Deathgasm

Deathgasm is a 2015 New Zealand comedy horror film written and directed by Jason Lei Howden in his directorial debut. Starring Milo Cawthorne and James Blake as a pair of misfit heavy metal fans who unintentionally summon a demon, the film premiered on 14 March 2015 at South by Southwest.

Plot

After his mother is institutionalized, misfit Brodie is sent to live with his fundamentalist Christian Uncle Albert and Aunt Mary, whose son David torments him. A heavy metal fan, Brodie forms a band called Deathgasm with his friends Zakk, Dion, and Giles. When the bandmates break into a local house, they discover that one of their idols, reclusive musician Rikki Daggers, lives there. Daggers gives the band magical sheet music, which a cult later murders him to find. Skeptical of the sheet music's power, the band plays it, only to summon a demon. With the help of his crush, Medina, and his bandmates, Brodie must find a way to defeat the demon.

Cast

• Milo Cawthorne as Brodie
• James Blake as Zakk
• Kimberley Crossman as Medina
• Stephen Ure as Rikki Daggers
• Tim Foley as Vadin
• Sam Berkley as Dion
• Daniel Cresswell as Giles
• Nick Hoskins-Smith as David
• Colin Moy as Uncle Albert
• Jodie Rimmer as Aunt Mary

Production

Howden took inspiration from his teenage years, in which he was a social outcast and fan of heavy metal music.^[3] The film won the 2013 Make My Horror Movie contest and received a NZ$200,000 prize to go toward production, which took place in mid-2014. Executive producer Ant Timpson cited Howden's "sheer enthusiasm and utter commitment" as to why it won.^[4]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reports that 88% of 25 critics gave the film a positive notice; the average rating is 6.4/10. The site's consensus states: "Deathgasm plumbs the blood-spattered depths of grindhouse gore with enough giddy glee to satisfy genre enthusiasts looking for a thrill."^[5] On Metacritic, the film has a 65 out of 100 rating, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[6]

Dennis Harvey of Variety wrote that the script does not live up the vivid splatter effects, but the film's "consistent if undiscriminating high energy engenders a certain persuasive goodwill".^[7] Richard Whittaker of The Austin Chronicle wrote, "Shamelessly low-brow, reaching a beer-fueled gleeful high with a zombie-vs.-sex toys battle, it's a very metal tribute to the grand tradition of Kiwi splatter comedies."^[8] Matt Donato of We Got This Covered rated it 4/5 stars and wrote, "Deathgasm is the ultimate midnight movie (for metalheads especially), hitting on notes of horror insanity that blend face-melting riffage with equally outstanding practical effects."^[9]

At Bloody Disgusting, Brad Miska and Patrick Cooper reviewed the film, and both rated it four out of five stars. Miska called it "the most metal horror film ever",^[10] and Cooper said that it was "the movie the SXSW Midnighters category was created for".^[11] Drew Tinnin of Dread Central rated it 4/5 stars and wrote, "Deathgasm knows exactly what it is and where its heart is, giving genre fans a welcome return to heavy metal in horror without cutting back on any of the splatstick that New Zealand has become known for, for better or worse."^[12] Zach Gayne of Twitch Film wrote, "[T]he voice that shines through the hysterical dialogue and playfully comic editing, is so teenage, so punk, it makes a beat-to-death genre feel refreshing."^[13] Heather Wixson of Daily Dead rated it 5/5 stars and called it a "ridiculously fun and bombastic celebration of horror and heavy metal".^[14]

Accolades

Nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award, Best Makeup FX/Creature Design

Toronto After Dark Film Festival^[15]

Best Feature Film – ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD WINNER: GOLD

Best Special Effects

Best Music

Best Title Sequence

Best Trailer

Best Film To Watch With A Crowd

Best Kill (Death by Sex Toy)

Best Gore

Best Screening Q&A

Knoxville Horror Film Festival^[16]

Palm D'Gore

Best Director: Jason Lei Howden

Total Film Frightfest^[17]

Best Gore for Dildos & chainsaws

Festival de cine de Terror de Molins de Rei^[18]

Best Feature Film

Best Actor: Milo Cawthorne

Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival^[19]

Audience Award

HARD LINE Film Festival, Germany

Audience Award

L'Absurde Séance Film Festival

Audience Award

Arizona Underground Film Festival^[20]

Audience Award

Sequel

A sequel, titled Deathgasm Part 2: Goremageddon, was revealed on 16 December 2015 to be in production.^[21]

References

Further reading

• Wixson, Heather (2015-03-22). "SXSW 2015: Exclusive Interview with the Cast and Crew of Deathgasm". Daily Dead. Retrieved 2015-03-29. 
• "SXSW: 'Deathgasm' Cast on Hilarious Death Metal Horror Comedy (Video)". The Wrap. 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-03-29. 
• Donato, Matt (2015-03-22). "Exclusive Interview With Executive Producer Ant Timpson On Deathgasm". We Got This Covered. Retrieved 2015-03-29. 
• Tinnin, Drew (2015-03-18). "SXSW 2015: Deathgasm Cast and Crew Interviews". Dread Central. Retrieved 2015-03-29. 
• Zimmerman, Samuel (2015-03-12). "SXSW 2015: Director Jason Howden Previews the Heavy Metal Horror and Friendship of Deathgasm". Shock Till You Drop. Retrieved 2015-03-29. 
• Nemiroff, Perri (2015-03-21). "Director Jason Lei Howden, the Producers and Cast Talk DEATHGASM at SXSW". Collider. Retrieved 2015-03-29. 
• Corry, Dominic (2015-03-26). "Dominic Corry: Kiwi genre films Deathgasm and Turbo Kid kick butt at SXSW". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2015-03-29. 
• Torretti, Barbara (2015-09-25). "Deathgasm: Interview with writer and director Jason Lei Howden". Internet Horror Movie Database. 

External links

• Official website
• Deathgasm at the Internet Movie Database
• Deathgasm at Rotten Tomatoes
• Deathgasm at Metacritic