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Murder Collection V.1 (2009)
Interesting, but somewhat Inconsistent
Full disclosure: I write this review as a horror fan, and a fan of extreme cinema in general. If you've stumbled onto this film, chances are your perspective will be similar.
Murder Collection Vol. 1 is another alternative horror effort from Fred Vogel and the folks at Toetag Pictures, infamous for the intense and polarizing "August Underground" series. Folks familiar with that series will have some idea of what to expect from this film: a shot-on-video (SOV), low-budget, DIY, found-footage experience designed to push buttons and essentially recreate the feeling of stumbling onto a snuff film. However, Murder Collection Vol. 1 differs from these films in that it's structured as more of an anthology, very much recreating the feeling of browsing Rotten.com back in the day, or a gore-thread on some message board. This makes for an interesting and varied viewing experience, but admittedly the execution of these segments is quite uneven in its effectiveness.
First, multiple segments are filmed as CCTV footage, without sound. While this is an interesting exercise that certainly stings with realism ("The Heist" in particular is well choreographed), these clips are ultimately not very satisfying to watch, and end up being somewhat forgettable. Furthermore, it can be pretty difficult to see exactly what's going on in these clips, even by Toetag standards.
Certain segments have potential, but never really capitalize on it. "Bludgeoning" is a decent opening, but there's not a whole lot to it, especially with the grainy webcam quality. "The Cheat" suffers from a generic script and delivery which hinders the unique way in which the story is shown to us. "Broadway Rob" is creepy, but somewhat unsatisfying. All these segments are interesting conceptually, but just don't feel fully realized.
It's a shame, because there are really effective moments here as well, usually taking place when Vogel & Co. are back behind the handheld camera, where they're clearly the most comfortable. "Autopsy", while slowly paced, looks chillingly real, a testament to the talents of Jerami Cruise when he's at his best. Similarly, "Execution" might be the strongest segment of the bunch here, making the absolute most of Toetag's ability to show us stunning and effective moments of violence and cruelty which the viewer will not soon forget.
Overall, I would recommend Murder Collection Vol. 1 to hardcore horror fans looking for an alternative film experience. I respect Toetag's efforts to continue creating unique and boundary-pushing horror films, but simply feel as though the delivery is too much of a mixed-bag to be totally effective.
Headless (2015)
Wasted Potential
I write this review as a horror fan, seeking to inform other horror fans of what to expect with this film.
I'll be brief: like so many others here, I am drawn to extreme cinema, with visceral, shocking sequences of gore and violence. Honestly, I'm even down for cheesy, B-Movie style special effects. I love practical special effects, I love slashers, I love horror, and I love films that seek to push the limits. Naturally, Headless made its way onto my radar by seemingly checking all of these boxes. Like others, I had heard a lot of hype about this film, and was very excited to get my hands on it. (Minor spoilers ahead)
First the positive: The first 10ish minutes of this film are truly shocking and captivating moments of violent cinema. There are some unforgettable images in there, such as the killer sitting underneath the blood pouring from a body above him, the removal and eating of eyes, the infamous "head-hump", etc. The grain-y, 70s film visuals really work here, and the vibe is chilling and effective. A grim, fantastic start.
Now the bad: Not only does the film go absolutely nowhere here, but it's shown you most of its tricks and surprises right out of the gate. There's more eye-eating, more decapitation, more severed-head-copulation, but its nowhere near as effective as the first sequence. The directing gets really questionable here too, especially during kill scenes (disorienting is one thing...sloppy is another entirely). There's a backstory, but its pretty boring and predictable. There are other characters, but the cheesy acting and dialogue rarely comes off as funny/charming, and is almost always forgettable. It becomes clear almost immediately that this idea cannot sustain a full film. And yet here we are.
At the end of the day, this film's cardinal sin is simple: it's boring. Despite all of the gore and torture, this film will really struggle to capture your attention, and for a film like this, that's really not a good sign. It just goes to show that there needs to be SOMETHING more in order for a film to be truly shocking, sick and scary, and that "something" is not recycling the same 5 special effects tricks over and over.
The first 10 minutes are worth your time. After that, switch to something else. Truly wasted potential.
Ginî piggu 2: Chiniku no hana (1985)
Good as a curiosity piece, and little else.
Perhaps, dear reader, you are like me: spending late nights on IMDB, not quite sure how you ended up looking for the most extreme cinema you could possibly find, but scouring the internet for sick and twisted films nonetheless. For those of us who take interest in these sort of films, there can be a bit of a "chasing the dragon" effect; we are always looking for something that truly pushes the limits, that shocks us new ways, that goes BEYOND the gore, violence and cruelty of other films we've seen.
Enter the Guinea Pig series, which truly exists for no reason other than to scratch that very itch. Like everyone else who gravitates towards these films, I had heard all the hype and couldn't really resist the idea of watching something that was supposedly so sick that it was mistaken for snuff. The now-classic Charlie Sheen story inspired me to start with this one.
I assume everyone getting into this knows that there's no plot to speak of (we're not really watching this for plot, are we?) so let's just talk about the action itself: this is a very simple, very dull film that is essentially designed to show off some decent dismemberment effects. That is honestly it. Limbs are cut off one by one and, yes, there is blood. It looks okay, but the shock wears off very quickly. There is an eyeball scene toward the end that is somewhat effective, but it's just not enough. This film barely justifies its short runtime of just over 40 mins. Throw in some less-than-stellar directing choices, and you just have a mediocre film. I was very, very disappointed.
For those who are curious about Guinea Pig for the same reasons I was (chasing good, shocking, possibly realistic gore), I advise you to save your time and look elsewhere. This film just does not deliver in a satisfying way. Good as a curiosity piece, but truly little else.