Filmmakers raise bar of weirdness to gain viewers

‘VelociPastor’ sounds odd, but may not be much of a stretch

Just when you think you’ve seen it all on the movie front, filmmakers raise the bar of weirdness once again with “VelociPastor.”

According to the pop culture site Nerdist, a new “horror comedy” film is coming out this summer in which a pastor “finds himself cursed with the ability to transform into a flesh-hungry dinosaur, and all existential qualms that come with this new parlor trick.” Entertainment Weekly reports the pastor heads to China after a family tragedy to find deeper spirituality. “Instead, he is endowed with an ancient ability that allows him to turn into a dinosaur. At first, he is horrified by his newfound superpower, but a local prostitute convinces him to use his gift to fight evil — and ninjas,” Entertainment Weekly reports.

Pastors who morph into raptors AND ninjas? Wow.

Before you dismiss it on principle, keep in mind that stranger films have found a weird sort of cult status among fans.

Remember “Sharknado?” The description on Google notes, “Nature’s deadliest killer takes to the skies in the ultimate gill-ty pleasure as a group of friends try to save the Santa Monica coast from shark-infested tornadoes.”

Ahem. Doesn’t sound like much of a winner on the surface, yet it was popular enough to land five sequels.

And who could forget “Lavalantula,” about fire-spitting giant tarantulas stomping all over Los Angeles?

Or “Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead,” about feathered zombies.

Granted, the concept of someone turning into a dinosaur is strange on the surface, moviegoers have already accepted the morphing concept. Man into werewolf? No problem. Jeff Goldblum into “The Fly?” We’ve seen it. Even in “Ghostbusters,” Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis are transformed on screen into monstrous demon hounds.

We’ve eagerly watched dinosaurs and giant lizards wreck havoc on the world (remember “Godzilla” and the “Jurassic Park” movies?).

So is a VelociPastor that much of a stretch? Probably not.

It’s doubtful the film will reach blockbuster status, but might fall into the “catchy titles with weird pop culture love” category.

Using a pastor as the main character might raise some eyebrows, but the title itself is sure to catch some attention.

And really, for a filmmaker, isn’t that the point?