PSYCHO HOLOCAUST

PSYCHO HOLOCAUST

Footage culled from Iraq, revealing the bloody aftermath of a suicide bombing, opens the film in unexpectedly sombre fashion. A distorted newscaster narrates – focusing on the horror that serving US soldiers stationed over there have been subjected to. There is a point to this, later in the film.

Then we meet Mark (Billy Garberina). He’s travelling to Texas with his pregnant wife Talina (Raine Brown) and four friends: Jeff (Jarrod Crooks), Laura (Vanelle), Sara (Nicola Blessing) and Scott (Steve Golla). The six of them are on the brink of embarking on lives outside of each other and are determined to enjoy one last holiday together first.

As they drive, the voice from the opening montage appears on their car radio, broadcasting news about more horrors witnessed in Iraq. This coincides with them noticing some disturbing activity on the roadside: a group of men digging up bones. The men – coroner Reggie (the enigmatically named Cutter) and Sheriff Garrett (Craig Knitt) – insist they’re simply digging for animal bones.

As the kids leave the scene to continue their trek towards the cabin they’ve hired for the weekend, Garret warns them: "don’t be sticking your noses into other people’s business".

Of course, they pay this omen no heed and soon arrive at their destination. When they do, they’re greeted by neighbour Buddy (Trent Haaga). He seems nice enough and leaves them to settle in for the afternoon ... But who’s that lurking a short while later behind the surrounding bushes, watching our three couples unpack, drink and screw?

Strong echoes of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and MOTHER’S DAY (the original) haunt the film’s first half. The first glimpse of the psychotic Pillowface (Ash Bowen) will immediately remind viewers of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2, THE BAGMAN and BLOOD AND LACE. Shit, even the first murder scenes are direct rip-offs of both CHAIN SAW and MANIAC. But then the gore goes further ...

The film’s second half is a bloody, high-octane outing that compensates to some extent for the slow, openly plagiaristic nature of the first 30 or so minutes.

The electronic score from Giallos Flame is an agreeably atmospheric affair, reminiscent of the low budget horror films of the early 1980s. Which is fitting, as the scenario, characters and even lo-fi aesthetics of PSYCHO HOLOCAUST owe heaps to the tawdry styles of the video nasty era.

Performances are middling throughout. Considering the film was shot on Canon camcorders on location in Wisconsin over a period of 6 days, concessions must obviously be made when watching PSYCHO HOLOCAUST. Therefore I’m not about to slam the cast as being crap. But it is especially fortuitous for writer-director Krist Rufty that Brown and Haaga were on board, as they lend the film a modicum of professionalism.

After a relatively slow build-up, the film delivers a slew of violence in the form of axes to the head, scalping, dismemberment and – most memorably – rape by chain saw. It gets gory and, again for a film shot under such restrictions, the FX work is pretty decent. In that primitive, old-school way, of course.

Independent Entertainment’s disc presents the film uncut in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, retaining the film’s original aspect ratio. Colours are rather sedate and blacks don’t always remain as solid as you’d hope. But this is a camcorder-shot film lensed on a miniscule budget – a high gloss presentation was never going to happen. A disclaimer at the film’s start warns that the material used isn’t in great shape, and they’re not telling fibs.

English audio is provided in 2.0 stereo. While this is certainly clean enough, it may have you hovering over the remote’s volume controls: perhaps it’s the way the film was recorded, but some of the dialogue is very quiet.

The disc opens with a static main menu page. There is no scene-selection menu.

Extras on this release are plentiful.

They begin with an audio commentary track from Rufty. He staggers his delivery a lot and the track hasn’t been recorded to a very high standard either. He discusses the weather on the Wisconsin shoot, the problems of FX work on a budget, and the shortcomings of his cast. Among other things, he seems quite pleased to have obtained genuine Iraqi war footage from a friend at the Fox network for his opening credits sequence. Incidentally, he also reveals that the radio news broadcaster’s voice throughout the film was provided by none other than Hershell Gordon Lewis.

"Behind The Scenes" takes us on a 15-minute tour of the workshop where Hank Carlson and co prepared their impressive FX work. It’s quite interesting.

"Making Cheesy Films In Wisconsin" is another engaging 28-minute behind-the-scenes documentary which shows the crew at ease during what appears to have been a fun shoot.

30 minutes of on-set interviews with principal cast and crew members follow, offering more insight into the film’s making. Again, this is mostly light stuff and everyone comes across as likeable. Rufty in particular seems to be a nice guy with unwavering faith in all of those around him.

"At Home With Billy Garberina" is 15 minutes spent with the actor as he lies in his bed recovering from the PSYCHO HOLOCAUST shoot beneath his penguin-patterned blanket, some three-and-a-half-years after filming wrapped. This daftness then settles as Garberina proceeds to answer a succession of questions about his involvement in the film. Unfortunately the audio on this featurette isn’t too good.

8 minutes of outtakes round off the extras relating to the main feature.

Several trailers are also included: DEFILED, DIARY OF A SEX OFFENDER, FACES OF SCHLOCK and RED RIVER. Disconcertingly, I realised that I had seen all of these films ...

Independent Entertainment have produced a good region-free DVD for PSYCHO HOLOCAUST. The film itself has flaws – it looks like crap, it’s slow to begin with, it’s not remotely original (Pillowface?!) – but was entertaining once it got going. Savini-style gore set-pieces set to stirring Wakemanesque electronica? It’s hard not to like.

Review by Stuart Willis


 
Released by INDEPENDENT ENTERTAINMENT
Region 1 - NTSC
Not Rated
Extras :
see main review
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