HORROR SHOW VIDEO: Body Melt (1993)

This time we cover the gross, body horror stylings of BODY MELT from 1993. 

We have a review up if you'd like to read more about the film:
https://horrorsho.blogspot.com/2019/03/body-melt.html

You owe it to yourself to give this film a viddy!

Seeds

Jebus....this film. :::sighs and rubs his eyes feeling drained::::   :)

There are these films that are really hard to classify. They aren't standard horror. They have more creep and horror than a plain drama would have, too. But, you can't just toss out, "Hey - like horror? Watch SEEDS" because your more horror mad viewer will get all pissed off and start screaming, "HEY! Where's the BLOOD! And...why am I hearing all this TALKING and GOOD STORY stuff!? What a rip off!" as they go stomping away to watch the new HALLOWEEN film again. :::grin:::

No, this isn't that. It's a tense, visually stunning story with horror elements and some really grim and gripping storytelling backed by a small and amazing cast.

From IMDB:
When his increasingly depraved behavior spirals out of control, Marcus retreats to his family home along the New England coast. But instead of finding solace, Marcus is haunted by his darkest fears and deepest desires.

But, even that sounds too "sexy" for this film. This is an actor and story showcase of darkness and mental illness. It deals with issues that are...what are the kids calling it these days...."triggering" for sure. It's uncomfortable and sad and draining.

And I fucking loved it. :::grin:::

Trevor Long's performance as the lead Marcus Milton is stellar. You can see the emotions racing through him and when he brings things to the surface, it's powerful. There's a struggle of epic proportions running through him and he's struggling through the whole film trying to resolve them. Just fantastic.

Andrea Chen is equally amazing as Lily - Marin's niece.  She's able to walk the line of young adult expertly. At times she seems like a young woman and at other times she seems closer to a little girl. The balancing act makes the overall tension very intense. Some of the scenes between her and Long make the screen crackle with an energy that was wild.

And even child actor Garr Long's (related to Trevor?) performance is super solid. This is key. I've seen films where there is a key child actor playing along with adults and they just come off as distracting. However, Long handles the role wonderfully and maintains the acting levels set by Trevor and Andrea very well.

The story. Whew...the story....

Like if Lovecraft and Kafka got together to write a story about mental illness. Director Owen Long (( SO MANY LONGS LISTED IN THIS MOVIE!!!!  :)  )) and Steven Weisman really nailed the balance between reality and nightmares here. You're bounced between three worlds, really. A lovely dream world of perfection and love, a nightmare world of fear, and the real world where the dream and nightmare worlds come together to caress some and crush others. Whew. And, it's really tough to watch at times, though I found myself not able to look away.

I don't want to say this lightly, but SEEDS is a brilliant film.  Definitely worth a viddy for the brave of heart. Don't expect to be spoon fed here, however. You need to dive in a bit. Get your feet wet. Think. If you don't want to do that, pass on this film.

However, if you like to explore the darkness....give this a go for sure!

 If you enjoyed the film and what it brought to the table on the style and acting fronts, you might want to hunt these films down as well:

REVENGE (Hevn) - 
https://horrorsho.blogspot.com/2018/08/revenge-hevn.html

FAMILIAR (short film) -
https://horrorsho.blogspot.com/2016/07/familiar-made-me-squirm-in-my-chair.html

HEIR (short film) -
https://horrorsho.blogspot.com/2016/07/heir-fantastic-body-horror-creep-fest.html

I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE -
https://horrorsho.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-pretty-thing-that-lives-in-house.html

HIERRO (Spain 2009) -
https://horrorsho.blogspot.com/2012/11/hierro-spain-2009.html

Body Melt

HOLY CRAP! heheheheheh


Now, BODY MELT isn't a great film, but if you're a body horror fan and love practical effects films from the 90s, you're going to want to check this one out!

Classic "evil scientists come up with a medicine / vitamin with horrid side effects" plot that really makes little to no sense, but after you sink into the madness of it, you just kinda accept it all and wait for the gore and goo to fly again. And fly it does.

Evidently, the film was based on four short stories by the writer/director Philip Brophy and it feels like several stories woven awkwardly together. However, you're really not here for the story in this one. The story is a bit of a mess, honestly. It's all over the place and is disjointed and odd. However, the "HOLY CRAP! That was SO F%^&* GROSS!" factor makes this WELL worth a viddy!

Australian madness! This is a new favorite for sure!

Lifechanger

I see a good amount of screeners. Not as many as I would like, but I'm very happy that I got into the "Screener Club" - especially when I get to see films like LIFECHANGER and I'm able to give it some positive press!

Fans of THE HIDDEN and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS will want to check this film out for sure. This is writer/director Justin McConnell's first feature film and it's a fantastic offering.

And, as usual, no spoilers.

We're told the tale of a creature who is basically a life stealer. It "INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS" up a person's body and memories, then moves on. However, unlike Invasion, the effects of the change are wearing off faster and faster with each change. In years past, it seems like it was months before the creature had to jump bodies. Now, it's hours. But, what's the endgame here?

I loved the film. We have a being who is just trying to stay alive. To be alive. And the "room" is shrinking on it hour by hour. It was a fantastic metaphor for life at times. "I'll just do this to buy myself some time. And this....and this...and this other thing..." all the while you are running around trying to stay afloat. Stay alive. The film nails the feeling and manages to do it in a way that doesn't come off as over emotional or "emo". And that's all because of Justin McConnell's direction, his writing, his actors, and Sasha Moric's cinematography.

The cast does an amazing job playing two roles for the most part - pre-creature and post. However, it's never over the top and "BIG BAD" unlike some of these body swap offerings. The creature here is very human in it's thinking and life seeking. It never comes off as alien or robotic. I think that helps to sell the tale. There are some grand performances in the film. I was entranced. Sad to say, Bill Oberst Jr. was in the film only as a voice. I would have loved to see him as one of the characters.

The film is beautifully shot and the lighting is grand. I'm always thrilled when these films present a great story, with awesome acting, but also manage to nail the cinematography and lighting as well. The results are always winning, in my most humble opinion.



AND PRACTICAL EFFECTS!!!!!!!   Dear LAWD!!! Thank you! hehehehe  

Not only practical, but really good. The balance of story and shocks play together very well. We dip into some dialogue and plot depth, but moments later something really horrid happens and the energy is picked up again. Loved it.



I'm going to wrap up there because I don't want to go to "fan boy" on this film, but suffice it to say you should seek the film out and give it a shot as soon as you can. It's super solid and presents a very interesting perspective on love, life, guilt, and human suffering without being too heady or preachy about it.

WELL worth a viddy.   ON DEMAND JANUARY 1ST, 2019!!!! 

FANTASTIC work from....

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lora Burke ... Julia Wilson
Jack Foley ... Robert
Elitsa Bako ... Emily Roberts
Rachel VanDuzer... Rachel
Steve Kasan ... Detective Freddie Ransone
Sam White ... Sam Richardson
Bill Oberst Jr. ... Drew (voice)
Peter Higginson... Andrew
Adam Buller ... James
Brian Quintero... Tommy
Uche Ama ... Jen
Mark Rainmaker... John
Ry Barrett ... Richard
Michelle D'Alessandro Hatt... Mary Richardson
Daniel Faraldo... Bill

The Night of the Virgin

THE NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN  ((La noche del virgen (original title)) is a wild, wild ride. Director Roberto San Sebastián and writer Guillermo Guerrero really hit a home run with this horror comedy playing on SHUDDER at the time of this posting. Man...I love SHUDDER! :)

It's a story told in basically one location. Poor Noco (Javier Bódalo) is stuck at a club alone on New Years Eve. His hopes of "hooking up" for the new year are a mere countdown away from never happening. But then he sees Medea (Miriam Martín) and things start to look up. Sure, she's older than him, but she has a great body and....well....she's looking right at him.
They go back to her place and that's where we're going to camp out for the rest of the film. Medea's apartment is a wreck. Dirty, filled with roaches, and horrid. Medea herself seems to be running hot and cold - being sweet to Nico one moment, then being harsh with him the next. But, poor Nico is still hanging in there for the promised sexual encounter, no matter how horrible the apartment or Medea's actions.
But, what is it that Medea really wants from him? And, will her boyfriend, "Spider" (Víctor Amilibia) eventually get through the front door to kill poor Nico?

The film hits on all cylinders. When SHUDDER and the viewers there were talking about how disturbing and gross it was, I had to roll my eyes. I mean, horror folks here this kinda crap all the time. "It was SO GROSS that people left the theater.....passed out....threatened to take the makers to court!" Most of the time, this is far from the case for a horror movie lover. We've usually seen it done before - more often than not done better as well. But, this film delivers. It does get pretty gross.

I believe the comedy elements work really well, even if you're not usually a lover of foreign comedy. They are simple, cute, and sometimes painful.  Javier Bódalo is a show stealer with his wild teeth and crazy facial expressions and motions. The physical humor is hilarious as well as we watch our hero get battered and abused on screen. As the action ratchets up, so did my laughter and mutterings of, "Ok...yeah...that's really gross!" while I laughed and winced at the same time.

This is a slow burn, but it's SO worth a viddy. It's a funny and gross journey you'll really dig.

The trailer isn't TOO spoilery, but I'd probably aim to watch the film without looking at the trailer. That being said, the trailer is a fun edit! :) 

Gehenna: Where Death Lives

I just checked out a screener for the film Gehenna: Where Death Lives and I have to say...it was pretty alright!

Now, off the bat, it does have a few issues with pacing and the usual items that go along with a lower budget film, but it holds it's own really well.

From IMDB:
A group visits Saipan to search for locations for their company's newest resort. As they find what they think is the perfect spot, they discover a hidden bunker on the property...

The film moves along well and keeps the twists and turns coming. It help my interest as I tried to piece together exactly what was going on and managed to toss in so many variables that I didn't know where it was heading - a VERY good thing! And, the ending did not disappoint. Not in the slightest.

The film has some good performances, but it's big claim to fame is having the wondrous Doug Jones playing a monstrous character. Fun stuff for sure. There are some deliciously strange and cool PRACTICAL effects in the film as well. That made me very happy.

Director and special effects guy Hiroshi Katagiri's work here is grand as well, taking a small space and making the most of it in various ways. It's a creepy little set that he works wonders with. I think all his effects gigs helped him work out a lot of things that other small budget directors choke on.

I highly suggest checking the film out. It's a fun little ride!

Bunnyman Vengeance

"Bunnyman Vengeance," I read as I started giggling. 

I had seen a trailer for the original BUNNYMAN, but I had not seen it or it's sequel. So, when I saw that this was the third and final in the series, I thought that I should watch the first and second one first. That would have helped, I'm sure, but in the interest of time, I just dove in head first. And, I'm happy that I did. 

So, there was a child who was SET ON FUCKING FIRE by someone! THAT'S the backstory! Jesus! hehehe  And we see a little recap  of the event (done in an interesting, home movie style) at the beginning of this film. Pretty much caught me up. That boy is the infamous "Bunnyman" here - covering his horribly burned adult body with the costume. And boy, does he have anger issues. 

 

We meet the gang Bunnyman is hanging with which is compiled of two dudes with homicidal tenancies and developmentally disabled man. While they are a team, they are always at each other's throats. Now, this is where I need a re-watch. All of them save the developmentally disabled man vicious killers  and Bunnyman has a brutal temper. They are up to something at a haunted house style attraction they are building, but....I think I missed something....because I didn't get why they were killing everyone and anyone who came by. You know, usually there's a satanic ritual, hidden gold you're trying to keep secret, or something of that nature, but I didn't hear what it was. I had an issue with the screener and thought that maybe there was something lost in translation. (A second scan through revealed nothing to me)


But, none of that mattered after some time. I was watching and loving every minute of this wacked out film. HA! I loved it. It totally reminded me of old GRINDHOUSE films of the 70s. Crazy people up to no good. That HILLS HAVE EYES feel of people just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It worked well here for sure. 

TRAILER


 Unlike some of the old grindhouse films, this film is shot really well. (Can you tell that's always important to me here at the HORROR SHOW? :) )  There are some fantastic shots that capture the environment and frame the grand acting expertly. And grand acting it is.

Omari Washington, Michael Shaun Sandy, Pucci Tres, and even the costumed Carl Lindbergh all turned in fantastic, heartfelt performances. They were never over the top or wonky - super solid stuff that really sold me and hooked me. While the overall concept of a burned man wearing a bunny costume to hide himself may seem silly or goofy, it's never played that way. It's dead serious and it totally works. This boy was burned alive and lived to tell the tale as other children picked on him and mocked him. Totally grounds to become a homicidal nutter who wears a bunny costume to hide himself. 

Which brings me to another grand element of this film - the gore and CGI visuals. Usually, lower budget CGI effects and visuals are...not the business. They aim high many times and miss that mark more often than not. It can be distracting and awkward. Unless, of course, you go all out and fold the visual effects into...let's say a drug induced, psychotic music video in the middle of the film and make gore so over the top and graphic that your viewers chuckle at the horror of it. Like I did. I thought the gore was amazing. They really went all out and pushed things as far as they could. Poles fly through people, shovel handles pierce necks, and more. So much more. This was another neo-grindhouse element for me. Instead of rubber heads and hands being hacked, the BUNNYMAN folks took to the computer age and made it another important element of the film that seems right at home along side a fried man in a bunny costume.


BUNNYMAN VENGEANCE is a fun ride. Don't take things so seriously. Just roll into it and enjoy the madness of it! Well worth a viddy!

Wither

Vittra - made in 2012 - was kicked out here in the States as WITHER. I caught it on Amazon Prime here in the US and it was a fun little ride.

This is basically Sweden's EVIL DEAD take and, while it's not the EVIL DEAD, it's very entertaining and keeps things interesting and bloody.  A group of friends heads to an abandoned home in the woods (far cleaner than the cabin in Evil Dead!) And, in this film it's another ancient evil up to no good - a sort of wood fairy spirit being who can take your soul just by looking into your eyes, turning you into an evil, monstrous creature.

This start of slowly, but ramp up into some rather fun, gory goings on. Sadly, the pace falters from time to time, but it's well worth sticking it out through some heavy dialogue and WTF? moments to get to more of the evil beings.

The F/X work is grand. Blood flows and awful things happen to the group as the evil is spread through some wicked bites and gross out blood spraying. Little touches here and there - like glowing, milky eyes - really set this film apart from some other Evil Dead "homage" movies I've seen since the original film came out. They are doing Evil Dead for sure, but they do the copy-cat with their own, gruesome touches.

The acting is rather good. Or, at least I think it is seeing as the film is in Swedish. It was language that came off sounding bitchy to me - not sure why.  Like everything that was said had a snarky tone to it. Interesting language.

There are some great shots like the one above that really play on that "something is creeping up on you" feeling. However, there are also some moments where I was thinking, "Hmmm...the house isn't THAT big. Wouldn't the other folks hear this guy and girl struggling and growling in the room six feet away?"  Those moments took me out of things for a minute, but the film isn't all that serious anyway, so I managed to let it go after a time.

All in all, WITHER was a fun ride that is well worth a viddy!

Burial Ground (1981)

Wow....

I had seen clips from Burial Ground on numerous clip shows, but seeing the whole film really mad a much bigger impact. It's a fun zombie epic siege film that is now on my FAVORITE ZOMBIE MOVIES list for sure.

A professor is exploring some old ruins and discovers something big. He invites a bunch of people to the site - a manor house is there as well, and goes back down to o more exploring. BOOM! Zombies swarm him and he's gone. And...the guests are still on their way. You can see where this is going. heheheh

The dubbing is a mess and the acting is...well...also a mess in places, but it all comes together wondrously in a bloodbath of Italian flavored goodness and tool wielding zombies! We have everything in here. Fire, head bashing, bear traps, popped eyes, gore and gore and gore, axes, wrestling.... The list goes on and on!

Andrea Bianchi's direction is an odd mix of great and horrid, but the film pops along at a grand pace. The cast is solid and play their parts well enough to keep things moving. It even has the ever creepy Pietro Barzocchini in it. He always freaks me out.

If you are looking for zombies and blood, this is your movie. There are some grand kills in here and some fun zombie looks. It's a visceral, nasty little film that manages to pack a LOT of action in. It made me so...very happy. :)

Again, SHUDDER adds more and more of this awesome content each week. They are really knocking it out of the park!

You simply must check this film out if you have not already. A great pairing for this would be NIGHTMARE CITY.

SHUDDER - I'm in love with you

I can't get rid of my SHUDDER account. They keep adding new content and I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!  :) Seriously, I sign in and POP! more new content. Stuff that I've been wanting to see, but that I have not wanted to actually own. Now I can stream it and enjoy.

Some of the recent titles I've managed to viddy below!


 


Ghosthouse
This was a fun, silly little Italian romp. A creepy little girl and a doll haunt an old home. It had some nasty moments and some REALLY funny moments to giggle about. (Too bad it's not a comedy :::grin)  Well worth a viddy. 

 

Witchery
A horrible movie. Really horrible. But, entertainingly horrible. All the worst from 1988. David Hasselhoff....Linda Blair..."acting" through a bad script about a witch trying to bring Satan into the world? I think that was it. heh Just a mess. Again, well worth a viddy.


 





 


Mother's Day
Backwoods horror from the 80s - what could be bad about that. Fun characters doing awful things to people. Another good one for the revenge horror sub-genre. A mother and her two sons terrorize three ladies who are trying to enjoy some hang out time in the woods. Lady violence, sadly, but that's soon turned around and payed forward!

 
New York Ripper
This one was on my TO WATCH list for a long while, but afterwards I kinda wish I didn't watch it. The female violence aspect was a bit much for me. I just don't dig that sort of thing. However, as a horror, it delivered. Some really nasty stuff from horror master Lucio Fulci. The lovely Alexandra Delli Colli also stars, which is a plus for sure. Hubba hubba! :) The story? A giallo romp with a mysterious killer doing away with people...and a man missing some fingers on his hand noir style.





The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
Wild Jess Franco stuff!

A blind bird woman with green feathers stuck to her hear and there
Silver spray paint Monster sprinting
Mad monster party with ghouls, goblins....skull face people...
Smart severed head gag - holding up the actresses head, but never showing the neck.
SCIENCE! hehehehe
Lots of staring.
Lots of nude women.
"AMAZING" dialogue.




Zombie Holocaust aka Dr Butcher MD (recut)
More Alexandra Delli Colli goodness here. She and Ian McCulloch fall through the bizarre plot. Colli works in a hospital where someone is eating bits of people. A plot is discovered leading her and a small band of travelers to an island where these cannibals are from. But wait....what's that? ZOMBIES! Yes...zombies start appearing and the plot thickens and manages to hold up nicely! 
Honestly, title aside, this is a really engaging film with a lot going on to keep the viewer happy. And, some of the WORST ADR screams ever inserted into a film! hehehe  Check it!