Deathgasm (2015)

It has some good effects. the humor can be enjoyable if you get drunk or stay awake for a few days with some friends. Other than that this movie doesn't have much going for it. The characters aren't very interesting, I feel like I have seen all of these characters before in several different movies. The plot is so strange. After watching the movie I didn't know if it was supposed to be a parody, regular horror film with dark juvenile humor, or a christian film trying to tell it's viewers that metal is bad.

A group of small town misfits form a heavy metal band and unwittingly unleash a demon through their music. Fantastic combination of horror, comedy, gore and heavy metal from first time New Zealand writer and director Jason Lei Howden. His passion for both horror and metal help make this such an enjoyable movie. Good acting & special effects, which provide gore by the bucket load, my only quibble was that I had a job at times to understand what was being said by some of the possessed. Overall a great, fun ride. And watch out for the post credits scene.

***Minor Spoilers***"Deathgasm" sounds like the stupid title for a stupid movie, yet the ratings and reviews are pretty good for horror, so I checked it out. I was rewarded big time! Turns out, the title is perfect. It really nails the enthusiastically violent nature of the movie, as well as the mentality of the two teen lead characters.Evidently, it's target audience is teenage boys who love metal, but while I'm decades past that, I still loved it. Although there's lots of metal in the film, it's not necessary to love it to enjoy the movie. However, it is necessary to enjoy excessive gore. About the gore, I want to make clear that it is over the top cartoon gore; it is not torture porn. It's not about hurting people, it's about killing demons/monsters. The characters are lovable misfits, there's plenty of funny dialogue and visual humor, and if there's a gorier movie out there, I haven't seen it. For the easily offended, there are truck loads of things to complain about: extremely graphic gore, including genital trimming and a rectal rooting, along with all the usual dismemberments, nudity, though not nearly enough, excessive foul language, irreverent attitudes and more gore. Most of the make up effects and all the gore are practical effects and they're excellent. Some of the digital effects are not great, but they're used minimally and don't detract too much. The overall production design, lighting and cinematography are all very good. It's not a perfect film, but it's so much fun, that it's sins are easy to overlook. The characters are reasonably well developed for this kind of movie, and appropriately shallow. They don't evolve so much as gradually reveal their true natures. Lead, Milo Cawthorn, who was also in the fun and violent "Blood Punch," is very good, again. James Blake, who plays his buddy, is perfect. I had friends like that back when Black Sabbath WAS heavy metal. The lead babe, played by Kimberley Crossman, is luscious and funny. And, "Deathgasm" is digital effects pro, Jason Lei Howden's, directorial debut and it is impressive. These people have long futures in filmmaking. The supporting cast is also very good and funny. Comparisons to Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead," Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive," and Edgar Wright's "Shaun of the Dead" are spot on. All have become classic horror films from first time feature length filmmakers who are still making worthwhile films. My guess is that Howden will become well known and be making entertaining movies for years to come. I would also look for Milo Cawthorn to show up in more prominent movies.Again, lots of fun, but definitely not for the squeamish, the easily offended, or even those who require perfection in order to enjoy a film.

Whether you're going to love this film to bits or despise its very existence should be pretty easy to figure out. It's called Deathgasm. Its a black-comedy horror centered around metalheads. Its laughing at itself as much as you are.Despite its perhaps limited appeal, Deathgasm does have a lot of qualities to boast of. It was clearly made on a low budget, but the acting, cinematography and effects are all handled with more than an amateur proficiency. However, this is far more a comedy than a horror film. If the references to nerd culture and metal/rock music aren't your thing, its probably not going to appeal to you much. If you're in the know however, there's a lot of fun to be had here.I'm not going to describe the story because its by far the weakest part of the film. Things start off normal and the sinister events build to a climax: that's the basic structure. Possibly the most disappointing part of the story is the lack of a truly solid villain character. The writing, on the other hand, is pretty great. Some jokes land better than others but for the most part this is perfect film to watch with drunk friends (think Sharknado, or the Crank films). If you're a metal fan, as I am, I'm sure you'll also appreciate that the references are not overly ham-fisted. The gore-horror sequences are also entertaining. This is where the budget is most visible, but the director clearly has an appreciation for his craft with authentic Shaun of the Dead and Evil Dead vibes throughout. And the practical gore effects are oh so satisfying. If you're in this film's target demographic as I am, I'm sure you'll at very least get a few laughs. If not, just keep drinking and you'll get there.