PG: Psycho Goreman: The birth of a new horror icon?

With PG: Psycho Goreman, Astron-6 alumnus Steven Kostanski is looking to create a horror icon based in cheeky ’80s nostalgia and buckets of blood.

Horror-comedy is a tricky subgenre, but the upcoming PG: Psycho Goreman has the pedigree and promise of something potentially great.

Perhaps what bodes well for this effort is its behind-the-scenes talent. While Steven Kostanski may not be a popular household name, he was one of the founding members of the Astron-6 collective (who gave us the gleefully tasteless low-budget gorefests Manborg and Father’s Day).

While Kostanski’s previous effort, The Void, wasn’t quite my speed (plot and character sacrificed in favor of in-your-face gore effects), PG: Psycho Goreman looks like an interesting evolution for the filmmaker.

A teaser image depicts two kids accompanied by an amphibious-looking creature, and given Kostanski’s penchant for over-the-top gore, it will be interesting to see how he commingles the extreme elements with the sensibilities of a younger cast.

The image also gives me serious Robert Rodriguez vibes, which is in no way a bad thing. After all, he gave us the ultraviolent likes of From Dusk Till Dawn and Planet Terror, but also more mass-appeal mainstream entertainments with dark undercurrents, like last year’s Alita: Battle Angel. I could see Kostanski toeing a similar line here.

According to Deadline :

"“The film revolves around siblings Mimi (Nita-Josee Hanna) and Luke (Owen Myre), who unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord (Matthew Ninaber). Using a magical amulet, they force the monster to obey their childish whims, and accidentally attract a rogues’ gallery of intergalactic assassins to small-town suburbia. Adam Brooks also stars.”"

Based on the trailer, with its blend of cheekily sinister narration, ’80s throwback metal riffs, and the promise of copious gore, PG: Psycho Goreman could ascend to the levels of absurdity we previously experienced with Deathgasm and Turbo Kid. Even the title is a snarky rebuke to so-called “PG-13 horror,” while cobbling together elements that make the best PG-13 horror so endearing.

PG: Psycho Goreman is tentatively slated for a late 2020 theatrical release. The film will make its bow on Shudder in early 2021.

Are you ready for PG: Psycho Goreman? Do you think its time for a new horror icon?