Cannibal Flesh Riot (DVD)
Reviewed by Uncle Creepy
Starring David Backus, Dustin Loreque, Vince Buckley, Bud Campbell, Shanna Fleischeiker, D.W. Frydendall
Directed by Gris Grimly
Distributed by Mad Creator Productions
Remember when movies relied more upon atmosphere than they did on CGI or big budget effects? When things were done in a practical and artistic form? The old Universal horror movies are a perfect example of this with their looming shadows and foggy sets. They just don’t make them like they used to anymore. Well, I should say, at least one person is. Artist Gris Grimly’s short film Cannibal Flesh Riot is the perfect throwback to those golden times of classic horror, only with a very modern edge.
We’re introduced to our two protagonists Stash (Backus) and Hub (Loreque) as they’re taking their usual midnight stroll across the cemetery. You see, our two buddies aren’t what you’d call your garden variety best friends. What they are, are ghouls. Each night they raid the graves of the deceased to pillage, feast, and sometimes screw helpless cadavers who are just trying to engage in some eternal shut-eye. But tonight? Tonight something a little bit different is waiting for our toothy duo. It seems that after a while even the dead get tired of being the victim.
Cannibal Flesh Riot is one of the single coolest looking films I’ve seen in a long time. As a horror fan it’s nearly impossible to not fall in love with every frame and every morsel of onscreen action. As an artist and director Grimly has crafted a truly unique look and world for his film. Think EC Comics colliding head-on with German Expressionism, and you’re in the right ballpark (or should I say graveyard?). There’s even some wicked stop-motion animation along the way to give the movie a really cool Mad Monster Party kind of feel.
Better yet, the dialogue between our two characters is Seinfeld-esque in both its hilarity and its obscurity. Make no mistake; there’s a lot of meat on these bones to chew on. Maybe too much. A little more editing of some exposition would have done wonders in terms of giving the movie a bit more bite. Though thoroughly entertaining, Stash and Hub sometimes get a little long-winded, and this affects the pacing. Still, that’s a really minor critique, and it won’t hamper your enjoyment of this flick in the slightest.
Another area in which Cannibal Flesh Riot excels is its supplemental material. For a short film this DVD is absolutely packing! There’s not one, but two commentary tracks, one with Grimly and the other with the film’s composers Peter Sarndorff and Jeppe Jessen of the composing band Hola Ghost. Each one is engaging, but the edge without question goes to Grimly’s. If you’re gonna listen to just one, make it his. From there we get a thirty-five-minute making-of that is pretty fascinating. The film was made for a budget of less than six thousand dollars so listening to how everything was pulled off is indeed a treat. From there we get twelve minutes of bloopers and antics, some deleted scenes, the official Cannibal Flesh Riot music video by Hola Ghost, trailers, and even a bonus soundtrack with a music inspired by CD. Told ya it was packing!
We can only hope Gris Grimly will continue to apply his craft to film. Cannibal Flesh Riot is the perfect prescription for what’s ailing horror nowadays. Dark, disturbing, and deadly funny, this is one film you just do not want to miss! Hit up the website above, and get your copy like yesterday!
Special Features
4 out of 5
Special Features:
4 out of 5
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