Deathgasm - Film Review - Dark Sky Films

Deathgasm - An Epic Orgy of Metal and Gore

"Deathgasm" is not simply the latest horror film to come from New Zealand. It is an amazingly fun film that has a perfect blend of horror and black comedy. Like I stated above, it is an orgy of metal and gore. Easily one of my favorite films I have watched this year. Horror fans should thoroughly enjoy and love the film. But if you so happen to be a fan of heavy metal and horror and also like a strong dose of gore and dark humor thrown in to the mix, then you are in for a hell of a treat. 

 In "Deathgasm" we meet Brodie (Milo Cawthorne, "Blood Punch"), who due to an unfortunate circumstance concerning his mother, has to live with his very religious uncle Albert (Colin Moy, "Spartacus: War of the Damned"), aunt Mary (Jodie Rimmer) and bullying cousin, David (Nick Hoskins-Smith). Brodie is not exactly welcomed with open arms by his relatives, but he tries to make the best of it. He manages to make a few friends at school who also turn out to be kids that his cousin David likes to torment, which only makes matters worse. The beautiful Medina (Kimberley Crossman, "Shortland Street") catches his eye but a friend is quick to tell him girls like that don't go for guys like them. Oh yeah, she just so happens to be the girlfriend of his cousin. 

Brodie visits a local record shop where he meets fellow metal-head, Zakk (James Blake). In short fashion, a band is formed and Zakk proclaims the band shall be called, Deathgasm. Brodie and his new band mate Zakk end up going to a house where they believe an old heavy metal star, Rikki Daggers (Stephen Ure) is hiding out. They sneak in to the house and indeed discover Rikki Daggers, sleeping on a sofa. After an unexpected altercation, they end up with an album that contains some mysterious text that looks like it could be lyrics. The band believes that may have struck gold and found the key to making their band successful. However it is written in Latin, so they'll have to decipher the words. Of course they're able to get it sorted out and begin playing this mysterious music only for it to have an even greater effect than they had hoped or planned. Yes. It sounded fantastic. But it brought some unwanted changes in the people of the town. The dynamic duo of Brodie and Zakk decide to seek out some professional help from Abigail (Kate Elliiott, "30 Days of Night"), after having a horrific encounter with Zakk's father. 

So we have all hell breaking loose, literally, with the townspeople being possessed by demons. Can Brodie, Zakk and the rest of the gang save their town and the rest of the world from impending doom? You'll have to watch the film to find out. 

"Deathgasm" features top notch acting, some really killer gore effects, great music,  an entertaining story, likable characters and plenty of action and humor. It fully fires on all cylinders to great success. The film has it all. From fountains of blood spewing from gaping wounds to battling demons with sex toys, this is one terrific roller coaster of fun. You know those films that are so bad that you sit around with friends and of course some alcohol and have a good time? No alcohol needed here. This is the kind of movie where you and your friends will be saying, what the... one moment and laughing the next at the craziness happening on the screen. Then when it's over, you'll want to talk about how good it was. As I finish writing this review, this is my second time watching the film and I can honestly say I have enjoyed it even more this time around. I can't wait for news of a Blu-ray release and I already know it will get plenty of play time. If you're familiar with Peter Jackson's "Braindead" AKA "Dead Alive" (also from New Zealand) you will probably get a familiar feeling while watching "Deathgasm" in that they both share that same level of unexpected moments of insanity that erupt on the screen. Jason Lei Howden really knocked it out of the park directing and writing his first full length feature film. I look forward to his future projects. Oh and just a heads up, there is a brief post credits scene. "Deathgasm" is 100% pure awesome, that I highly recommend! 

RATING: 5 / 5


Be sure to follow the film on Facebook, Twitter and visit the official website for more information on where you can watch the film in select theaters. You can pre-order "Deathgasm" at iTunes or on Amazon using the link below.


 

Read More »

New 'Deathgasm' Poster Has Arrived and it is Amazing

If the new poster for "Deathgasm" doesn't excite you, someone needs to check your pulse.

If that poster doesn't kick in your door, grab you by the balls and scream heavy metal horror, I don't know what does. What a killer poster. Check out that wicked looking guitar. Who doesn't like a pretty girl wielding an axe? Don't forget the chainsaw as well as the pentagram made of body parts. Oh I think we will see plenty of the red stuff in this movie. I cannot wait! 

"Deathgasm" was directed by Jason Lei Howden. Dark Sky Films will be releasing the movie in select cities on October 2, 2015 and it will also be available for digital download on the same date.

Read our review of the film.


Synopsis:
Metal-thrashing Brodie (Milo Cawthorne "Blood Punch") is an outcast in a sea of jocks and cheerleaders until he meets a kindred spirit in fellow metal-head Zakk (James Blake). After starting their own band, Brodie and Zakk’s resentment of the suburban wasteland leads them to a mysterious piece of sheet music said to grant Ultimate Power to whoever plays it. But the music also summons an ancient evil entity known as Aeloth The Blind One, who threatens to tear apart existence itself. Their classmates and family become inhabited by demonic forces, tearing out their own eyes and turning into psychotic murderers

Read More »

Deathgasm - Coming to Select Cities and Digital Download

THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED IN METAL.

The producers of "Housebound" and "Starry Eyes" bring you the most Metal action horror film of all time... Deathgasm!

High School is Hell! Metal-thrashing Brodie (Milo Cawthorne "Blood Punch") is an outcast in a sea of jocks and cheerleaders until he meets a kindred spirit in fellow metal-head Zakk (James Blake). After starting their own band, Brodie and Zakk’s resentment of the suburban wasteland leads them to a mysterious piece of sheet music said to grant Ultimate Power to whoever plays it. But the music also summons an ancient evil entity known as Aeloth The Blind One, who threatens to tear apart existence itself. Their classmates and family become inhabited by demonic forces, tearing out their own eyes and turning into psychotic murderers…

and this is only the beginning!

It’s up to Brodie, Zakk and their group of friends to stop a force of pure evil from devouring all of mankind.

A blood-soaked and hilarious horror comedy, "Deathgasm" features an amazing original soundtrack of fist-banging metal and practical effects to satisfy metal-heads and splatter fans alike. "Deathgasm" will gush bodily fluids, rain limbs and tickle your funny bone, before tearing it out and giving you a stiff beating with it. 

"Deathgasm" was directed by Jason Lei Howden. The film will be be shown in select cities and be available for digital download on October 2, 2015.

Visit the Official website for a list of select cities and dates to see the film in theaters. 
Visit the "Deathgasm" Facebook page.
Follow the film on Twitter.

Read our review of the film.

Read More »

Blood Punch - DVD Review - Midnight Releasing

 Die Every Day Like It's Your Last

Released by: Midnight Releasing
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Production Year: 2015
Region Code: 1 
Running Time: 1:45:02
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 Kbps) / English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 Kbps)
Video: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Subtitles: English


THE FILM: 

Milton (Milo Cawthorne, "Deathgasm") is a brilliant chemistry student serving out his time in court-mandated drug rehab. Skyler (Olivia Tennet, "When We Go to War") is a beautiful, mysterious, new girl at the facility. Looking to recruit a cook for a one-day drug score, Skyler seduces Milton. When her psychotic and trigger-happy boyfriend Russell (Ari Boyland, "Shortland Street"), comes to bust them out, Milton feels compelled to go with her. By the time they arrive at an isolated hunting lodge to prepare for the cook, Milton finds himself in the middle of a tense and dangerous love triangle. When Russell reveals that he plans to kill Milton as soon as he finishes cooking their fortune, Skyler warns him. Together they are forced to kill Russell in order to save each other. After burying his body in the woods, they awaken the next morning to find Russell alive and well, and with no memory of the previous day. Milton and Skyler are forced to kill Russell again...and again...and again, but to their astonishment, he won't stay dead. The bodies are piling up as Milton searches desperately for answers and a way out of this seemingly never-ending cycle of carnage and mayhem. Nothing is what it appears to be and nobody can be trusted. 

I found "Blood Punch" to be sort of like "Groundhog Day" meets "Edge of Tomorrow." This is director Madellaine Paxson's feature film debut. Bravo. If I was a director, I would be very proud to be able to say yes, this was the first film I have directed. I hope she will direct more films in the horror genre. I had a blast watching the chaos unfold. There were numerous random bits of violence that made the journey, that much more entertaining. Eddie Guzelian wrote a terrific script. It really helped the characters shine.  A truly great job to everyone involved in the making of this film. 

Our three main stars of the film, Milo Cawthorne (Milton), Olivia Tennet (Skyler) and Ari Boyland (Russell) all give excellent performances. Olivia Tennet does a great job as the sultry and scheming Skyler. Milo Cawthorne gives a fine performance as Milton, the mild-mannered and troubled student who goes through a transformation in the film. Ari Boyland practically steals a few scenes with how great of a job he does playing Russell, the crazy boyfriend of Skyler. We start off disliking Russell and while we never really root for him, he does become likable due to his comedy relief. I do want to add that supporting characters Archer (Cohen Holloway) and Nibiki (Adelaide Kane) were entertaining in their small roles and the actors portraying them did a fine job as well. They left us wanting to see more of their characters.

Hollywood could learn a thing or two by watching "Blood Punch." They need to make more films like this instead of churning out the remake of the month. It sure seems like the smaller budget and independent films is where the quality is at in horror genre right now.

As is the case every year, good and even great films go largely unnoticed due to the shadow of Hollywood. I am not saying this is my favorite film of the year. But it was quite good and deserves a wider audience. The year is far from over, but I think "Blood Punch" could end up being the best horror film of 2015, that people haven't heard about. I will surely try to do what I can to remedy that and get the film more attention.

AUDIO:

The Setup menu offers the choice of 2.0 stereo and 5.1 audio options. However upon choosing the 5.1 option, I noticed when I checked the audio while the film was playing, it showed it being 2 channels. Both options appeared to be the same except one is 320 Kbps and the other 192 Kbps. 

The sound quality was good with no noticeable problems. Dialogue was clear and easy to understand. The score and sound effects sounded fine and did not drown out the dialogue at all. English subtitles are also included on the DVD.

VIDEO:

"Blood Punch" makes it DVD debut thanks to Midnight Releasing. The film is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 16:9. I thought the video quality looked pretty good overall. The image looked clear and showed more detail in stationary shots as opposed to when characters were moving. But that would most likely be a result of how the film was shot. There was a fair amount of fine detail present in some close up shots. The colors looked strong and vibrant in appearance. Skin tones had a natural look. Around the 1:08:10 mark in the film, the layer change occurs in the DVD, in case anyone thinks their disc is defective. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Deleted Scenes:

• My name's Skyler (1:49) - This is an extended introduction to Skyler at the rehab facility.

• The best part (2:15) - This scene is from when the trio first arrive at the hunting lodge.

• We aren't dead... or are we? (1:13) - Milton and Skyler take inventory of weapons and items.

• I don't sing (1:50) - Milton and Skyler discuss hallucinations. 

• Chainsaw to the head (3:47) - Milton asks Skyler to list every way that he died. Meanwhile he searches Russell's police car. 

• It's the bad ones (5:57) - Full and uncut Archer scene.

Test Footage:

• Test Titles (2:45) - Alternate opening titles
• Dead Body Bathroom Scene (3:25) - Milton and Skyler discuss killing Russell
• Good Morning, Skyler (0:27) - Russell is killing during breakfast.
• Skyler Group Rehab Scene (4:06) - Skyler telling the group why she uses meth and that she is looking for a cook.
• Outtakes (7:15)
• Teaser (1:58) Test footage for teaser trailer.

Production Outtakes (9:02) - Some fun bloopers from several scenes.

IN CONCLUSION:

Well, this is an easy DVD to recommend. I had a really good time watching the film. The DVD looks and sounds good. It has a few decent special features also. After watching the film, I really wish there was a commentary track featuring our main trio, included on this release. I think it could have been a good addition. Perhaps one day a Blu-ray can happen and a commentary could be recorded. That would be a welcomed treat. However, in the meantime, I do recommend watching "Blood Punch." It is a wickedly fun film.

I want to share a list of awards "Blood Punch" has won since it was completed, until now.

WINNER: Audience Award, Dark Matters (Austin Film Festival)
WINNER: Best Feature Film (New Orleans Horror Film Festival)
WINNER: Best Feature Film, Off The Edge (Omaha Film Festival)
WINNER: Audience Award, Fusion Features (Dances With Films)
WINNER: Audience Award, Best of Fest (Dances With Films)
WINNER: Special Midnight Selection (Cinequest Film Festival)
WINNER: Best Feature Film (Idaho Horror Film Festival)
WINNER: Best Feature Film (Hoboken Film Festival)
WINNER: Best Director (Hoboken Film Festival)
WINNER: Best Cinematography (Hoboken Film Festival)
WINNER: Best Horror Feature (Phoenix Film Festival)

You can watch the film on iTunes. 

OVERALL: 3.5 / 5

 

Read More »

Festival Hit 'Blood Punch' Coming to DVD and Digital HD on September 1st

Festival Hit Blood Punch Available Nationwide September 1

Die A Different Way on DVD and Digital HD

Los Angeles, CA - Bluff Road Productions and Midnight Releasing are excited to announce the DVD and VOD release of Blood Punch. Directed by Madellaine Paxson, the film reunites "Power Rangers RPM" stars Milo Cawthorne ("Deathgasm"), Olivia Tennet and Ari Boyland in a bloody thriller, centered on a murderous love triangle that takes a shocking and grisly supernatural turn. Blood Punch pulls you into its vicious cycle on DVD, Digital HD and cable VOD starting September 1.

"Blood Punch" has been an audience and critical favorite since its premiere at the Austin Film Festival, where it won the Dark Matters Audience Award. Paxson was honored with Best Director and Best Feature at the Hoboken Film Festival, while the film has taken home seven additional Audience and Best Feature awards.

Milton (Cawthorne, Deathgasm), a brilliant chemistry student breaks out of court-mandated drug rehab with a mysterious bad girl, Skyler (Tennet, "When We Go to War"). Looking to recruit a cook for a one-day drug score, she lures him to an isolated cabin with her psychotic and trigger-happy boyfriend Russell (Boyland, "Shortland Street").

Russell reveals that he plans to murder Milton as soon as he is finished cooking the drugs, and their simple love triangle quickly descends into a mind-blowing supernatural cycle of carnage and mayhem with no end...and no escape.

The DVD release of "Blood Punch" (SRP $17.98) will exclusively include deleted scenes, outtakes and test footage.

Order "Blood Punch" VOD on iTunes

You can also check out the films Facebook page.

You can read my review of the DVD here.

 

Read More »