John Dies at the End (2012)

A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return no longer human. Can two college drop-outs save humanity from this silent, otherworldly invasion?

Director:

Don Coscarelli

Writers:

Don Coscarelli (written for the screen by), David Wong (based on the story by)

Stars:

Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chase Williamson	...	Dave
Rob Mayes	...	John
Paul Giamatti	...	Arnie Blondestone
Clancy Brown	...	Dr. Albert Marconi
Glynn Turman	...	Detective
Doug Jones	...	Roger North
Daniel Roebuck	...	Largeman
Fabianne Therese	...	Amy
Jonny Weston	...	Justin White
Jimmy Wong	...	Fred Chu
Tai Bennett	...	Robert Marley
Allison Weissman	...	Shelly
Ethan Erickson	...	Sergeant McElroy
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Korrok (voice)
Riley Rose Critchlow	...	Girl with Rastafarian

Storyline

It's a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. On the street they call it Soy Sauce, and users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John and David, a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No. No, they can't.

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Plot Keywords:

multiple dimensions | male friendship | cult film | mind altering drug | bullet time | 

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Taglines:

Just so you know...they're sorry for anything that's about to happen.

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence and gore, nudity, language and drug content

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Amy Sullivan in the movie is an amalgam of two characters from the book. In the book, there's an additional female character named Jennifer "Jen" Lopez, who only shares the name with the famous singer. She became Dave's girlfriend and has tried the "Soy Sauce" herself, although she refuses to acknowledge any effects it may or may not have had on her.

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Goofs

When David meets Arnie in the Chinese restaurant, Arnie takes out a notebook. He opens it on the first page, with several ripped out pages. In the next scene, when he starts writing, the missing pages are gone and he is writing somewhere in the middle of the notebook. Later, the notebook is again shown with ripped out pages.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dave: Solving the following riddle will reveal the awful secret behind the universe, assuming you do not go utterly mad in the attempt.
Dave: Say you have an ax - just a cheap one from Home Depot.
[slow zoom in on man chopping]
Dave: On one bitter winter day, you use said ax to behead a man. Don't worry, the man's already dead. Maybe you should worry, 'cause you're the one who shot him. He'd been a big twitchy guy with veined skin stretched over swollen biceps, tattoo of a swastika on his tongue. And ...

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Crazy Credits

"This motion picture photoplay is protected pursuant To the provisions of the laws of The united states of america and other countries. Any unauthorized duplication and/or distribution Of this photoplay may result in civil liability, Criminal prosecution and the wrath of korrok."

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Alternate Versions

The original ending was a TV interview with Marconi. It was deemed anticlimactic by the filmmakers according to their DVD commentary. This, and other deleted scenes, are included on the DVD release.

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Connections

Referenced in For My Family (2014)

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Soundtracks

He Never Left
Performed by The Inevitable Backlash
Music and lyrics by Andrew Coscarelli
(Gramsci and Rousseau Music - BMI)
Copyright © 2007 Fan Crush Networks, LLC

User Reviews

Pure Genius

When I heard that the director of Bubba Ho-Tep had made a new movie, I had to see it. It was a midnight movie at the Sundance Film Festival, and it did not disappoint. Buckle your seat belt if you get the chance to see this one, because there are lots of twists, turns, and unexpected surprises. If you have a hard time with a story that goes to unexpected places and keeps you on your toes, you may not enjoy "John Dies," but if you appreciate absolutely unfettered creativity and a willingness to include everything but the kitchen sink, then you should run to see this movie. Here you've got mind-bending drugs, time travel, exploding monsters, an alternate universe, and laughs – lots of BIG, all-out laughs – and Paul Giammatti! Far too wacky and weird to ever be mainstream, it's the kind of movie that true film fanatics will always cherish.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 December 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dave's Story

Filming Locations:

Hot N Tot Cafe - 2347 Pacific Coast Hwy, Lomita, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,467, 27 January 2013

Gross USA:

$141,951

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$141,951

Company Credits

Production Co:

M3 Alliance, M3 Creative, Midnight Alliance

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1