Don Coscarelli's version does seem to differ from the original a good bit (I read a quick synopsis) but then obviously has one of the overall stories featured in the original, the comic novel was made of 3 with a wrap around at each end. But Coscarelli being a great story writer anyway has just taken another persons story and made it his own. Imagine a 'Scott Pilgrim' for the horror world and mix it with films such as 'Dude Where's My Car' and that's probably the closest you can describe the film.
We start off weird right away with our main character Dave. Yes Dave. Cutting off a Nazi's head with a small axe. We then see a few different mini stories of Dave and eventually John before it gets into the main story of Dave telling a journalist how he came across a drug named ''Soy Sauce''. And when Dave accidentally takes the drug, things just get weirder from there.
Even though it was a great movie and for once I didn't not like Paul Giamatti I still wish that the film stuck a little more to the random stories along with the main plot instead of just passing them to a side and focusing more on the main. It didn't dampen the movie in the slightest but I think I would have just preferred some more shorter stories throughout to even out the pacing a little more and to keep the weird factor ridiculously high. But then that's me. I laugh at silly things and find strange things that the majority of people wouldn't like as some sort of God like entity that sits in my brain until it gets pushed to a side (but never replaced) by something even stranger.
From learning that the book is different it makes me want to go out and buy it. There's also a sequel entitled 'This Book Is Full Of Spiders, Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It' by the 'John Dies' author David Wong. (Which is a pseudonym by the way)
Which I shall also be purchasing.
And I can happily say that this film shall be sitting amongst my DVD's and Blu-Rays when it's released on Blu-Ray along with it's Coscarelli cousins.
Definitely worth a watch and purchase.
8/10 Soy Sauce Pills.
Adie,
Die On Set A.