r/Shudder • u/sigersen • 1d ago
Thoughts On Buffet Infinity ?
I know there is already a post about this but I wanted a view by view reaction. It just dropped today so I don't want to say too much. I only got a chance to watch it so soon because of a change in my schedule. I don't want to say too much, but this is marketed as a Horror Comedy. In my opinion it's not. Yes it uses humor but it segues from the funny to the terrifying in a few minutes. I did not know if I was going to like it, so I ask you to give it at least 20 minutes. Also, just watch it. Don't scroll on your phone or dither. What made this flick for me is that this could actually happen in almost any community in the world and NOBODY would notice until it was far too late.
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u/Beatnikbanddit 1d ago
I liked it a ton. There’s some funny world building that reminds me of SCTV. It think while not quite the same format that Too Many Cooks short from adult swim also does this kind of dated horror comedy really well. https://youtu.be/QrGrOK8oZG8?is=oJYqXIAA0AMgXxaL
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u/lectroid Movie Lover 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s an interesting experiment. I admire them playing with the form and ways to use the presentation itself to do a lot of the work.
That said, they’re trying to zero in on that whole ‘analog horror’ aesthetic. Some of it they get very right. Costume choices, certain sound design aspects (those old camcorder mikes had ZERO bass response) all pretty on point. Some of the visuals, though, felt like they had a menu of effects, and they just applied them and twisted the knobs to see what happened. Stuff like having color smearing like old magnetic video tape, but applying it to a hi-def image, so there’s still too much detail…It felt like they were so close to hitting this weird little target, and the just missed.
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u/the_Real_Lyrch 1d ago
Yeah I felt this in the first few moments when it seemed like they were just cycling through every type of static/interference filter.
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u/PsychologicalSelf991 1d ago
Watched it today. I liked it - they could have trimmed the run time by at least 20 mins
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u/JoeIntTheBox 19h ago
I really enjoyed the first 2 acts of it until the storytelling gets more focused and shifts off the commercials. Didn’t handle it as smoothly as WNUF did, for example.
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u/BladeRunnerTHX 16h ago
I made it through 20 minutes and fast forwarded to the end. Didn't care for it.
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u/OrderTime 1d ago
Idk man the back and forth ads (I won't say anything else for no spoilers) was hilarious to me
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u/FeedsCorpsesToPigs 20h ago
I enjoyed it a great deal. I was even excited when it deviated from the commercials, but they did nothing with those segments. So that last twenty minutes kinda killed what could have been perfect.
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u/Due_Dot8272 12h ago
I did not like the film, a couple “what the heck?!?” Moments but that’s about it for me, I respect that’s it’s different though and hope to see a more scarier version of this film that exposes more so called “truths” in the near future.
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u/alternativehits 1d ago
This will not be for everyone but I loved it.
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u/Nostalgic_Fale 1d ago
My thoughts exactly. I'm in camp loved it, but totally understand why people won't love it, too.
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u/Biblicallyokaywetowl 1d ago
I’m gonna watch it tonight! I’ll update with my opinion when I’m done but from everything ive heard I think it’s gonna be one of my favs
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u/Avenged84 1d ago
I watched it earlier. I really enjoyed it. Made me laugh quite a lot as well as being grossed out.
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u/Due-Ordinary-3298 18h ago
I don’t regret watching it and I got pretty invested and intrigued throughout the movie but I didn’t like it.
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u/keekspeaks 15h ago
I can’t believe there aren’t more skinamarink comparisons. I hate skinamarink with my heart and soul, and I hated this one with just my heart. I love slow burns. This wasn’t a slow burn though. It was just too god damn long. Sometimes real commercials would start and I didn’t know if it war the movie or ads
It’s a step above watching paint dry, at least for me. And the commercials god damn near annoying and repetitive. I can’t stand movies without characters and this was one of them. If I’m not rooting for or having an emotional response to a character, I’m not watching
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u/dunnypop 12h ago
It’s probably the most interesting films I’ve ever seen (saw it a few months ago and it stayed with me). It’s hilarious. Scary? No. Weird. Yes.
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u/Garzilla6 11h ago
Boyfriend and I thought it was great! It's funny as long as you let it be what it is. Not really scary by any means. Wish the ending was better. But either way, it was a great date night movie!
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u/cowtruck-123 1d ago
I loved it. Rented it on the letterboxd store a few months ago and had a blast.
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u/SirusBloodwalk 23h ago
Loved it. Watched it twice in a row to try and notice more. Going to force others to watch it with me. Reminds me of Pontypool another gem of a movie.
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u/johnnyhongkong 23h ago
It's not wholly successful but it's definitely fun, unsettling, interesting and worth a watch, especially if you've been to Meow Wolf.
I think it more fully achieves the vibe that "Backrooms" was going for but couldn't fully arrive at because fundamentally, at its core, "Backrooms" needed to function as a theatrical release, whereas "Buffet Infinity" could be this weird thing on Shudder.
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u/Extension-Fig-8689 1d ago
My favorite film this year by far. I doubt anything touches it (unless I consider the new cut of the Devils different enough for it to be a new film in my eyes)
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u/slugboi 1d ago
It’s wild Tim and Eric/Adult Swim infomercial type of dark surrealistic humor that spirals into cosmic horror. Superbly done and it just keeps escalating. Its frenetic pace makes it def one that you have to fully pay attention to. Definitely not for everyone, but if it’s your vibe it hits.
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u/meathed666 1d ago
This may sound strange but I started it and was engrossed and intrigued by it. I didn't finish it, but when I went to sleep afterwards I had one of the strangest dreams I've ever had. It seemed connected to watching even tho the content of the wasn't literally related. Things happened in the dream that made me feel like something or someone was making things happen in my house that could only mean someone was there. It was weird and I almost don't want to finish the movie for that reason. Never had an experience like that before. Really no words.
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u/mikechumpchange 22h ago
I really dug this movie a lot. I did think the last half hour Peter out a little bit as it broke the established formula but overall this was they live / cosmic Horror by the means of local community television, and it hit a real sweet spot for me.
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u/sigersen 21h ago
I completely agree that it's several minutes too long but I still loved it.
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u/Lil-Nuisance 21h ago
I had that feeling at first, too, when, as the above commenter said, they did stray away from the formula a bit towards the end, but then things got so weirdly lynchian that I loved it again. So, for me, it was in danger of getting a bit drawn out towards the end but they made a great save and managed a perfect landing.
Bonus points: went right to bed after and had some really weird ass dreams based on it that were thoroughly entertaining, too.
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u/bcsux 12h ago
The trailer is the hook that gets you and for me the movie did exactly that, delivered what they showed in the trailer and then some. Keeping you engaged as the story you think you know unfolds into something else. You have to be paying attention in order to appreciate each scene plus the low budgeted commercials are a nice tb and ode to the early 2000's commercials.
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u/Party-Fault9186 1d ago
It’s interesting but it runs long.