my review of.... 'Deathgasm' (an original Creepercast site review)

As with all of my reviews of the independent films that we get sent here at The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
When I was in high school, I was a bit of a conundrum. I guess you could say, in a lot of ways, I still am a bit of an enigma. A riddle, trapped inside of a question. A big, hot mess of a mixed up soul. The point is, I walked a fine line back then between being a complete nerd and a semi cool guy. Granted, I was in a very small high school and there was blurred lines between the main branches of the high school clique brigades. I most certainly wasn't one of the cool kids, but I hung out with them. It was too damn small of a place not too. I also could be just as easily found playing Dungeons and Dragons, as I would be drinking it up at the Saturday night house party. I loved all sides of the high school spectrum. For me, there was no lines that couldn't or shouldn't be crossed. Life was too short to not love everything that made you feel good. Made you feel alive. One of my lifeblood's from the day I was born, is music. All kinds. There is something in every genre that I can appreciate and love. However, in high school, there was a transition period when hair metal was on the way out and alternative/grunge was kicking down the doors to my heart. A midst all the chaos and confusion of that ongoing struggle, was pure metal. Not your run of the mill kiddy stuff, but true metal. Obituary, Fear Factory, Death, Helmet, GWAR, Voivod and the list goes on and on. While I was in my car driving to and from school, it was mostly back and forth between Extreme, Nelson and Guns and Roses, but then that slowly shifted to Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam. However, on the weekends, I hung with my metal head friends and we went to see shows on a regular basis. So, here I was, in the middle of a mosh pit with Obituary on stage and me feeling just as at home as if I was playing D & D with my best friends. This was my life. This was me.

What's the point of all of this nostalgia? Well, it's because this movie spoke to me. Spoke to me on all the levels of my high school experience. It screamed volumes about walking that fine line between nerd and metal head. The love of the cheesy horror films of Sam Raimi or Peter Jackson. The desire to fit in and to be someone more than you were. All of these themes played out in the movie 'Deathgasm', to near perfection. The only things that I didn't experience, that the characters in the film did? Living in New Zealand and summoning demons from hell. Other than that, spot on.
Written and directed by Jason Lei Howden, best known for his visual effects works, this was his first full length feature and holy hell, it's a masterpiece. This is a love letter to everything that made horror fun back in the 80's and early 90's. It's like he took every element from all of the greatest genre pieces of our time, threw them in a blender and then poured us a frothy glass of awesomeness. With a groundwork built upon an incredibly fun story line, he layered it with amazing practical effects, top notch actors and some pretty kick ass music. It's like he lept inside the head of every kid I hung out with in high school and took a survey on what they'd want to see in a movie and this was the result.

'Deathgasm' centers around a group of 4 guys who don't really know each other too well in the beginning, but soon form a bond and metal band. Meanwhile, one of them has eyes for a beautiful girl who runs in a different circle of friends, but he's slowly bringing her to the dark side of the tracks. Along the way, the guys discover an old record sleeve, containing an incantation to summon a demon apocalypse and a way to turn them into demons themselves. It's written in the form of a song, but before they can decipher the language it's written in, it's already too late. They've played the song and started a chain of events that they really don't want to stop, even if they fully understood the repercussions. It feels like a younger and less heavy take on some of the themes from Rob Zombie's 'The Lords of Salem'. Music = summoning of evil. Just throw in a little bit of 'Trick or Treat', 'Brain Dead' aka 'Dead Alive', 'Evil Dead 2', 'Return of the Living Dead' and some 'Demons' to taste and you've got a pretty good idea, what kind of roller coaster ride you're about to embark on. This is THAT movie.
It starts off feeling a bit like 'Detention', but quickly pushes that aside and becomes it's very own animal. Complete with some fantastic music, some hilarious references and one liners, killer artwork and some really well done editing and transition points. 'Deathasm' fires on all cylinders from the time the credits roll until the last little 'stinger' scene after the credits. Which, trust me, you'll want to stick around for. I should also mention that each character gets their own little individualized intro that makes me love them even more. I mean, I don't know how else to put this into words other than, from start to finish, 'Deathgasm' lives up to all the hype you've been hearing and then some.

If you're looking for something new, fresh and incredibly fun, then this is the one film you need to see this year. Not sold yet? I'll give you three words: double chainsaw fight! Oh and did I mention a cloud sequence where evil is pouring from the sky and the opening happens to look like a giant anus? This is going to be a cult classic, mark my words and here is your chance to get in on the ground floor, kids. You'll never look at dildos the same way, after seeing this film.
All in all, I'd give 'Deathgasm' 5 out of 5 stars. This movie has everything a metal head could ever want and everything the jaded horror fan has been looking for. I don't heap this much praise on too many films these days, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Jason Lei Howden hit the ground running with this one and I am anxiously awaiting what comes pouring out of his head next. Opening everywhere on October 2nd, 2015, this is not one you're going to want to miss. What more can I say? Lace up your combat boots, strap on your spiked wrist bands and trow the devil horn high in the air. This is 'Deathgasm'.

If you like this one, check out: 'Detention', 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' or 'Bad Taste'