Abbreviated Entry...
So most of June has been pretty brutal for me schedule-wise. Big Time Life Events™ of close family members (weddings/funerals/reunions) have conspired to make the movie-every-day thing rather difficult. I've still managed to watch one every day, but the end result of everything life has thrown my way is that I'm as exhausted as I've ever been. So to keep my sanity (and this blog going), I'm going to do things a bit differently for a little while - I watched the movies, but rather than the standard entry, I'll just do a little synopsis, a little imdb research, quote some of the reviews (can you do that?) and bounce off of them. Followed up by my general impressions.
Okay, thanks!
Naked Massacre
Loosely based on the Richard Speck murders (like 100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck), Naked Massacre is a rough, mean-spirited, grindhousey film that just kind of revels in being nasty. It's about an American Vietnam veteran who decides to stop in Northern Ireland for a while on his way home. There's a little bit of social commentary in there - it's in Belfast during the tumult of the mid/late 70's - with clashes between the IRA and the British government amongst other things. But it's all for naught, because our veteran is fucking insane, and comes across a house where eight young women (all nursing students) live. He breaks in, ties them up, and sadistically torments, rapes, and murders them.
An earnestly crafted psycho thriller infused with a bit more constancy and seriousness than the median example of its type. Making it especially unsettling is the factual bedrock which underlies the grim story...this is most certainly a laundered elucidation of Richard Speck's notorious killing spree, to at least some degree of accuracy.
...The ensuing terror, torture, and death are gruesomely depicted with a straightforward, blank-faced directness that sensitive viewers might find disagreeable. Those of a tougher skin, however, may appreciate NAKED MASSACRE for its surprising testicular brass. It's a rattling nightmare to challenge the viewer's emotional acumen...gritty, grievous, and unusually well appointed.
-Thanks "EyeAskance" via imdb
Naked Massacre is doubtlessly disturbing. If the synopsis doesn't convince you , the imdb quotes here should. It's definitely the kind of horror movie that is *not* fun - it's grimy and just plain mean. But it does seem to be made with a better eye than most exploitation films of the era. The violence and degradation is treated seriously - it's not something that is supposed to be enjoyable. I think it's supposed to make you squirm - and in that respect it's a success. It's a rough watch, but it has stuck with me. I have the feeling when this whole movie a day thing is over, I'll still remember Naked Massacre pretty vividly. It's a powerful movie - it sort of imposes itself on you, you know?
"Naked Massacre" is obviously cheap and poorly edited, yet the atmosphere is constantly grim and the murders are genuinely shocking. The girls are physically abused, emotionally tortured and eventually stabbed to death with a BIG knife. There are no morals, comic reliefs or happy endings here, so only people with an iron stomach will be able to sit through this movie without suffering from nightmares afterwards. The acting performances are pretty decent, despite some of the dialogs being extremely inept and cheesy. Highly recommended in case you're searching for a horror/thriller that will really get under your skin.
-Thanks "Coventry" via imdb
Yeah, Naked Massacre is clearly not an expensive film, but I think it uses it's low budget-ness to its advantage. The lack of polish and lack of slick editing makes the horrific parts of the film seem that much more real and therefore tough to swallow. I honestly am not sure if I would have stuck with this one if it wasn't to fill a quota. It seemed unnecessarily harsh. There is some good acting to be had in this film, or at least Difficult Acting. It's the sort of film where you not only feel bad for the characters, but also for the actors that have to go through some of this terrible stuff.
I sometimes question the motivations of a director who chooses subject matter such as this as material for a film. There is such a sadistic vent to this that it has kept me thinking for days... This one is so close to home. The business of why people don't defend themselves is an issue, but when you see the connection to terror and to humanity, you see why this could happen. Still, I could never watch this again and I'm not sure it needed telling.
-Thanks "hitchcoc" via imdb
"I could never watch this again and I'm not sure it needed telling." Yep. Well said. Even as a horror movie fan, it's tough for me (personally) to justify making a film like Naked Massacre. I mean, obviously everyone has the right to create art the way they see fit, but this film is just too bleak to get behind.
But still... if you judge a movie based on whether it succeeds in what it sets out to do, Naked Massacre is a success. I'm just not sure if I'd ever want to be part of that success again. It's a truly disturbing, bothersome film on a lot of different levels. If that's you're thing, enjoy. But as far a X-rated horror films go, I'll take The Curious Dr. Humpp any day.
I would not recommend this film.
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