The Cornshukker Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		2.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Cornshukker Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 27, 2022

Writer/director Brando Snider wanted a cult-ready movie to call his own, bringing “The Cornshukker” to life in 1997. It’s an extremely bizarre effort that’s heavily influenced by the work of David Lynch and other masters of surreal cinema. Intent is there to melt minds with a display of weird imagery and random encounters, and for those who demand their cinema to be inscrutable, Snider’s film is certainly something. I’m not sure what, exactly, but something.

“The Cornshukker” doesn’t have a traditional plot, instead following the movements of an albino man with telepathic powers who feeds on corn. He lives in a ramshackle house filled with screaming crawdads, and he’s visited throughout the day by random people looking to interact with him, unaware of his unusual powers.

Something of a plot emerges with Cornshukker’s violent interaction with the fiery Old Man Thomas, leading to a murder that brings the law and an angry mob to the creature’s farm. However, there’s a long journey to any sort of storytelling clarity, with most of the viewing experience devoted to Snider’s attempts at humor, finding Cornshukker meeting with a frightened girl scout, coming across Dead Heads sleeping on his property, and ordering food from “Smegma Pizza,” which has one habitually dancing employee. Others visit the “white demon,” allowing the helmer to work on half- baked ideas for strangeness, and the movie comes dangerously close to revealing itself as a big goof, forcing viewers to sit through surprisingly lengthy monologues from amateur actors. Snider craves oddity, and he finds it here (at one point, Cornshukker urinates whole corn into a toilet), but there’s nothing else in the effort to really hold attention.

The Cornshukker Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"The Cornshukker" was originally shot on film, but 16mm elements are lost. "All that remained was a VHS copy," leaving the AVC encoded image (1.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation not entirely representative of the original viewing intent. This is a softer, blockier look for "The Cornshukker," missing film-like texture, and the overall viewing event deals with a worn source, with brief areas of damage. Black and white imagery isn't always capable of providing a nuanced look at the original cinematography, fighting solidification.

The Cornshukker Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a basic understanding of elements, with sound effects almost hilariously pronounced at times, making footsteps and zippers heard in a big way. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, managing strange performance choices and technical challenges. Music supports passably, never overwhelming the track. Damage is detected, with a few brief dropouts.

The Cornshukker Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Brando Snider.

• "Cornshukker: Unshukked" (8:55, HD) is an interview with writer/director Brando Snider, who conceived the eponymous character in a painting, looking to develop his original idea. Inspired by the press surrounding the release of Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi," Snider was determined to make his own movie for $6,000, bringing in his brother Jason to portray the Cornshukker when his original choice for the part refused to shave his head. Shot in Indiana, the endeavor scraped by with little, including the recruitment of slightly sauced extras from a local bar. The interviewee points out missed jokes and recalls the editorial experience. He closes with the picture's VHS journey, struggling with distribution, and the cult appreciation for "The Cornshukker," with fans holding corn-themed watch parties.

• Music Video (2:57, SD) offers "In My Room" from the band Invisible Ray.

• A Trailer has not been included.

The Cornshukker Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As to be expected, Elvis shows up in "The Cornshukker," adding to the collection of personalities out to make contact with the "Powder"-esque character. If this all reads as fun, my apologies, as Snider misses camp by a country mile, and his grasp on nightmare imagery is tenuous at best. But he does land strangeness with his endeavor, which blends violence and stillness to best deliver a workable question mark to the target demographic. It's a tough sit, even with a 60-minute-long run time. Perhaps it's meant to be enjoyed in an altered state of mind, but as avant-garde cinema goes, "The Cornshukker" should be more of an enigmatic thrill ride than the slog it becomes.