Title: The Wizard of Gore (2007)
Starring Kip Pardue, Crispin Glover, Bijou Phillips, Jeffrey Combs, Brad Dourif and The Suicide Girls
Produced by Open Sky Entertainment and Sick-O-Scope
Written by Zach Chassler
Directed by Jeremy Kasten
Scores: Technical:85 , Story:80 , Acting:80 , Overall Score: 82
I saw the trailer for this movie the day it came to DVD and was so insanely excited I went out and rented it that day. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t get any better than Crispin Glover (Willard, Back to the Future), Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator) and Brad Dourif (the voice of Chucky from the Child’s Play series) gracing the screen in the same flick. These three are not only horror movie legends, but they’re cult film legends, which is what makes a movie like this so enjoyable to watch.
Edmund Bigelow (Kip Pardue) runs a nightly newspaper. One night, while out with his girlfriend, Maggie (Bijou Phillips), they attend a magic show called “The Wizard of Gore: Montag the Magnificent.†Thinking nothing of it, they sit down and begin to relax when all hell breaks loose. Montag (Crispin Glover) is killing girls on stage, or so it appears. After the act is over, they reappear looking fine but later on the night they’re centerstage, they wind up dead in a place in the middle of nowhere by the same means they were “killed†in the act. Edmund takes it upon himself to solve the crimes when he discovers they’re closer to home than he originally thought.
I really enjoyed myself watching this movie, however, I was also insanely grossed out. Now, if you know anything about me you know I’m a total gorehound, so naturally a movie called The Wizard of Gore is right up my alley. The first time I saw Dead Alive I wasn’t even really grossed out (except for the soup scene) but this film managed to put me in a constant state of nausea. The gore was realistic, but on top of that, the sounds are what got to me. Every bone-cracking, organ-slopping sound the production company had, it used. I’m sure I had a look of total disgust on my face throughout the movie.
The acting was absolutely fantastic. Kip Pardue, who I’ve seen in a few films such as The Rules of Attraction and Imaginary Heroes, gave a great performance. He was truly a madman and really got into his character, which is always great to see. Bijou Phillips (Bully, Almost Famous and the upcoming Choke) was great as well, although I found her character to be a little whiny towards the end of the film. Crispin Glover once again takes on a role in which he’s absolutely crazy and it totally suits him (have you seen his old Letterman appearance?). Glover naturally fits in with the Herschell Gordon Lewis remake. Of all the characters in the film, however, Jeffrey Combs’ is who really gave me the heebie jeebies. He not only ate handfuls of maggots, but he also bit off the head of a rat several times…both of which looked entirely real.
From a geekier aspect, I really loved the film transitions throughout the movie. Reminding me a lot of the transitions from Dead and Breakfast, The Wizard of Gore used props to tie scenes in together smoothly (i.e. lighter). The director, Jeremy Kasten, was not only the man behind the camera but also behind the editing table, which shows how flexible he is. I was impressed to say the very least.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I wouldn’t necessarily buy it, but I would absolutely see it again. If you love horror and gore, this is definitely for you. However, if you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip this one.
By Tessa Petrocco
