I was super excited to see Deathgasm. You have heavy metal, horror, satanic worship, tons of blood, demons, comedy, and last but certainly not least, brutal corpse paint– everything a growing metal head needs. To top it off Amazon had a sweet sale for Prime members, and I was able to pick up the Blu-ray for only $9.99. Let me tell you this folks– that was a goddamn deal. This movie is awesome!
Deathgasm follows Brodie(Milo Cawthorne), a metal head, misfit, and unpopular guy with only a handful of friends. He’s sent to live with his aunt and uncle after his mother was institutionalized in a mental hospital. He never really gets used to his new surroundings or his bully of a cousin, who also happens to be dating the same girl he likes. Things take a turn for the better when Brodie meets Zakk (James Blake). The two hit it off and become best buddies. They end up starting a metal band called Deathgasm. They aren’t very good, in fact they’re pretty terrible. Their luck changes when they acquire some ancient looking sheet music that turns out to be the spell to conjure a diabolical demon known as The Blind One.
I have to give it to the filmmaker– Deathgasm is writer/director Jason Lei Howden’s first feature film, and that alone blew me away. The movie certainly does not come across like this is his first rodeo. After I found out the film is from New Zealand, I was no longer surprised. There is some very good horror coming from the Kiwis. The movie is well shot and perfectly executed. Howden definitely impressed with his action shots. The sequences where people are turning into blood thirsty demons are fast-paced and full of tight action shots. Needless to say the soundtrack for this flick was great. With bands like Emperor, Bulletbelt and Grotesque providing audio, you'll be headbanging the whole way through.
The actors also need to be commended for helping make this movie the brutal horror comedy it is. Hawthorne did a great job selling the black sheep, insecure metal head character. Conversely, Blake excelled at being the metal head you hate, but secretly wish to be; obnoxious, anarchistic and totally cool to the bone. The other stand out character was Brodie’s love interest, Medina( Kimberley Crossman), she begins taking a liking to Brodie as the movie flows along, helping develop his character some. She's also involved in a love triangle situation which gives this somewhat simple story some unexpected complexity. I cannot forget to mention that Medina ends up kicking tons of ass when the shit hits the fan.
The actors also need to be commended for helping make this movie the brutal horror comedy it is. Hawthorne did a great job selling the black sheep, insecure metal head character. Conversely, Blake excelled at being the metal head you hate, but secretly wish to be; obnoxious, anarchistic and totally cool to the bone. The other stand out character was Brodie’s love interest, Medina( Kimberley Crossman), she begins taking a liking to Brodie as the movie flows along, helping develop his character some. She's also involved in a love triangle situation which gives this somewhat simple story some unexpected complexity. I cannot forget to mention that Medina ends up kicking tons of ass when the shit hits the fan.
Deathgasm was a heck of a lot of fun to watch. Being a true metal head myself, I appreciated all the heavy metal Easter eggs the movie threw at you. From the awesome corpse paint, to the Manowar-type day dreams, this movie will speak to your inner headbanger. Metal aside though, this movie wins at bringing the horror and gore. The director takes a page out of another New Zealand horror classic Braindead (also known as Dead Alive). The gore and the practical effects are absolutely to die for. The decapitations and the other mutilation gags will bring back memories of Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead. That’s some legendary company to be in. The appearance of the transformed was also a gnarly sight. The eyeless zombies with an overbite only a mama barracuda can love definitely is a spectacle that has to be experienced first hand.
I highly recommend this movie if you’re a metal head, a horror fiend, or both like myself. //Arturo Padilla
I highly recommend this movie if you’re a metal head, a horror fiend, or both like myself. //Arturo Padilla
