Perfect Skin

**This review contains spoilers**

"Perfect Skin" (2018, Kevin Chicken, Perfect Skin Productions, KEW Media Group) is a psychological horror film about an obsessive tattoo artist who goes way too far in his attempts to create a masterpiece.

Katia (Natalia Kostrzewa) is a Polish woman who moves in with her Australian friend, Lucy (Jo Woodcock), in her London flat. While out partying Lucy introduces Katia to Bob (Richard Brake), an American tattoo artist who Lucy had received some tattoo work from in the past. Bob offers to design Katia her first tattoo, but he becomes obsessed with her as a perfect 'blank canvas' and kidnaps her in order to turn her into his personal masterpiece.

An extremely dark and sinister plot which is well executed and creates uncomfortable but intriguing viewing. As Katia wakes to discover more and more changes to her body she becomes both horrified at the transformation being done without her consent and also interested in spite of herself in what Bob has planned, as well as in his other dark interests.

A study in obsession, dominance and retaliation which manages not to vilify the sub-culture of body modification, despite the antagonist's misuse of it. The film straddles the void between exploitation movies and torture films becoming fairly difficult to fit into any one box. While certainly not pleasant viewing, the cast deliver a haunting performance that may leave you looking for the wire brush and dettol afterwards.

Currently available to rent from YouTube.

[Image: KEW Media Group, et al]

Hani

Anarchy Parlor

"Anarchy Parlor" aka "Parlor" (2015, Devon Downs, Kenny Gage, Gravitas Ventures) is a gory horror about a strange tattoo artist known only as "The Artist" who practices much more than tattooing on the unwitting tourists who wander into his parlor in Lithuania.

Some college friends are travelling Europe and have just landed in Vilnius, Lithuania. They encounter the party scene pretty quickly with some unconvincing drunken scenes, which are overly reminiscent of Eli Roth's "Aftershock" (2012), and some terrible decision making already paving the way to disaster.

One of the gang encounters the beautiful but violent tattoo apprentice, Uta (Sara Fabel, the Finnish model and artist), and is soon introduced to her tattoo mentor, The Artist (Robert LaSardo). The Artist is keen on tattoos, torture, flaying and talking at length about these subjects.

Ironically, whilst this film is making a social comment on how tattooing has went from a counterculture, individualist statement to a popular, societal norm, the film is pretty much the clichéd horror torture porn that represents the decline of horror from subculture to generic in the same way.

We have a group of ignorant, self-important young asshats, we have a foreign culture element, we have the big bad people bent on killing the group of asshats, and we have heaps of gore, blood and constant screaming. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer being scared to being grossed out. I love a bit of gore with my horror (I'm actually a huge fan of gore), but prefer it to be peppered with comedy, real fear or mystique... Frankly, watching a guy carve up bound teens whilst a hot, blonde, tattooed chick acts fierce in the background does not constitute good horror for me.

Also, "Fuck you. You're sick." repeated several hundred times loses its relevance after a while, especially when it's all in the one scene.

The plot also made little actual sense and the finished 'canvases' were unintentionally hilarious. I think I could have painted/inked better!

All in all, the effects were indeed gross, but the lack of good plot, unintentionally hilarious props and scripting and abundance of tropes used, this film winds up as just another generic gore fest.

[Image: Gravitas Ventures]

Hani

INK

"INK" (2014, Andy Stewart, Shining Example Films, 21st Century Renaissance Man) is the third short film from the twisted and talented mind of Andy Stewart who brought us "Split" (http://horrorev.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/split.html) and its predecessor, the sickeningly squelchy "Dysmorphia" (http://horrorev.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/dysmorphia.html).

As the third installment of Andy's Body Horror collection it is a tough competition, but this one might be my new favourite.

We follow a reclusive nameless man (Sammy Hayman) who has found an interesting and cost effective alternative to being tattooed. Naturally, it's also graphically gory and very dark.

I don't want to spend too much time discussing plot because, like all of the previous films, it's best to go in with no real idea of what is going to happen and let the piece speak for itself. However, I will get nice and chatty about how amazing the makeup and effects are. Grant Mason FX, ladies and gentlemen, now here's a team that can make you wish you'd not bothered with lunch!

Wow. The gore-o-meter was going mental as I watched this. The blood, the goop, the slow, meticulous shots and that bloody stanley blade! Everything from the texture of the effects to the way things bled and oozed was realistic to the point of putting me off my cake. And nothing usually puts me off cake.

The piece is beautifully shot, managing to play with close up angles that make you feel very uncomfortably close to the action.

The character is monstrous but you find yourself feeling for him in his agonies and his terrible and selfish determination to turn his body into art. The end scene is just made with the giggle-sobbing and the sheer despair on the character's face. Truly mesmerising stuff. Hayman creates an outwardly pathetic 'freak' character who's prepared to go to some extreme levels to achieve his goals. His performance brought a sick smile to my face more than once.

A short horror which is paced so well that it feels like a feature, with the viewer both caught intently following the unfolding story and also desperate to look away from the painful sight of it.

An absolute must see. Check out which film festivals are showing this piece of awesome near you!

 

[Image: Shining Example Films]

 

Hani x

The Tattooist

"The Tattooist" (2007, Peter Burger, Buena Vista International) is a supernatural horror about a tattoo artist.

Jake (Jason Behr) is a trendy tattoo artist who likes to explore tribal designs in his work. After witnessing a strange, ritualistic Samoan tattoo being performed at a convention, he feels compelled to steal the ritual tool and begin to explore the designs and traditions himself.

Unfortunately, he's taken more than he intended and soon finds that he is being haunted by a murderous force which can spread through his tattoo designs from the tool...

A film with an adventurous storyline and some potential, but to be honest, it's not compelling enough. A little stilted, and some parts are just all explanation of the traditions so that the audience can understand, which kind of loses something for the pace.

The special effects are surprisingly good for the budget, but they are ludicrous! There's also a little kid who can speak to spirits... but only when the music is loud and obnoxious in a speeding car... Of course! 

The characters are our usual forgettable horror fodder, the spirit is quite creepy but it seemed like he'd been added in as an afterthought rather than as an organic baddy, and our protagonist is dull and two dimensional...

Interesting concept but, on the whole, not a good film and not a good horror film.

 

 

[Image: Buena Vista International]

 

Hani