Tag Archives: Adults only

All adults-only movies.

Punch (2010)

Director/writer: Jay Cynik
Rated: n/a (violence, nudity, and drug use)
Cast: Nate Jensen, Marcio Catalano, Trevor Gumbel, Cody Patrick Davis

Punch movieTwo rival gangs, The Teenage Mod Murder Squad and The 4-Barrel Felons duel in a battle that ultimately decides the fate of the earth. Brand (Nate Jensen) and Punch (Marcio Catalano) are the respective heads of the gangs who are hand picked by God and the Devil to head the war. Punch features cars, bikes, babes, gore, and rockabilly music that ultimately makes for a fun ride. The only negative thing I have to say is that I found the story regarding the ‘Good vs. Evil’ battle to be terribly confusing, but nonetheless it was quite enjoyable and at least it’s far from any Hollywood cliche. Cynik’s vision is comical, dark, and fun. It’s clear the cast and crew had a lot of fun on this movie and that’s something important that many filmmakers tend to forget. I hope to see more from Cynik as well as more types of these movies in the future.
IMDb | Official MySpace/trailer

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Vomit Gore Trilogy, The (2006-2010)

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS OF A SERIES OF FILMS SUITABLE FOR AUDIENCES 18 YEARS AND OLDER ONLY. WHILE I MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO KEEP THIS SITE FAMILY FRIENDLY, THE TOPICS DISCUSSED REGARDING THESE FILMS MAY OFFEND MANY PEOPLE. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS BEFORE CONTINUING.

Director/writer: Lucifer Valentine
Rated: 18+ (Extreme violence, profanity, and graphic nudity)
Cast: Ameara LaVey, Hank Skinny, Hope Likens
Kingdom of Hell Productions/Valentine International Pictures
DVD’s released by Unearthed Films

Birth of a new genre

Slaughtered Vomit DollsBorn and raised as a satanist, controversial artist Lucifer Valentine has created possibly one of the most unique trilogies the horror world has ever seen. Lucifer is an emetophile (aroused by vomit) and has transferred his obsession of regurgitation into what is now dubbed as The Vomit Gore Trilogy. The final result of Lucifer’s madness is a collection of extremely dark, experimental, and psychologically twisted visions of hell, suffering, and violence.

Slaughtered Vomit Dolls (2006)
Teaser (YouTube)

If the viewer does not read the back of the DVD cases of these films, its unlikely they would know much about the story just by watching. The premise of the films follows teenage runaway Angela Aberdeen (Ameara LaVey). After being sexually abused by her parents, and then a priest, Angela burns down the church and runs away, turning into a stripper, and later a prostitute. Desperate to eliminate her suffering, Angela makes a deadly pact with Satan. What follows are nightmarish visions of sex, mutilation, and of course, vomit.

Slaughtered Vomit Dolls is an experimental art project. It is not the type of film that tells a clear cut story. Though on the surface it may seem like mindless gore and vomiting, the film actually contains philosophical ideals. One would probably only catch those meanings though after watching the special DVD features in which the director explains quite a lot (in a very educated manner I might add).

What stands out about this film is its extremely realistic gore. An arm getting sawed off and a cranium getting cut off are amongst the most brutal examples of the butchery. The film also contains hints of dark humor. I appreciated the vision and uniqueness of this picture. The character of Angela is dark and disturbed, and though we don’t quite learn a lot about her, the performance of LaVey is so convincing that it makes us care about her.

ReGOREgitated Sacrifice (2009)
Trailer (YouTube)

The second chapter of the trilogy follows Angela again as she goes on her torturous journey towards hell. This time she’s greeted by The Black Angels of Hell, two gorgeous but demonic indential twin seductresses with a penchant for torment. It is also in this part that we learn of the connections between Angela’s death and Kurt Cobain’s suicide (again this isn’t obvious, but the extra features make it all come together).

What immediately sticks out with this one is its plethora of vaginal close-ups. The film treads very close to porno territory. One thing we see a lot of is fully naked women being seduced, tortured, and mutilated. To put it plainly, this film goes up a notch on the “how far can they go” scale, even further than Slaughtered Vomit Dolls.

The dismemberment again is shocking and realistic. The cutting apart of Siamese twins with a hand saw is the scene that sticks out the most. And how can we forget the vomit. This film has its equal share of vomit, but to me was slightly more repulsive in scenes. If you’re wondering at this point “What’s the point of the vomit?” it’s actually quite important. Angela is bulimic, and the vomiting reflects that and also represents other metaphoric meaning (which is more evident in the next episode, Slow Torture Puke Chamber).

I have to also mention this film clearly shows Valentine’s improvement as a film artist. Better lighting, creative camera angles, and nice editing make this one stand out slightly from its predecessor.

Slow Torture Puke Chamber (2010)
Teaser trailer (YouTube)

The finale of the trilogy ends with Slow Torture Puke Chamber. It should be pointed out here that these films are not in a chronological sequence, though the verbiage on the DVD cases may lead one to believe otherwise. The final chapter shows the emergence of a second Angela (Hope Likens). The convergence of the two Angela’s (LaVey still reprises her original role) is shown throughout the film, reflecting some kind of demented plan by Satan to carry out his will.

This film exhibits the same good qualities of the previous two films such as the same filmmaking style, the transitioning between Angela and her female manifestations, and the same experimental nightmarish vision. However this time around there isn’t as much emphasis on dismemberment and torture, but rather Angela’s history in addition to her submission to Satan.

Angela, primarily played by Likens, who presents a different take on the role, bears her history of sex abuse and bulimia as she succumbs to the devil’s fetishes. I found there to be less bloodshed, but more urination, vomiting, and vaginal activity, almost to the point where it felt like a dark fetish porno. This threw me off a bit as I was expecting a more darker plan to end Angela’s journey. Even so, the film was as effective as the others but I just didn’t see the significance of a few of the more fetish-like aspects.

In conclusion

These films clearly will only appeal to a very select audience. This is not typical horror paraphernalia. Chances are most viewers of these flicks will be those looking for a movie that will push the boundaries of traditional cinema and, perhaps more importantly, those seeking extreme and realistic gore. While the filmmaker has his well thought out visions for these films, I can’t help but feel most will just wanna see the sick and twisted goods. I do have to mention though that watching the special features on these DVDs is a treat as they are very insightful and enlightening.

These movies were an experience to watch. As a fan of the arts, it’s nice to see a filmmaker with the guts to create something unique. Not being a typical viewer of these types of movies, I surprisingly didn’t find myself being much disturbed or offended. Perhaps this is because I’m an open minded person, or that I find gore to lean more towards comedy than the disturbing. Either way, what sticks out to me about these movies is its dark story of the real world of teen runaways, bulimia, and sex abuse. These films attempt to put us in the mind and nightmares of an individual who’s experienced all of those things, and does so quite well. It is that attribute of the movies I appreciate the most, and everything I learn from the director in the special commentary is a bonus.

If you’re easily offended or squeamish, stay away from these movies. If you enjoy movies that push the limits of traditional horror, and maybe want some thought provoking philosophical material, they may be for you. One thing is for sure, these experimental pieces are unlike anything you’ve seen before.

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Praxis (2010)

Director: Alex Pacheco | Rated: n/a (suggestive themes & nudity) | Review date: 14-Jan-2010

In the world of movies, there are those that aim to entertain and then there are those that are made to provoke thought. Alex Pacheco’s Praxis is certainly the latter. Praxis is a portrait of a young man who’s life is on the verge of a breakdown. Rather than show us typical and predictable situations, Pacheco instead takes a more abstract approach and immerses the viewer into the main character’s mind in a unique and nonlinear fashion.

Tom Macy plays Brian, a lonely writer desperately seeking to find out just who he is. The film constantly jumps between images of Brian attempting to commit suicide, seeking medical help, and even him finding spiritual guidance. Without many words, these images do a great job of showing Brian at the lowest of lows in life, as I’m sure we as humans can relate to from at least one point or another in our lives. The limited dialog and repetitive scenes make this film hard to digest at first. However as the film progresses, things start to come together and the big picture becomes more apparent.

Several references and unpredictable images are presented throughout the film involving those of Greek mythology, celestial bodies, and human sexuality. Visions and memories of a beautiful and mysterious woman constantly haunt Brian’s fragmented persona as well. To me the point of this seemingly random combination of elements is to illuminate the oneness of existence. Brian is constantly trying to take this concept into practice in his own life, along with help from the enlightened Joe (Andrew Roth). On this journey Joe helps Brian begin to slowly open his eyes and discover the larger picture in life.

As the film jumps back and forth between the stray chapters of Brian’s life it starts to resemble more of a painting than a film. There are many metaphors that can be divulged and meanings of different scenes and actions can be endlessly discussed. Budgetary constraints and relatively inexperienced actors aside, this film proved to be a captivating collage of human existence. The artistic editing and minimalist approach help make Praxis less of an entertainment piece and more of a gallery of introspection.

I was thoroughly surprised by this film. The basic synopsis of the film could have easily been made into a more dramatic and mainstream inspiration piece. Instead, the filmmakers stuck to their guns to create a piece of art that was both daring and deliberately ambiguous. In the first moments I wanted to dislike this film as I was expecting a straightforward drama with a more developed screenplay. In the end, however, I can’t help but appreciate a film that strove to be both meaningful and equally unconventional.
Official site | IMDb

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Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans (2009)

Director: Werner Herzog | Rated: R | Review date: 26-Dec-2009

Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call -  New Orleans is a loose remake of 1992′s The Bad Lieutenant which starred Harvey Keitel as a junkie and gambling addicted police officer. In the update, Nicolas Cage plays detective Terrance McDonagh in post-Katrina New Orleans. On the surface, the lieutenant is a star officer: making big busts, taking heroic risks to save lives, and looking out for the good of the community. Deeper down, however, we find the lieutenant hides personal demons which slowly become more prevalent after an on the job injury.

Cage is by far the standout of this film, giving one of his best performances. His ability to capture the highs and lows of a drug and gambling addicted crooked cop is unrivaled. The film also stars the beautiful Eva Mendes as McDonagh’s prostitute companion and Val Kilmer as detective Stevie Pruit. Rap star Xzibit also makes an appearance as drug kingpin Big Fate. All stars held their own but this is really a Nicolas Cage show.

With all praise of the performances aside, the story is nothing extremely original. While it’s very illuminating to see the bad cop be portrayed as the hero, many of the plot lines were fairly predictable. The main storyline is overshadowed by McDonagh’s downward spiral into a dark and drug induced life which is really the most significant aspect of the film. This focus, however, carries the film from the otherwise typical drug and murder case scenarios.

The style of the film is kind of a throwback to cop films of the 80s. The music soundtrack fits perfectly with the scenes and the overall mood. However, there were a few bizarre pieces of the film that, to me, were intended to highlight McDonagh’s drug induced mental state. These scenes tended to drag on longer than necessary and almost made the film seem like something from the mind of Hunter S. Thompson, which is certainly not a bad thing (and did provide some entertainment) but felt out of place and overemphasized in the film.

The film is a very strong, dark (and sometimes disturbing) experimental piece that really explores personal battles in their ugliest forms. I enjoyed this film and, while some portions just felt a bit over my head, it is definitely a standout of 2009 and a highlight for Nicolas Cage.

Official site | IMDb

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Antichrist (2009)

Rated: n/a (graphic sexuality and violence) | Review date: 19-Oct-2009

Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist” is a nightmarish piece of art following only two characters. Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg share the screen in this twisted dark tale about a couple losing their child, forcing the mother into a great deal of grief. Dafoe plays the therapist husband, who decides he can treat his wife’s grief better than any doctor. In short, he decides to take his wife to a cabin in the woods of Eden, in hopes to confront her fears that he believes are behind this severe grief.

As soon as the opening scene plays out, one knows it’s going to be an artistic and beautiful piece of film. The film exhibits a good deal of astounding slow-motion sequences that really give it a unique and detailed atmosphere. As soon as the film gets into the woods, it gets darker and more mysterious. Visual effects are added to certain scenes to add to the disarray felt by the characters, which also submerge the viewer into the character’s state.

The film displays some very strong graphic moments, but not without reason. The squeamish need be warned; although the graphical sequences are shot in a different manner than those of torturous horror films, they are portrayed with such realism and detail that they’re hard to shake off. Essentially these scenes come when the characters are at their most vulnerable and dark states, and used to illustrate their level of psychological ambiguity. I can’t help but notice a hint of David Lynch tones with these and the other bizarre and disturbing scenes especially; merging a nightmare world with reality.

The overall theme of the movie is based on the mother’s mental state, which has begun to take change as we see later on, as she researches the treatment of women for her thesis. The symptoms of grief amplify this state, and more so when they arrive in Eden. Charlotte Gainsbourg plays the role with such conviction, while Willem Dafoe’s equally chilling performance displays the human essence to the utmost detail. The performances are what really make this movie stand out.

Don’t expect a typical horror movie with “Antichrist.” While some of the images and themes are horrifying, the terror emitted in this film portray human existence and emotion. Combining the stunning performances with a visionary and risk-taking director, we get a dark moody tale that exposes the evils of the mind. In the end “Antichrist” was a beautifully put together work of art, with at times hard to swallow segments, that really effects the viewer mentally more so than entertainingly. While I was bothered by some of the themes in this film, I take that as a good sign that the film worked; and when combined with my admiration for the cinematography, I can’t help but appreciate the work as a whole.

Rating: 6.5 out of 7

Official site/trailer

IMDb

DVD at Amazon (UK – PAL format)

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