What does a hallucinogenic trip look like from the perspective of a parasitic alien invader? The answer can be found in Fried Barry – half urban legend, half odyssey of a wide-eyed, balding junkie who wanders through the seedier side of Cape Town while his body is home not only to a pile of drugs but also to a stowaway in the form of an extraterrestrial entity. A brilliant first feature by director/writer Ryan Kruger, the film is a wild ride driven by Gary Green’s demented performance and Kruger’s audacious direction. The absurd mosaic of Cape Town seen through the eyes of a drugged-out alien is not so much an epic story as an entertaining assault on the senses and absolutely hypnotic experience. Initially a 3-minute short experimental film, the feature’s rapid-fire episodic structure makes fantastic use of Kruger’s short-form experience. Probably the most memorable element of both the short and feature-length films is the mesmerizing Gary Green in the lead role. Not a trained actor, he simply is Fried Barry, he is the part. His visage and presence is something you won’t easily forget. Actually, don’t be surprised if you show up at the next edition of the Shockproof Film Festival with an image of Barry as a (semi-)permanent tram stamp.
