Atroz, the Spanish word for atrocious and certainly an indication to the viewer that this experience is going to be anything but lighthearted. True to its title, the debut feature from Mexican director Lex Ortega is a harrowing journey indeed. Its style channels August Underground and its violent depravity reaches Human Centipede 2 levels of intensity. Much like A Serbian Film though, this movie plays out as more of a gruesome drama than a horror film but is so horrifying that it more comfortably fits into the Horror category than anywhere else. So, clearly its qualifications as an extreme film are indisputable but still, the most important question remains: “is it any good?”

After two men are arrested at the scene of a car accident that claims the life of a pedestrian, the police find a video camera in the car that contains a horrific video of them torturing a transgender prostitute to death. The film then alternates between the brutal interrogation of the primary suspect Goyo (Lex Ortega) and the graphic crimes on tapes that the police find during the investigation.

What instantly stands out about this film, aside from the extremely disturbing content, is the acting. The amount of commitment and realism that the actors bring to this project would be impressive for any film but the fact that this was a micro-budget production made for the $7,000 that Ortega and the producers crowd-funded really takes it to the next level. Even down to the smallest part, the actors really deliver in this film but Ortega himself truly stands out with his portrayal of the hulking, depraved monster that is Goyo.

Another key part of this film is the gore effects, which are very well done, especially considering the budget. Now, any would-be filmmaker can put gore into a movie but what makes the film so effectively disturbing is the fact that Ortega knows how to work within the limitations of his budget. Instead of attempting to create elaborate scenes and special effects that become laughable when done on the cheap, he wisely sticks to gritty, realistic violence and very upsetting concepts. Graphic genital mutilation, rape, incest, shit eating, bloodplay and various kinds of torture are all presented in unflinching detail.

While I enjoy seeing so much horrific imagery in a film, in this case it does work to its detriment a bit as well. Since the film is a little light on narrative, the extended scenes of violence do have a bit of a numbing effect without a more substantial storyline to support them. Still, the aforementioned acting quality and gore effects do a lot to elevate the overall film beyond the status of a run-of-the-mill Torture Porn making this a relatively minor issue.

A larger issue is the fact that the film falls into the standard found footage trap where characters are recording even at times where it makes no sense to do so. It is logical to think that the killers would be recording their crimes for their own sick pleasure. However, the fact that some of the transitional scenes, as well as large parts of what occurred in Goyo’s old home movie, were recorded is a bit of a stretch. I can certainly understand why Ortega included them as they were essential to the story itself but a bit more justification, like the camera already being on for a different reason, would have helped rationalize the fact that they were being recorded in the first place.

Truly, the only time Ortega completely breaks with the reality he’s created is during a playback of one of the tapes that suddenly cuts to an interior shot of the person’s ass who is being raped with the barbwire dildo (that’s right, you heard me). Certainly a cool effect but doesn’t make sense within the found footage context.

Minor structural criticism aside, this is an incredible film. Not only does it go to levels of darkness rarely achieved in cinema but it also provides powerful social commentary. The film opens with a statistic that 98% of 27,500 murders in Mexico are unsolved which sheds a light on the reality of the real world conditions the filmmakers must contend with. In the behind-the-scenes featurette producer Abigail Bonilla talks about the climate of fear and hopelessness felt by so many residents of Mexico City and how the film represents the violence and horror they see all around them. To properly understand and appreciate this film it is necessary to remove yourself from the initial gut reactions to the horrific images and realize that this is an artistic expression of the rage and fear that so many people feel from living in a dangerous environment. The movie also accurately reflects the fact that monstrous humans aren’t created in a vacuum but in most cases are the result of abuse and a lack of understanding.

A must-see for fans of extreme cinema and those looking for a film that delivers a legitimately hardcore horror experience. Atroz claims to be the most graphic and goriest film ever made in Mexico and ya know what, I would absolutely believe it. But let’s hope that it doesn’t stop there and perhaps this will encourage other daring filmmakers to push the boundaries and create art that resonates on such an intense, visceral level.

Watch out, people, there’s a lobotomized sex-cyborg on the loose! Yes, the insane premise of 964 Pinocchio (a.k.a Screams of Blasphemy) does certainly hold a lot of potential for a Tetsuo-style journey into another gloriously bizarre living nightmare. But the real question becomes “can it actually deliver on the same level as that mind-fuck masterpiece?” Well, let’s discuss.

Obviously, when a cyborg sex-slave that suffered a memory-wiping lobotomy (otherwise known as a Pinocchio) isn’t able to perform to the client’s satisfaction it runs the risk of incurring their wrath. Such is the fate of #964, (Haji Suzuki) a Pinocchio who is tossed out onto the street by a female client when he fails to maintain an erection during a threesome. However, it’s not long before he is taken under the wing of a homeless amnesiac named Himiko (Onn-chan) after literally falling into her lap. When 964’s owner/pimp learns he is missing he quickly sends his men looking for him, terrified that his underground cyborg sex ring will be discovered. Can 964 regain his memory and uncover the real truth about who (or what) he really is before he is found?

While this all may sound delightfully nuts, my chief complaint about 964 Pinocchio would actually have to be that it’s not weird enough. In fact the first thirty minutes play out a bit more like an offbeat love story than a Japanese splatter film. To be fair, after that the film does take a sharp descent into creative madness with bizarre imagery that ranges from the stomach-churning to the sublimely bizarre, all of which really has to be seen to be believed.

Even so, the strange and interesting scenes the film creates are frequently undermined by slow pacing and repetition causing them to become more of a source of fatigue than fascination. This is a shame because the final third incorporates much more of the fast-paced, gleeful insanity that was in short supply in the previous sections. While it does build to a satisfyingly deranged climax, there is still an overwhelming feeling of “too little too late”. Even at ninety-seven minutes it feels long and would have been more successful as a tightly-paced short rather than a feature.

Ultimately, this film tried to have it both ways, attempting to provide an experience that was both a Splatter Cinema mind-trip and a character-driven story. It would have been better to commit fully to one direction or the other because the unexplained random madness occurs too frequently for a drama and too infrequently for a wild ride in the vein of Tetsuo. Certainly an interesting (and Alternative-as-fuck) film and one that should be seen by anyone interested in Japan’s most bizarre cinematic experiences. However, if you are expecting a trip on the level of the aforementioned metal-morphing classic, or even the more recent examples of unbridled insanity like Helldriver and Tokyo Gore Police, this is sure to come up wanting.

Helldriver is less a “movie”, more an unbridled ride through the cinematic insanity that is Japanese Splatter Cinema. Much like Tokyo Gore Police, this is another film that you are going to need to strap the fuck in for because this visual roller coaster is an example of unhinged, creative brutality at it’s finest.

The plot is as crazy as the visuals but I’ll do my best to distill it. When a freak meteor falls from the sky it releases a mysterious black ash that turns millions of Japanese residents into zombies. Now it is up to badass zombie slayer Kika (Yumiko Hara) to save Japan from the epidemic by going after the zombie queen herself….her mother Rikka (Japanese Splatter legend Eihi Shiina)

So, there it is in very broad strokes but that doesn’t even begin to describe the utter madness of this film. Right from the opening scene that sees a physics-defying truck spinning through the air like a toy and Kika pole-dancing on a zombie’s elongated neck (that’s right, you heard me) it is clear this is a film that is not taking itself too seriously. But that’s okay in this case and this kind of glorious madness is exactly what we’ve come to expect (and crave) from the Japanese Splatter subgenre.

The film is clearly on a mission to start out crazy and just get crazier…..and mission fucking accomplished! Zombie babies are swung on umbilical cords like weapons, severed heads fly through the air to devour people, a working car is made entirely out of severed body parts and much, much more! It all culminates in a battle in space so insane that it practically defies description.

The film is also violent, really, really violent. Torture, cannibalism and endless geysers of blood all play out onscreen in incredibly graphic detail despite the film’s shockingly low budget. Naturally, many of the effects have the sort of low budget aesthetic you’d expect in Japanese Splatter but the sheer creativity on display here more that makes up for it and just add to the campy fun.

And campy fun is really the key here because that is certainly the intention of director/co-writer Yoshihiro Nishimura. There is definitely a very different tone here than the grim torture-porn films like Grotesque and despite all the bloodshed, it never loses it’s sense of careless fun amid the carnage. For some, it would be easy to dismiss such a film as meaningless visual stimulation but the fact is that it knows exactly what it wants to be sticks with it a hundred percent. The characters are actually very well defined and solid and even with a two hour running time the film never feels drawn out or boring.

So if you think you can handle taking a trip through a world of gruesome, next-level insanity then grab a few beers and hitch a ride with Helldriver, you won’t be sorry you did!

Truly, no discussion of the most notorious, disturbing films of all time could possibly be complete without the inclusion of Cannibal Holocaust. Even thirty-six years later, the film remains banned in a number of countries and was so controversial upon it’s initial release that director Ruggero Deodato was arrested shortly after the 1980 premier in Milan. However, the charges were eventually dropped once he was able to prove that this was not an actual snuff film and all the actors involved were in fact still alive. So, does the film that many have dubbed the most controversial of the 20^th Century live up to it’s reputation and still manage to be shocking decades later? Well, let’s discuss.

In addition to being notorious for it’s graphic content, Cannibal Holocaust is also credited as being an early pioneer in utilizing the “found footage” technique that has become such a prevalent part of modern horror, which is itself a very worthy contribution to the genre as a whole. The story centers around anthropology professor Harold Monroe (Robert Kerman) who goes deep into the Amazonian jungle in search of a missing documentary crew that was making a film about mysterious cannibal tribes in the rain forest. But instead of the documentarians, he is only able to recover their footage which he brings back to an American TV station that wants to broadcast it. Monroe however has serious reservations once he discovers the truth about what is actually contained on those reels.

As the other reviews on this site will indicate, I am certainly no stranger to disturbing cinema and in fact have made it my mission to track down and review all of the most twisted, fucked up films ever made. I couldn’t possibly be a more ardent defender of free speech and have thoroughly praised controversial movies like A Serbian Film, The Human Centipede and others for their bold, inflammatory filmmaking. However, there is a very important difference between Cannibal Holocaust and most other controversial films which is also at the center of the ongoing controversy surrounding it…the real, unsimulated killing of animals on film.

Now, one thing I do want to clarify is that this film was made in 1980 and in the decades preceding that the practice of really killing animals onscreen was surprisingly commonplace and did not carry with it the incredible stigma that it does today. Even mainstream movies like Thunderball, Patton, Apocalypse Now, Cool Hand Luke and many others featured scenes of animals actually killed onscreen in service of the storyline. Despite this, the abundance of animal deaths, as well as the incredibly graphic ways that they are killed, make Cannibal Holocaust stand out as exceptionally brutal and cruel. So much so that years later Deodato himself even expressed regret for his actions.

More than anything else I have reviewed, this film really provides an opportunity to discuss the question “Is there a such a thing as going too far when creating art?” For me, the answer really comes down to one simple word…..consent. Consent is everything when deciding what can and cannot be shown. Consent is the difference between sex and rape and the difference between a boxing match and an assault.

I am a very firm believer in the idea that anything people want to express in art can and must be allowed to be expressed but with the important stipulation that if it is violent or sexual, it occurs between consenting adults. If all parties do not (or cannot) consent to what is happening, than what is happening is not okay. This is why filming actual instances of rape, murder, child sexual abuse and animal cruelty is rightfully illegal but fictional depictions are not only acceptable but an important part of coping with the real life horrors we face in the world every day.

People often cite A Serbian Film as the most disturbing film of all time primarily because of the depictions of children being sexually abused. While this idea is in fact disturbing, as it was intended to be, it is also still simply an idea, a fictional depiction. This also goes for other disturbing imagery such as the graphic rape scene in I Spit on Your Grave or the violence depicted in pretty much every horror movie ever made. As horror fans, we enjoy the depictions of violence because we are able to know in the backs of our minds that what we are seeing is simply an illusion and no real harm is being done. On the other hand, anyone who revels in the genuine suffering of others has truly lost their humanity.

Featuring actual cruelty also undercuts any kind of statement you are trying to make with the art itself. The underlying messages of the cruelty of a “civilized society” that feels entitled to abuse indigenous people and nature itself in this film is completely deflated by the fact that the film itself is responsible for such abuse. Beyond this, I also find real violence to be a cheap tactic to illicit a visceral response. Any asshole can shock you by killing an animal and filming it but when a film is able to horrify you to your core simply by creating a realistic illusion that is something to be admired.

To be fair though, there is a lot more in this film beyond the few scenes of animal cruelty and I wanted to see how effective it was as a whole. The special edition DVD actually offers a version where the animal deaths are removed so to compare it I watched both that and the uncut version. Without those scenes the film is still incredibly disturbing and more than most people could handle. Aside from numerous scenes of graphic rape there is also a lot of brutal carnage. The infamous scene of the impaled woman is a gorgeously realized effect as is the scene of the man’s cock being viciously cut off.

Despite my feelings for the unsimulated violence in this film, I do not advocate for it’s censorship and (like the apologetic warning before the film) view this as an historical document depicting a bygone era that hopefully won’t be repeated. This is the only time I would actually recommend watching a cut version of a film but if you do, you will see a movie that is surprisingly well acted, holds your interest and features a great film score. However, you are also sure to notice some shoddy ADR work, weak character development and a plot that is noticeably thin when not propped up with the shock-value of real death. Ultimately, without the use of the cheap shock effect of animal cruelty, the film would never have earned the level of controversy it did or it’s notorious place in film history. On the other hand, it would have still been a disturbing piece of art who’s message wouldn’t have been drowned out by it’s own hypocrisy.

What’s great about a title like Tokyo Gore Police is that it is very clear about the kind of movie you are going to experience. Still, there is no way to truly wrap your mind around this film without watching it for yourself and even then, the uninitiated will be left baffled at what they have witnessed. To those I say “Welcome to Japanese Splatter Cinema, motherfuckers!”

The film takes place in a world where some criminals, known as “Engineers”, have remodeled their bodies to turn into ferocious monstrosities. Any time an Engineer is found, it is the job of the police force’s most elite Engineer hunter Ruka (Eihi Shiina) to dispense her own brand of brutal justice on them. When a powerful Engineer known as Key Man (Itsuji Itao) starts brutally killing women around Tokyo, it’s up to Ruka to not only try and track him down but also uncover the mystery of her father’s murder that may or may not be connected.

While some might be incredibly repulsed by the extreme violence of films like this, I on the other hand find it’s astounding levels of bizarre and depraved brutality incredibly refreshing. In a world where you constantly hear about films having to be cut down by the fucking MPAA (and other such arbiters of subjective morality) to get an R rating, it’s great to see examples of films that are made with absolutely no concern for being “marketable” for a wide release.

It should be noted however that this is a very different experience from the mean-spirited gore of Torture Porn films like Grotesque. I’m not saying one style is better than the other, this is simply a different approach to extreme cinema that portrays the violence in an over-the-top, cartoonish fashion, typical of Japanese Splatter films. This actually allows the film to maintain a more lighthearted feeling while simultaneously bombarding you with insane levels of violence in a world where anything can happen. Blood geysers from severed limbs can propel people like rockets, disembodied hands that strangle are shot like bullets, alligator heads grow from severed torsos and so much more!

This all makes for an incredibly entertaining viewing experience, which is certainly not surprising. What may actually be surprising to some however is that such an over-the-top film can also handle the transition to scenes with more serious subject matter as well. Scenes of civilian genocide actually carry a legitimate emotional weight and the film as a whole is filled with sharp commentary on authoritarian control, consumer culture, and our own inherent desire for violence. In addition to this, the characters themselves are well crafted with complex motivations and storylines rather than a simplistic portrayal of good versus evil.

I was also impressed by the all too rare use of a legitimately strong female lead. Ruka is solemn, calculating, driven and exudes an authentic strength without ever falling into the hackneyed Hollywood portrayal of an in-your-face-tough-girl. She’s an all around badass that doesn’t fuck around and won’t hesitate to chop your hands off if you grab her ass on the subway. This is yet another stellar performance by Shiina who is also well known for her work on other brilliantly twisted Japanese films like Audition and Helldriver.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that there are times when the seams show a little on the production and the special effects don’t always stick the landing but really these couple of hiccups just add to the campy and surreal fun of the film. Those looking for an incredibly creative, utterly twisted, fast-paced mind-fuck of Asian insanity need look no further and if you still have yet to plunge into the world of Japanese Splatter Cinema this is a hell of a good place to start.

After a seventeen year hiatus from the series, cult director Shin’ya Tsukamoto returns for a third installment of metal-morphing insanity with Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. Given that it was made nearly two decades after Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer, Tsukamoto certainly had enough time to plan a brilliant return to the series that would not only honor the originals but also reinvigorate the concept for a new generation. With significantly more experience as a director, as well as the enormous advances that have been made in filmmaking technology, it should be a foregone conclusion that Tsukamoto knocked it out of the park with this one, right? Well, let’s discuss.

Just as he did with Body Hammer, Tsukamoto once again reinvents the Tetsuo story from scratch rather than continuing the storyline from a previous film. This time the story follows Anthony (Eric Bossick) an ordinary businessman who’s son is killed in a seemingly deliberate hit-and-run. Soon after, his life begins to unravel further as he (you guessed it) starts to transform into a metal-melded monster with protruding chest guns. Now he must track down his son’s killer, as well as uncover the mystery of who (or rather what) he has become.

Since each Tetsuo installment is a reimagining of the story rather than a continuation of it, drawing a comparison to the original film (Tetsuo: The Iron Man) is inevitable. In that regard, The Bullet Man is, without a doubt, the sleekest looking of the series, although in the case of these films that’s not necessarily a positive thing. A big part of what made the original ’89 version so brilliant was the rough, grainy quality of it which added to the nightmarish feeling of the film. Now, on it’s own, the idea of having the third film be sleeker and more modern looking is conceptually fine, but in this case it is also representative of a larger problem……watering down the aspects that made the first film great in favor of reaching a wider audience.

We saw shades of this in Body Hammer, the choice to film in color, a more conventional story, and a transformation that turns the character into more of a weapon than a monster. This time, however, it’s even more apparent that Tsukamoto is trying to not only appeal to a wider audience but specifically a Western audience. The most obvious example of this is of course his choice to have a half white, half Asian protagonist that speaks English and has an American name. But it shows up in more subtle ways as well such as the excessive exposition and the fact that the transformation turns Anthony into more of a societal outcast with super powers than a metal-plagued monster. It also has by far the most conventional storyline of the series which plays out much more like a standard unwilling-hero-attains-powers-battles-villain-and-seeks-revenge kind of story rather than the brilliant abstract insanity of The Iron Man.

There are certainly nods to the style of the earlier films like the frenetic action, the insane laughing face, and of course the grotesque transformations that meld flesh with metal. However, these feel a bit more like obligatory tie-ins to the series rather than concepts that emerged from the story organically. Furthermore, the idea of the protagonist’s son being killed by the villains to provoke his rage-fueled transformation as well as the fact that he has guns melded into his body are both plot points taken straight from Body Hammer. This significantly adds to the feeling of this entry being more of a re-hash than an original storyline that reinvents the series.

Now, despite all the negative complaints I’ve leveled against the film, I do have to say that as far as the viewing experience goes, the film is actually quite watchable. Sure, the English (the primary language spoken in this film) may sound inexplicably dubbed (!) and sometimes the shaky hand-held action scenes go past the point of frenetic to downright nauseating but the overall film is still weird and interesting enough to hold your attention to the end. When compared to the earlier, superior entries in the series, it pales by comparison but I’d still take it any day over the soulless fucking trash that people like Michael Bay and Adam Sandler produce these days.

If you are seeking out the most notorious, disturbing and controversial films of all time, Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom is a title that’s sure to come up over and over again. The film is legendary for its levels of depravity and for being a kind of an endurance test that weeds out all but the most hardened viewers. It’s something that has been on my radar for years and I decided it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to judge for myself if this this forty-one year old film could in fact still live up to it’s reputation and hold a candle to modern-day examples of extreme horror like A Serbian Film, Human Centipede 2, Martyrs, etc.

The film itself is an adaptation of the Marquis de Sade’s notorious novel The 120 Days of Sodom which he wrote while imprisoned in the Bastille in 1785. The film follows the same basic plot structure as the book although the setting is transposed to Italy during the waning days of Mussolini’s reign. The story centers around four rich, powerful men who imprison a group of seventeen teenagers in a mansion and proceed to severely sexually, physically and mentally abuse them over the next four months. The men are aided by a small group of soldiers, who appear to be around the same age as the teens, as well as four experienced prostitutes. The prostitutes fondly regale the men with depraved tales of their own experiences which include molestation, coprophagia (shit eating to you and me) and violence, while the men use the teens to act out their most perverse and grotesque fantasies.

Because of the incredibly debaucherous and disturbing nature of the film, it may be surprising to some viewers that a meticulously remastered edition was released by Criterion Collection, given their propensity for specializing in Art House classics. However, once you actually experience Salo for yourself it is clear that it bares a far greater likeness to the films of European auteurs rather than the Grindhouse cinema of 42^nd street. From the gorgeously composed shots to the utterly brilliant, high-caliber acting, it is clear that is an undeniably well-made film that deserves serious consideration.

Content-wise, the film doesn’t quite deliver the kind of visceral gut-punch of, say, A Serbian Film but is nonetheless incredibly disturbing. The fact that the acting is so flawlessly executed makes the actions of the ruthlessly sadistic bourgeoisie villains far more upsetting. Rape, forced coprophagia, torture and numerous other acts, both debauched and bizarre, are inflicted upon the teens for the deviant pleasure of the four men. What’s perhaps even more unsettling is the fact that it is the well-dressed, urbane psychopaths that are the protagonists of the film, rather than the doomed teens. Much like Human Centipede 2, this puts the viewer in the distressing position of following along with these twisted characters rather than seeing them presented as forces of antagonism.

Now, clearly the film adaptation must follow the source material but regardless, it is undeniably light on story and does not adhere to the traditional character arc structure you find in most films. Despite this, the film is very compelling to watch and holds your attention throughout as it builds in intensity. It is also bold in a way that few films are as it presents an experience that is not only incredibly disturbing, and at times disquietingly surreal, but also made with no concern for the film’s commercial appeal. Regardless of how you may view the content, any piece of art that is skillfully crafted, provokes spirited debate, and is genuinely uninhibited is certainly art that is worthy of discussion and analysis.

The film is also rife with subtext and social commentary. This isn’t surprising given that director Pier Paolo Pasolini was, much like the Marquis de Sade himself, an outspoken critic of authoritarian figures and society in general. The fact that the four men who are responsible for the deplorable acts all hold positions of power and authority (such as President, Bishop, etc) is one of the clearest examples of this.

It is also noteworthy that the well-dressed men are exceedingly polite when talking with each other and the veteran prostitutes that work for them but are immediately harsh and cruel when dealing with the captives who they deem to be of lesser value. The scene in which the men take turns enacting horrendous violence on the teens and watching from a throne-like chair with opera glasses is also a clear commentary on both the culpability and voyeuristic apathy of the powerful and the victims of the world they created.

In the hands of a lesser director, a film adaptation of one of the most depraved, grotesque books of all time could have easily been reduced to two hours of cheap shock-value gags but under Pasolini’s skilled direction the film transcends these potential limitations to become a work of uncompromising art. Those seeking a unique and harrowing viewing experience would do well to add Salo to the must-watch list of highly-disturbing alternative cinema.

When you’ve already created one of the most original and disturbing horror movies of all time and a sequel that takes it to the next level, the natural question must be “where do you go from there?” With The Human Centipede 3: Final Sequence writer/director Tom Six closes out his infamous horror trilogy with one final entry, a last trip into the sick, twisted world he created. So, does the final entry live up to high expectations set by the first two? Well, let’s discuss…

Using the same plot device that he did in the second film Six posits that this film is in fact the true reality and the other two are fictional movies in this world. Dieter Laser returns as prison warden Bill Boss and Laurence Harvey comes back as his accountant, Dwight Butler. When other forms of draconian punishment prove ineffective they decide to take inspiration from the notorious films and put the entire prison population into a massive, 500 person centipede.

The most noticeable change in this film is the drastic tonal shift from the last two, especially the second entry. Now, it should be noted that Six has always maintained that he sees the films as dark comedies, which is a strange claim indeed. At least that’s what I thought when I saw the first two, which are some of the most grim, brutal and disturbing cinematic trips you will ever take. The third however, is played for laughs…..

The general rule of thumb with movie sequels and TV shows is that once they start making fun of themselves they’ve run out of ideas and this film drives that point home, drives it home hard. Right from the onset where the central idea is recycled, to the constant self-referential nature of the film and the fact that Tom Six makes an awkward appearance as himself, the running theme is clearly ‘no one in this movie is taking this shit seriously’. And truly, they are not.

Laser is without a doubt the worst offender in this regard as he ditches the subtle, genuine menace of Dr. Heiter in favor of prancing around like a maniac and screaming all his lines. In addition, Bill Boss is less like a prison warden, more like Caligula as he snacks on dried clitorises, rapes his secretary and castrates, mutilates and murders prisoners with absolutely no legal repercussions. Basically, the film is played as a broad comedy punctuated by scenes of graphic violence. This idea may have been more effective if the film had at least been remotely funny.

This brings me to the fundamental problem with the movie. If you are going to jettison your previous format, you need to bring in something solid to replace it with. Since the world and the characters of this film aren’t grounded in any kind of tangible reality the situations they are in become far less engaging as you can’t take anything seriously. This results in irritation for the viewer as they simply wait for the next violent scene to alleviate the boredom that occurs when there is no solid plot to follow or well-developed characters to engage with.

In conclusion, it’s unfortunate that Tom Six didn’t try to push himself creatively to finish the trilogy strong and instead elected to smugly rest on his laurels and assume we would all be impressed merely by the fact that he fucking showed up. Even the violence, while graphic and generally creative, doesn’t really feel boundary-pushing or dangerous as it did in the second entry and wasn’t pushed nearly as far as it should have been. Overall, a tremendous opportunity wasted and while I found the film enjoyable enough to watch once, that doesn’t change the fact that the series would have been so much better off had this one never been made.

Corpse mutilation! Necrophilia! Cannibalism! And that’s just the first two minutes! Welcome to Father’s Day, motherfuckers! The 2011 film is the twisted brainchild of the five-man Canadian writing/directing team collectively known as Astron-6.

The central plot focuses on an unlikely trio comprised of a vigilante, a priest, and a gay prostitute as they try to track down and kill the murderous father-raping demon known as The Fuchman AKA The Father’s Day Killer. With an insanely low budget of $10,000 the Troma-produced film features enough gut-churning gore to put most of the Saw franchise to shame. So was the end result a worthwhile effort that can stand up against the sea of multi-million dollar horror flicks out there or was it just another overly ambitious indie film that falls short? Well, let’s discuss.

The first thing I want to mention is that you must go into this with the understanding that this is a stylized film and is meant to be viewed as such. The entire movie is an homage to the kind of over-the-top 80’s horror that you’d find a random VHS of on your local video store shelves, back when that was a thing. The look of the film is deliberately degraded, and the entire movie is presented with tongue-in-cheek, overly dramatic plot and dialogue that lovingly mimics the plethora of cheap films that do similar stories in earnest.

It is very difficult to create a film, especially with very limited resources, that successfully emulates and parodies bad films without actually becoming one itself. However, much like Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, this film was created by filmmakers with enough talent and knowledge of the source material to pull off a movie that really works. This is in large part due to the fact that the film is primarily a self-aware black comedy that incorporates elements of horror and scenes of graphic violence into the plot. What’s more is that the comedic elements of the film actually work and the story is compelling and interesting enough that you want to strap in for the crazy ride and see where it takes you.

The real star of the show here however is the gore, which is cranked up to astoundingly graphic levels. Eyeballs are sliced, heads are smashed in, dicks are bitten off and so much more in horrifying, unflinching detail. If that wasn’t enough for you the film also throws in copious amounts of boobs and taboo-smashing scenes of underage prostitution, incest and many shots of men being graphically raped. Yet all this is done in the context of a story that maintains a fun, goofy feeling and is not meant to be taken too seriously. Add to this some amazing stunt work, like jumping between real moving trucks and actors being set on fire (!), and some incredible otherworldly character and set design and you have a truly impressive indie film. It may not be breaking any new ground in terms of story and film technique but what it does, it does very well.

In conclusion, this is the kind of movie I’m always hoping indie films will be when I put them on. Something that shows a lot of passion and talent from the filmmakers involved and is able to push the boundaries way past what could be made within the Hollywood system. So crack open a cold beer, or six, and enjoy the gleeful insanity of what may be the greatest film Troma ever produces.

How do you follow-up one of the most shocking and original horror movies of all time? Is it even possible to make a movie that’s more disturbing than The Human Centipede? Well, I’ll save you the suspense….yes, it most certainly fucking is! Once again I enter the astoundingly twisted world of writer/director Tom Six to see how The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence stacks up against the ground-breaking original.

In the world of this film the first Human Centipede is just a fictional movie, one that Martin (Laurence R. Harvey), the mentally challenged parking attendant in a London garage happens to be obsessed with. When he isn’t busy jacking off with sandpaper while he watches it or feeding his pet centipede he likes to spend his time brutalizing garage patrons with a crowbar and putting them in the back of his van. Once collected, the unfortunate (that’s an understatement to say the least) victims are brought to his secluded warehouse so he can live out his greatest fantasy, creating a human centipede of his very own.

Before I get into this I just want to mention that I am always a big supporter of watching the completely uncut versions of films. Unfortunately, Netflix really decided to fuck over streaming viewers and only provides a censored cut. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still horrific but some key scenes were removed without any indication to the viewer that this is not the full version. Apparently, the Blu-ray features the fully uncut version so if you are inclined to watch it, I recommend getting that.

Alright, so the first film got a lot of mileage simply from the fact that it was a truly original concept with a plot so horrifying that many people cringed at the very mention of the title. Since the concept is no longer original the only logical thing Tom Six could do is go bigger and badder with the central idea, which is exactly what he does. All the dark, disturbing imagery from the first is brought back and cranked up to 11. The sheer level of graphic brutality on display is astonishing and this is without a doubt one of the most shocking and disturbing films ever made, making the original pale by comparison.

Beyond the gore though, there are also some very bold and interesting choices with how the film itself is constructed. The most notable of these is naturally the choice to make the film black and white. There has been a lot of online speculation that Six was forced to present it in this way due to it’s graphic content but in a 2011 interview with wegotthiscovered.com he clearly states that this was an artistic choice to make the film feel darker and more uncomfortable. The gamble pays off and the film not only takes on an even more grim, desolate tone but also differentiates itself from the style and feel of the original.

I also thought it was a bold and interesting choice to make the protagonist a fan of the original film who is inspired to do violent, horrible acts that emulate what he sees in it. With this, Six is really taking the unfounded argument made by so many people that violence in art causes real-world violence head-on rather than side-stepping or apologizing for it. Bolder still, he makes the villain the protagonist of the film this time, a reversal from the original, putting us squarely in the front seat of this twisted ride, unable to deny our own voyeuristic part in the acts we are witnessing.

This also plays into the wish fulfillment aspect of the film as Martin, who is both physically and mentally weak, is able to violently dominate anyone he chooses. I’m sure it’s also no coincidence that most, if not all, of the people he assaults have been rude, mean or violent towards him in some way. It’s artistic choices like this that make the viewer confront their own sick, violent nature which is perhaps the most unsettling part of all.

In conclusion, this is not a film to be underestimated or dismissed as mindless shock value. I can’t say the story is particularly complex or deep but the film takes the series exactly where it needed to go and creates a glorious, uncompromising vision and reminds us that horror is supposed to be horrifying.