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Released by: Unearthed Films
Released on: 11/24/2009
Director: Lucifer Valentine
Cast: Ameara Lavey, Pig Lizzy
Year: 2006
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The Movie:
I don't know what you want to watch. Maybe you frequent this site because you're like old crime films or dig on vintage cowboy movies. If you're a frequent reader it's probably a safe bet that you're into Eurotrash of the sixties, seventies and eighties or really into American drive-in and exploitation picks. You might be ashamed to admit it, but you've probably got a healthy interest in vintage smut too. It's ok. I won't tell your mom, or your wife. That said, giving our readership the benefit of the doubt is one thing we take pretty seriously around here, so we can probably safely assume you're not into puke. Or are you? What if the puke comes from a very attractive young lady who is frequently naked? What if the puke is centered around a screwy but not illegitimate character study? Would that change your mind? Or hey, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you do just want to see puke, and all the better if it's from a pretty naked girl looking all strung out and puking blood into a toilet. Then you get kind of a shit fix too. It's okay, we're not here to judge you.
'I always wanted to become a ballerina when I grew up, instead I became a stripper.'
Made for God only knows how little money by the enigmatic writer/director known only as Lucifer Valentine (obviously his real name), Slaughtered Vomit Dolls hit right around the same time that the August Underground movies were causing some pretty rabid debates on horror nerd boards across the web, ours included. Valentine was essentially self distributing this picture, and you could buy a DVD from him if you so inclined, and it was easy enough to find as the dude was posting on message boards to try and get the word out, again, ours included. The film was supposedly the first part of a supposed 'vomit gore trilogy' and it did come to some notoriety upon its initial release. And then it more or less faded away. Leave it to Unearthed Films to resurrect the vile cinematic bile for a larger audience with this new DVD.
For those who haven't seen the movie, it essentially documents the life of a nineteen year old bulimic runaway named Angela Aberdeen (sometimes porn actress Ameara Lavey) who becomes a stripper and then a hooker to support herself. As her life becomes more and more insane, so too does the film which eventually just becomes a barrage of surreal images bordering, no, surpassing what most would consider to be sensory overload. And lots of people puke - sometimes vomit, sometimes blood, but there's quite a bit of it here, and some crazy gore and plenty of frequent and graphic nudity to boot. Mr. Valentine isn't catering to the PG horror crowd here, and you've got to respect the guy for making… something.
Aside from Ms. Lavey (who as I said has some porn to her list of credits), this is a film shot with a cast of unknowns by a director working under a goofy pseudonym - all signs that mainstream acceptance isn't what anyone was aiming for here (as if the title of the picture didn't already make that perfectly clear). Even by the standards of fringe cinema, however, Slaughtered Vomit Dolls is pretty out there. Prolonged slow motion shots of people vomiting set to grinding ambient noise on the soundtrack cut against real time shots of a girl chucking into a toilet bowl contrasted against said girl spread on stage and looking nice in her birthday suit all hit the wall when the picture then cuts to childhood video of that same girl, as innocent as can be. Cut with all the enthusiasm of an epileptic seizure, it's a film that's been put together with such manic ferocity that it is at times almost headache inducing. But there's something going on here (and hey wow, is that a Mario Bava reference? Tell me you didn't see Blood And Black Lace before making this movie, you rascally Mr. Valentine!) - though just what exactly that is can be tough to say.
Video/Audio/Extras:
NOTE: The disc sent for review was a test disc and may or may not represent final product. If/when final product is made available for review, this piece will be updated. Until then, don't get cranky with us if things change.
As far as the quality of the video goes, the film was shot on video, fullframe, which is how it's presented here on DVD. Considering the film's low budget origins and shot on video roots, the picture on this DVD is actually pretty strong. The progressive scan image is as colorful as you'd want and as detailed as the source material probably allows for. Some of the darker scenes do show some compression artifacts and it's hard not to notice the macroblocking that appears in the picture, but there's nothing in the way of dirty, debris or damage to note. Some scenes have been intentionally light to look harsh and overly bright, so you do definitely lose some detail here, but again, it's all part of the experience that is Slaughtered Vomit Dolls.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track is alright for what it is. This isn't a film that needs a big, booming surround mix and so the two channel party going on right here does just fine. Dialogue is easy enough to follow and understand and any level fluctuations appear to be intentional and somehow manage to add to the completely fucked up and surreal vibe of the movie.
The test disc provided contains only a static menu screen that allows you to play the movie.
The Final Word:
Inexplicably compelling and simultaneously repulsive and disgusting, Slaughtered Vomit Dolls does earn points for at least trying something different and for, at times, being remarkably well shot and put together. There's definitely some artistic merit here, though you've got to look a little deeper than usual to find it and while the film isn't for all tastes (understatement…!) underground gorehounds will probably appreciate it.