakes on a Plane

Greg and Jaren discuss the news and happenings in the world of G.I. Joe! In this episode: Super 7's Cobra Mothership, Hiya Toys Major Bludd, Mezco 1:12 Duke, and Void Rivals 1 - 4!
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #Super7 #CobraMothership #Mezco #Duke #HiyaToys #MajorBludd #VoidRivals #RobertKirkman
Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Fall of th Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)

The Fall of the House of Usher ranks with the very finest of Mike Flanagan’s work.
---
Read more of Peterson's review at the link in our profile!

#TheFallOfTheHouseOfUsher #Netflix #MikeFlanagan #BruceGreenwood #CarlLumbly #CarlaGugino #EdgarAllanPoe #HenryThomas #KateSiegel #MalcolmGoodwin #MarkHamill #MaryMcDonnell #RahulKohli #SamanthaSloyan #SauriyanSapkota #TniaMiller #WillaFitzgerald #ZachGilford
Today at https://psychodrivein.com POPCORN CINEMA Today at https://psychodrivein.com

POPCORN CINEMA 52: Olaf Ittenbach's NO REASON and Other Violent Shit 

CINEMA: Oh, I've seen a few things. Ittenbach was part of the German underground gore movement of the late 80s, early 90s . . . wait, did you want to hear about this?
---
Read more of John's article at the link in our profile!

#PopcornCinema #OlafIttenbach #NorReason #BurningMoon #GermanUndergroundGore #Gore #German
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Cahiers du Hor Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Cahiers du Horror 13: Who is Gahan Wilson?

Gahan Wilson is single-handedly my favorite horror cartoonist slash illustrator.
---
Read more of Fred's article at the link in our profile!

#CahiersDuHorror #GahanWilson
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Lost in Translation: The Bond Project – Goldfinger

    Scott Delahunt
    November 10, 2023
  • Anything Joes: S01E70 – Pyramid Of Darkness (4) / Chaos In The Sea Of Lost Souls

    Greg Engle
    November 8, 2023
  • Lost in Translation 451: She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law (2022)

    Scott Delahunt
    October 27, 2023

Look Who's Talking

Barbie Worldwide
Barbie Worldwide - 8/5/2023
Lost in Translation 429: The Barbie Movie Teaser
Barbie still in the driver's seat and the movie is speeding past a billion by August 7, 2023.
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/5/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 3.1: Zombie for Sale (2019)
Of course, I just woke up from an old-man nap and had a strong urination before reading this, so now...
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/3/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 1.1: I Am a Hero (2015)
Oh hell yeah. Looks like one more thing to add to my watch list.
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise