I mentioned in another review from this years HorrorHound that there were three films that I wanted to catch for sure. Those being She Was So Pretty: Be Good For Goodness Sake, The Child Remains, and this film, Flesh Of The Void (2017). I did manage to miss some of the movies that were screened over that weekend, but I did catch the three that I was interested in. After my nap, I woke up in time to make it to a screening, but I decided not to worry about it and start on a review instead. I did head back at midnight in order to catch this movie. After I watched it, I went back and got some more sleep so I could finish out my day Sunday. I have one more review to do after this one, which will show up on my other blog, and then I will move on, which I am ready to do.
Since there wasn't really a plot to this movie, I will just pull what James Quinn wrote on IMDb about it. "Flesh of the Void is a terribly disturbing experimental horror film about what it could feel like if death truly were the most horrible thing one could ever experience. It is intended as a trip through the deepest fears of human beings, exploring its subject in a highly grotesque, violent and extreme manner."
Flesh Of The Void is a film from Austria and was co-written by Ju and James Quinn, who also directed. Quinn was at the screening, which was pretty cool if you ask me. He gave a short introduction to his film and then we jumped into the movie itself. If I remember right, and I'm pretty sure that I do, this was also screened at the Nightmares film festival which I sadly could not make it out to. Everyone seemed pretty excited about it though, so I was glad that I was still able to catch a screening for it. I didn't like the film all that much, but I was still glad that I was able to check it out. There was a film called Deep Slumber that was also a late night screening from a couple of years ago. One thing I remember about it was I was surprised at how few of us stuck around to watch the entire movie. Flesh Of The Void was like that as well. There wasn't a real big crowd, which kind of surprised me. Most people sat behind me during the other movie, so I didn't notice when they left. This time around, most of the people watching was sitting close enough for me to notice. I can't say that I blame them because I wasn't into the movie either, but I stuck it out. It wasn't that bad of a film and I had sat through much worse in the past. This movie ended up not being for me, but I can't say I hated it.
There is very little dialogue to be found in Flesh Of The Void. It isn't characters talking to each other when we do get some. The majority of the movie is just one disturbing image or act being played out. If I remember right, as it has been a while now since I watched it, there are three or four acts/chapters to the film. This ended up being a film where there was more male nudity than female nudity, which I think is a pretty rare thing. I did feel that some scenes when on a bit too long. There was one scene that stood out to me because a few people got up and left during it. This scene had to do with a guy doing things to his penis, which had been going on for a good while when people decided to leave. The way it was filmed was more interesting to me than the film itself. Shot with different film stock, black and white for some scenes and color in others. It is a different kind of horror movie for sure.
The effects are pretty good. There are severed fingers being placed out. a guy being stabbed over and over in roughly the same spot, and other things like that going on. Some of the disturbing things include someone dressed as a priest masturbating to a picture of a baby. A nun masturbating with a wooden cross. I can see why this is screened late at night, with less of a chance someone under 18 being there to watch it. The acting seemed to be pretty good, for what it is in this movie.
For those other than me that has had a chance to catch Flesh Of The Void, they have all given it fairly high marks. In fact, I gave it the lowest rating so far on Letterboxd. While I did enjoy this movie on some level, it just wasn't for me. It didn't work for me as much as it did for others and I'm fine with that. I will still encourage all of you to check this movie out though. Find out what you can about it, watch the trailer and see if it might be something you will be willing to give it a watch. I'm not sure if I would ever watch it again, not because I wouldn't be interested in doing so, but I don't know where else I would see it besides a festival. Maybe it will see a release though, time will tell.
2 out of 5 Proud that I watched it all
Since there wasn't really a plot to this movie, I will just pull what James Quinn wrote on IMDb about it. "Flesh of the Void is a terribly disturbing experimental horror film about what it could feel like if death truly were the most horrible thing one could ever experience. It is intended as a trip through the deepest fears of human beings, exploring its subject in a highly grotesque, violent and extreme manner."
Flesh Of The Void is a film from Austria and was co-written by Ju and James Quinn, who also directed. Quinn was at the screening, which was pretty cool if you ask me. He gave a short introduction to his film and then we jumped into the movie itself. If I remember right, and I'm pretty sure that I do, this was also screened at the Nightmares film festival which I sadly could not make it out to. Everyone seemed pretty excited about it though, so I was glad that I was still able to catch a screening for it. I didn't like the film all that much, but I was still glad that I was able to check it out. There was a film called Deep Slumber that was also a late night screening from a couple of years ago. One thing I remember about it was I was surprised at how few of us stuck around to watch the entire movie. Flesh Of The Void was like that as well. There wasn't a real big crowd, which kind of surprised me. Most people sat behind me during the other movie, so I didn't notice when they left. This time around, most of the people watching was sitting close enough for me to notice. I can't say that I blame them because I wasn't into the movie either, but I stuck it out. It wasn't that bad of a film and I had sat through much worse in the past. This movie ended up not being for me, but I can't say I hated it.
There is very little dialogue to be found in Flesh Of The Void. It isn't characters talking to each other when we do get some. The majority of the movie is just one disturbing image or act being played out. If I remember right, as it has been a while now since I watched it, there are three or four acts/chapters to the film. This ended up being a film where there was more male nudity than female nudity, which I think is a pretty rare thing. I did feel that some scenes when on a bit too long. There was one scene that stood out to me because a few people got up and left during it. This scene had to do with a guy doing things to his penis, which had been going on for a good while when people decided to leave. The way it was filmed was more interesting to me than the film itself. Shot with different film stock, black and white for some scenes and color in others. It is a different kind of horror movie for sure.
The effects are pretty good. There are severed fingers being placed out. a guy being stabbed over and over in roughly the same spot, and other things like that going on. Some of the disturbing things include someone dressed as a priest masturbating to a picture of a baby. A nun masturbating with a wooden cross. I can see why this is screened late at night, with less of a chance someone under 18 being there to watch it. The acting seemed to be pretty good, for what it is in this movie.
For those other than me that has had a chance to catch Flesh Of The Void, they have all given it fairly high marks. In fact, I gave it the lowest rating so far on Letterboxd. While I did enjoy this movie on some level, it just wasn't for me. It didn't work for me as much as it did for others and I'm fine with that. I will still encourage all of you to check this movie out though. Find out what you can about it, watch the trailer and see if it might be something you will be willing to give it a watch. I'm not sure if I would ever watch it again, not because I wouldn't be interested in doing so, but I don't know where else I would see it besides a festival. Maybe it will see a release though, time will tell.
2 out of 5 Proud that I watched it all
