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
Born 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.