1) This movie has more nudity than many pornographic films. Ahem.
2) WTF. Seriously guys, WTF is going on here?!
3) "Exploitation" isn't a dirty, filthy, soulless enough word to describe this film.
4) aka Bloodsucking Freaks
I could have probably thought of more but look pretty closely at 1, 2 and 3 above and you'll see why I mention this. This movie was, in a word, extreme. I had no real idea what to expect, I was definitely expecting something a little bit more like Virgin Witch and for that matter, something kinds like The Torture Chamber of Doctor Sadism or a movie like Dr. Tarr's Torture Chamber. If you're unfamiliar, it's the type of film wherein the torture is talked about a lot and shown very little: mostly implied, shown off camera, etc. When you do see it, it's mostly mild. Someone gets whipped. Someone is handcuffed. That type of thing.
This movie is balls to the wall fucking torture. Torture to the death in most cases, even. The main evil torturer is Sardu. Sardu is from that long line of sadistic rich weirdos that for whatever reason get off on torturing women. He runs a very small theater, but a popular one. In the beginning of the film we get a taste for what kinda shows he puts on. He has real women come up onto the stage, and he proceeds to strip them naked and torture them the death in front of the audience. The audience thinks she's an actress and it's all fake. When in fact, it's all real and they are watching her die. There is also the midget assistant named Ralphus, which is quickly becoming one of the most revisited characters in these types of movies.
The audience is thrilled from the "reality" of it. How does Sardu get such good actresses? Tom Maverick and his girlfriend Natasha are the only ones who seem to not like the show. She is a dancer, a real performer, and someone who detests the blood and nudity of the show and he is the same. Also, critic Creasy Silo is against the show and wants no part of it. Sardu kidnaps Natasha and Creasy, and holds them both captive. He wants to break the will of Natasha by showing her his methods of torture - he wants to do this so that she agrees to dance in his show. And with Creasy, he wants Creasy to review his show.
I won't overestimate here when I tell ya that virtually every single girl in this movie is naked. And also, when I say that this movie has tons of girls...all nude. Yes, this movie is fucking exploitation. Yes, yes yes. Plus, the torture scenes are fucking intense. Like, I've seen Hostel, the Saw series, a lot of other shit, and this movie is one of the only ones that actually grossed me out. It's all done in a downplayed, very casual way too. Kind of like, who gives a shit, we're just killing some random people?!
I really don't know how to rate this movie, which another thing. Is it sexy? Fuck yeah. Exploitative, oh god yes. Violent, bloody, extreme and tortuous - to the maximum. So in all those ways it is definitely a success. The tone of the film I'd describe as off, however. It's all done in a very casual, who cares kind of way, and a lot of the extremity is downplayed by the tone of the film. The actors are surprisingly decent for mostly non-real actors and porn stars.
The blood and goods level I would rate as "fantastic" for the most part. The nudity is there, but presented in a non-sexual way usually. Not that I'm complaining, because I think that takes some strength - to film nudity and sexual going's-on, but to not have it be arousing. To invoke disgust rather than desire. But, there are some times when it is presented purely sexual and in those cases it works as well.
I guess I just feel weird about giving it a high rating. It's not for everyone of course. But for what it is: a sleazy, exploitative, no-fucks-given, disturbing and horrid film, it succeeds big time. I was going to not give it a rating at all.... But mind you, it was either no rating or 4 stars.
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