Society (1989)

Dir: Brian Yuzna

As directorial debuts go, Brian Yuzna (who's subsequently failed to direct anything of interest) made quite a splash with "Society". A gooey, slimy, multi-coloured splash that you'll find hard to wipe off. Billy Warlock plays a Beverly Hills teenager who finds he doesn't fit in with his schoolmates or his family. He feels they're excluding him from something and that they look down on him. His shrink tells him that he's being paranoid and it's just teenage angst but, as the film goes on, Billy realises that the secrets behind his affluent community are more nightmarish than he could've possibly imagined. Shocking, original and seriously fuckin' weird, "Society" certainly has the accolade of being a film unlike any other I've seen. It's a little dated at times perhaps and its social satire element is hardly world-shattering, but still ... that's one Hell of an ending. Screaming Mad George's sickening special FX still make me squirm. Happy 'shunting'! ***1/2