"The Wizard of Gore" is a remake of a 1970 movie of the same name by Herschell Gordon Lewis. I am a fan of HGL's films (Two Thousand Maniacs, Blood Feast, The Blast Off Girls ) but have never seen the original "Wizard of Gore", so this review is on its own merits, and not a comparison between the two films.
The story is about a reporter named "Ed". Ed works for a small indie paper in modern day L. A., and he also has a habit of huffing chemicals in a paper bag to help him relax One day he and his girlfriend stumble upon a weird street carnival. At this carnival, they are handed a card by a "circus geek" (Jeffery Combs) advertising a show performed by "The Wizard of Gore," otherwise known as 'Montag the Magnificent' (played by an over-the-top-as-usual Crispin Glover) They go into the show, and watch the geek eat live maggots, then bite the head off a rat. Then Montag comes on stage, dressed in a full white tuxedo (and a surprisingly large codpiece underneath). He swallows a fluorescent lightbulb, and breaks it off . Then Montag bleeds through his tux, and wipes it clean. Thenhe calls out a young woman that is trying to leave, and implores her to come on stage. Montag then proceeds to cut the woman open, and pull her entrails out. The lights flicker, and she is seemingly fine, no scratches or scars anywhere.
The next night, Ed and his girlfriend go back. This time they watch as a woman is called on stage, where she has bear traps thrown on her. they take off her arm, leg, and finally her head. Lights go out again, and she is fine and dandy.
Next day, the two women are found dead of the same wounds that were inflicted upon them on stage. "Jinky," Ed's friend with the coroner's department notes that the corpses had traces of a toxin on them that leaves the mind open to suggestion.
Ed heads to a local herbal remedy shop where Chong (no, not that Chong.. This guy is played by Brad "Chukcy" Douriff) mentions that a magician came in looking for mass quantities of the drug, as well as some 'participants' for his show, but before he knew it, the magician used the toxin on him, and placed the suggestion in Chong that he had paid, when he didn't.
At this point, Ed starts suffering delusions as to what has and hasn't happened. He keeps having delusions the he's the one actually killing the victims.
Another woman is barbecued on stage, and then appears unscathed. Ed has a delusion that he follows the chick home and sets her on fire. Ed wakes up in bed. Next day the woman is found dead, with no apparent fire at the crime scene.
The girlfriend and Jinky join Ed to the show, and record it. Jinky says that Montag is spreading the toxin in the "meet and greet" session just before the show. As Jinky tells Ed this, Montag announces "Some people should remain quiet", shoves a towel down Jinky's throat, and pulls his entrails out through his mouth. Jinky tries to show Ed a DVD that was retrieved from the crime scene of the bbq-ed chick. Ed has a connection to all this after all.
The next night, Ed and his girlfriend attend the show, and the girlfriend is called on stage as Montage says "Sometimes the illusion begins far before the show does!". Montag wraps her up in a sheet, and plunges swords into her. That night, the girlfriend tries to help Ed figure out what is happening to him. She wants to know what Ed's been huffing on all this time. She gets the bag from him and discovers... Well, we don't know, but I bet you can figure it out.
Not gonna reveal the rest of the movie here. But let me tell you it is bloody confusing at times.
So, pros and cons
PROS:
Crispin Glover The Suicide Girls -- NUDE! Brad Douriff Lots and lots of gore!
CONS:
Can be very confusing at times Acting is just OK. Crispins Glover's very distracting codpiece Almost every scene is shot at an angle. I thought I was in the Joker's hideout. You know you're in a delusion scene because of the electric sparks, and what appears to be a Matrix-like effect that kinda ruins the effect.
Would I recommend it? Yes.
3 stars of 4
The story is about a reporter named "Ed". Ed works for a small indie paper in modern day L. A., and he also has a habit of huffing chemicals in a paper bag to help him relax One day he and his girlfriend stumble upon a weird street carnival. At this carnival, they are handed a card by a "circus geek" (Jeffery Combs) advertising a show performed by "The Wizard of Gore," otherwise known as 'Montag the Magnificent' (played by an over-the-top-as-usual Crispin Glover) They go into the show, and watch the geek eat live maggots, then bite the head off a rat. Then Montag comes on stage, dressed in a full white tuxedo (and a surprisingly large codpiece underneath). He swallows a fluorescent lightbulb, and breaks it off . Then Montag bleeds through his tux, and wipes it clean. Thenhe calls out a young woman that is trying to leave, and implores her to come on stage. Montag then proceeds to cut the woman open, and pull her entrails out. The lights flicker, and she is seemingly fine, no scratches or scars anywhere.
The next night, Ed and his girlfriend go back. This time they watch as a woman is called on stage, where she has bear traps thrown on her. they take off her arm, leg, and finally her head. Lights go out again, and she is fine and dandy.
Next day, the two women are found dead of the same wounds that were inflicted upon them on stage. "Jinky," Ed's friend with the coroner's department notes that the corpses had traces of a toxin on them that leaves the mind open to suggestion.
Ed heads to a local herbal remedy shop where Chong (no, not that Chong.. This guy is played by Brad "Chukcy" Douriff) mentions that a magician came in looking for mass quantities of the drug, as well as some 'participants' for his show, but before he knew it, the magician used the toxin on him, and placed the suggestion in Chong that he had paid, when he didn't.
At this point, Ed starts suffering delusions as to what has and hasn't happened. He keeps having delusions the he's the one actually killing the victims.
Another woman is barbecued on stage, and then appears unscathed. Ed has a delusion that he follows the chick home and sets her on fire. Ed wakes up in bed. Next day the woman is found dead, with no apparent fire at the crime scene.
The girlfriend and Jinky join Ed to the show, and record it. Jinky says that Montag is spreading the toxin in the "meet and greet" session just before the show. As Jinky tells Ed this, Montag announces "Some people should remain quiet", shoves a towel down Jinky's throat, and pulls his entrails out through his mouth. Jinky tries to show Ed a DVD that was retrieved from the crime scene of the bbq-ed chick. Ed has a connection to all this after all.
The next night, Ed and his girlfriend attend the show, and the girlfriend is called on stage as Montage says "Sometimes the illusion begins far before the show does!". Montag wraps her up in a sheet, and plunges swords into her. That night, the girlfriend tries to help Ed figure out what is happening to him. She wants to know what Ed's been huffing on all this time. She gets the bag from him and discovers... Well, we don't know, but I bet you can figure it out.
Not gonna reveal the rest of the movie here. But let me tell you it is bloody confusing at times.
So, pros and cons
PROS:
Crispin Glover The Suicide Girls -- NUDE! Brad Douriff Lots and lots of gore!
CONS:
Can be very confusing at times Acting is just OK. Crispins Glover's very distracting codpiece Almost every scene is shot at an angle. I thought I was in the Joker's hideout. You know you're in a delusion scene because of the electric sparks, and what appears to be a Matrix-like effect that kinda ruins the effect.
Would I recommend it? Yes.
3 stars of 4