True Chums: Deadcon (2019)
My dear readers, while there are certainly arguments to be made for being perfectly content with the state of things, there have been many in my lineage who have found themselves dissatisfied with the options presented before them and have made various stabs at innovation in order to patch up a perceive inadequacy. One such character was my distant aunt Prudence Hauntedhouse, who hoped to amend what she perceived to be a sniggering disrespect among her servants. She was a bit handy with a scalpel and went about trying to surgically manifest a breed of sheep people, ones with the intellect of a man and the famed obedience of Ovis aries. The operations were technically successful and Prudence was repeatedly pleased with the results but occupants of neighboring prosperities were less enthralled with their presence. In addition to their somewhat off-putting appearance, the sheep creature’s peculiar brand of bleating was not particularly pleasant to the ear and its volume was truly something to be remarked upon. And while ordinarily humanity has its travails with questioning existence and its purpose and all that sort of thing, Prudence’s creations apparently suffered from more serious existential crises. The gloomy pondering these bloody horrors got up to interfered most severely with their maintenance of the property’s exterior and, from what I understand, led to a great deal more bleating. I suppose what I am trying to say is that while having a marvelous idea is very satisfying, it can be quite the rebuke to discover the rest of the world is not as keen on the thing.
Some might argue that John spends too much time with his computer screen
John Althaus (Aaron Hendry) knows a thing or two about being ahead of his time. In this thrilling present age, “social” media is absolutely inescapable but in the year 1984, it was more of a novel concept. It was so unusual that John was unable to demonstrate the merits of LinkRabB1T, an early antecedent of today’s more ubiquitous messaging technology, and his investors decide to pull the proverbial plug. He is understandably down in the dumps over this development, which is perhaps why he is rather amenable to offers of assistance from a mysterious outsider. A LinkRabB1T user named Bobby promises John aid on his project if he is able to track down some “real life” friends for Bobby’s enjoyment. Much like his notions about online interaction, John’s methods for procuring Bobby’s companions are a little unconventional and not particularly appreciated in their time. Parents of the subsequently missing children make something of a fuss over the whole incident and Suite 2210, the hotel room where John conducted his regrettable business, is shuttered.
Decades later, the very same hotel earns the distinction of hosting ViewCon, an annual gathering of internet celebrities who have turned their vanity and self-obsession into an occupation. Ashley (Lauren Elizabeth) is one such individual and given the excitable manner in which strangers react to her presence, she has been a real success in her field. Due to some sort of clerical error, this preeminent personality has been left without lodgings and so John’s former base of operations is cracked open on her behalf. Bobby, it seems, has been lingering about all this time and his desire for companionship has not markedly declined. His attitude on collaboration, however, has changed considerably. Instead of providing Ashley with any kind of aid, he just sort of possesses the poor girl, assuming complete control of her body so that he can pilot her about the convention and lure unaccompanied minors back to the old 2210.
In addition to its dark past, John’s former room is also shamefully untidy
I suspect that even viewers who want nothing but a good sit and a bit of entertainment, who demur at the very notion of critical analysis, will be able to pick up on the themes of loneliness and isolation that permeate Deadcon. Though many of these characters are absolutely stuffed to the gills with online acquaintances, it seems apparent that their circle of flesh and blood compatriots is rather slim and that very few people in their lives have their best interests at heart. It really does remind one what a marvelous thing it is to find true friendship and how difficult a thing it is to come by in this particular day and age. Sometimes one has to defend these rare bonds, and doing so might require some uncomfortable activity from time to time. Perhaps one might have to turn a blind eye to a confidant’s irksome eccentricities or even tell a fib to cover a good mate’s indiscretions. One might even end up murdering a whole batch of prepubescent stragglers in an effort to provide their pals with playmates. But whatever the price may be, director Caryn Waechter’s film is a clear indication that protecting a valued friendship is well worth it. As John discovered, when life has positively put you in the soup, true chums really are really the only thing that can fish you back out.
Deadcon runs 78 minutes and does not possess a certified rating in the Untied States.
