THE EDITOR

2014 / Directors. Adam Brooks. Matthew Kennedy.
Review by Glenn Cochrane.

DING! That's the sound of another film hitting my top ten list for the year. Whether or not THE EDITOR makes it to number one is another question BUT it is a bloody strong contender. This is simply an incredible film. Of course it is the latest genre-riddled masterpiece from the Canadian filmmaking outfit, ASTRON-6. They're the guys behind the previous exploitation gems FATHER'S DAY and MANBORG and I cannot think any more highly of them. THE EDITOR is their most polished and ambitious film to date and is also their mostly highly funded. That is not to say that they have sold out or compromised any of their outrageous and audacious trademarks... to the contrary. THE EDITOR showcases an assortment of deliciously revolting violence, outrageous misogyny and gratuitous nudity... and they've presented it all in the package of a 1970s giallo film with all of the classic hallmarks of filmmakers such as Argento, Bava and Fulci. Their story follows an eccentric film editor who becomes the prime suspect in a series of murders which plague the production of the film he is working on. With an inept detective looking over his shoulder the editor must uncover the truth before it's too late... I'll be honest with you... giving you a rundown on the storyline seems pointless. None of that is relevant. This is an Astron-6 movie and so the important things to note are the design, sound and all round artistry that's been painstakingly applied to the film. Much of the style is similar to their previous film FATHERS DAY, however this is far more impassioned and nostalgic. Their love of giallo films is unmistakable and their attention to detail is incredible. It draws influence from so many classic films and pays a loving homage to an era of cinema that has been long lost... and in a totally ballsy move the entire film is dubbed (ingenious). There is no doubt that THE EDITOR is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way. Anyone whose not familiar with their work may be confused by it and anyone without an understanding of irony or sarcasm might struggle. The film is so deeply layered with satirical referencing and genre in-jokes that only the sassiest of genre fans will walk away from it in amazement. Similarly to FATHER'S DAY, THE EDITOR suffers from being 10-15 minutes too long. A much trimmer running time would have lifted it to a status of perfection... but as it is THE EDITOR is near-perfection. I loved the shit out of it and insist that y'all see it!!!! 

Check out our interview with ADAM and CONNOR from Astron-6 from last year when they first announced THE EDITOR.

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