PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Although we’ve covered Fried Barry (read festival review – HERE) quite a bit at PopHorror, I just recently watched it for the first time. It was quite an experience and it took me on one crazy, wild, and disturbing ride! This film was written and directed by Ryan Kruger (read our interview – HERE) in his feature directorial debut. It stars Chanelle de Jager (Stroomop) and Gary Green (Escape Room).
Synopsis for Fried Barry
Barry is a drug-addled degenerate who, after yet another bender, gets abducted by aliens. Barry takes a backseat as his alien visitor assumes control of his body and takes it for a joyride through Cape Town. What follows is an onslaught of drugs, sex and violence as Barry’s alien tourist enters the weird and wonderful world of humankind.
Fried Barry delivers it all; horror, comedy, romance, and more. This film is a hoot from beginning to end and takes you on a wild journey with Barry as he discovers the good, the bad, and the ugly world of humankind. I found it hilarious that everyone had this weird sexual attraction to Barry despite him being dirty, strange, and ya know… secretly an alien. One of my favorite scenes is when he impregnates someone in a matter of seconds and then they have the baby and they’re like WTF?!
Gary Green is utterly brilliant. Barry would be a fun character to play but it wouldn’t necessarily be an easy task. Barry is eccentric, new to this world, and you never know what to expect next. Green plays him flawlessly and makes you kind of fall in love with his quirks and mannerisms. He may be an alien impersonating a human body with awesome powers and the ability to kill effortlessly but he still has feelings and protects those he cares about. On the surface, Barry also appears seemingly innocent, easygoing, and clueless. This leads to many people taking advantage of him and regretting it instantly.
Another beautiful aspect of this film is the combination of amazing cinematography, imagery, lighting, and special effects/makeup. The bright and flashy colors make everything vibrant and seem out of this world. All of the above creates a unique sex, crime, and drug-fueled atmosphere that. It’s almost like Barry is on an acid trip and nothing is real but in reality, Barry is just alien in the body of a strange human and is deeply misunderstood.
The blu-ray bonuses are some of the best ones I’ve seen in a while and include the complete unedited edition, filmmaker commentary, the making of Fried Barry, behind-the-scenes, the short film, deleted/extended scenes, outtakes, Barry advertisements, and “how-to” with Barry. They were super fun and you can tell a lot of love and passion went making this film.
Most alien films these days are just bargain bin copies of the Alien franchise, so seeing new and unique was refreshing. It had the perfect mix of horror and comedy. Fried Barry is now available on VOD, Digital HD, DVD ($27.97), and Blu-ray ($28.96) from RLJE Films.
