This is what I like when it's about gore. It has to be funny, otherwise just watch a horror movie instead. I would not call this horror but just gory comedy. The best movie in that genre still remains Braindead, and of course the Evil Dead movies, but this one I will remember as well. The exaggeration in the gory details is what makes it funny. The amount of slashed body parts and the inventive ways they use to do it is just hilarious. The script might not be the best ever but that's not what it is about with a movie like Deathgasm. It's just a bit fun. Fun for people like me that get that kind of humor. Some others will probably hate that movie and that's okay. If you like metal music and gore then you will for sure love this movie. I did and I will watch this one again in a few years.
94 Reviews
Hilarious Splat-Fest For Gore-Hounds With A - Very! - Twisted Sense Of Humor And A Love For Metal
gogoschka-110 November 2015
This hilariously disgusting, twisted, insane little gem from New Zealand is a must for fans of Evil Dead 2, Braindead and similarly gory low-budget horror comedies. If you're into those kinds of films AND you're into Metal, don't miss out on this one: it's a blast. And it was obviously made by very talented people; especially the camera work is fantastic. The gore effects are good, most of the jokes are funny (depending on your sense of humor), and the actors may not win any Oscars any time soon but they seem perfectly well suited for their parts.
Writer/director Jason Lei Howden has a background in effects work and it shows: despite the low budget, the production values are much higher than what you'd normally expect in this kind of film. The direction is wildly inventive and reminded me a lot of the early Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson (mark my words: Howden is a director to watch in the future). A warning, though: even a film like Braindead looks almost sophisticated and tame compared to Deathgasm; a lot of the humor in this film is very, very (did I mention: VERY!!!) rude or downright sick. Do NOT watch this if, say, you have a problem watching genital (and rectal) mutilations in graphic detail.
My verdict: This is a splat-fest of the first order for gore-hounds with a twisted sense of humor, a love for Metal and a very high tolerance for some really cringe inducing nastiness. It's a very well made film - especially for a first-time-director - and I absolutely adored every minute of it. 7 stars out of 10.
Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/
Lesser-Known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/
Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/
Writer/director Jason Lei Howden has a background in effects work and it shows: despite the low budget, the production values are much higher than what you'd normally expect in this kind of film. The direction is wildly inventive and reminded me a lot of the early Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson (mark my words: Howden is a director to watch in the future). A warning, though: even a film like Braindead looks almost sophisticated and tame compared to Deathgasm; a lot of the humor in this film is very, very (did I mention: VERY!!!) rude or downright sick. Do NOT watch this if, say, you have a problem watching genital (and rectal) mutilations in graphic detail.
My verdict: This is a splat-fest of the first order for gore-hounds with a twisted sense of humor, a love for Metal and a very high tolerance for some really cringe inducing nastiness. It's a very well made film - especially for a first-time-director - and I absolutely adored every minute of it. 7 stars out of 10.
Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/
Lesser-Known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/
Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/
Joyously Surversive
gavin694219 June 2016
Four teenage boys unwittingly summon an ancient evil entity known as The Blind One by delving into black magic while trying to escape their mundane lives.
One part "Dead Alive", one part "Evil Dead 2", and a heaping scoop of "Todd and the Book of Pure Evil"... you have "Deathgasm", a movie that is both dark and hilarious, with over-the-top gore and some questionable sexual references (but never offensive, just uproarious).
New Zealand has really taken off as far as their film industry goes. I don't know if Peter Jackson injected them somehow or just got more people to notice the great things happening there... but whichever, there are some films from the last few years that are among the best in the horror genre.
One part "Dead Alive", one part "Evil Dead 2", and a heaping scoop of "Todd and the Book of Pure Evil"... you have "Deathgasm", a movie that is both dark and hilarious, with over-the-top gore and some questionable sexual references (but never offensive, just uproarious).
New Zealand has really taken off as far as their film industry goes. I don't know if Peter Jackson injected them somehow or just got more people to notice the great things happening there... but whichever, there are some films from the last few years that are among the best in the horror genre.
The most fun I have had since Dead Snow 2
punishable-by-death15 October 2015
There is no doubt that this will strike more of a chord (see what I did there?) with metalheads, though anyone faintly aware of its existence will be able to enjoy this non-stop gore-fest. Put simply, a group of friends find some old music on tattered paper. Its title is in Latin. When they play it, it sounds like a classic Black Sabbath doom song, only darker. The song is so heavy that everyone who hears it begins to leak blood from every orifice as they turn into demons.
The rest of the movie features these four friends decapitating and castrating demons. And here, anything goes and no one is safe. Can't find a weapon? Use a dildo, or some anal beads. The humour is great as there are many funny moments within the carnage, and only a few are 'inside-jokes' for metal fans.
The makers of this film must have spent half their budget on the special effects, as some of the kills are brutal and leave the victims in a state that David Cronenberg would be proud of. I'm not usually a fan of slasher flicks but there were some pretty gruesome moments once the foursome go on their rampage.
It's obvious the filmmakers had a blast making this, so watch it now and have a blast yourself!!
www.epilepticmoondancer.net
The rest of the movie features these four friends decapitating and castrating demons. And here, anything goes and no one is safe. Can't find a weapon? Use a dildo, or some anal beads. The humour is great as there are many funny moments within the carnage, and only a few are 'inside-jokes' for metal fans.
The makers of this film must have spent half their budget on the special effects, as some of the kills are brutal and leave the victims in a state that David Cronenberg would be proud of. I'm not usually a fan of slasher flicks but there were some pretty gruesome moments once the foursome go on their rampage.
It's obvious the filmmakers had a blast making this, so watch it now and have a blast yourself!!
www.epilepticmoondancer.net
New Zealand: home of the Hobbit, splatter
and Black Metal Demons!
Coventry9 November 2015
Even more than zombies or maniacal killers, it's DEMONS that provide crazy horror directors with the most opportunities to go tremendously over-the-top in the gore and splatter department! Lamberto Bava knew it when he made "Demons" in 1985, Sam Raimi knew it when he accomplished his legendary "The Evil Dead" movies and apparently some pleasantly deranged New Zealander by the name of Jason Lei Howden knows it too, judging by the humongous gore- factor in his flick "Deathgasm". This recommendable little flick offers nothing new or even remotely original to the genre, but it definitely qualifies as pure and undemanding horror entertainment containing all the essential ingredients such as fast pacing, tongue-in-cheek dialogs, cute references towards movie/music classics and literally gallons of blood & pus! The basic plot concept cleverly plays with the ancient cliché that metal heads are Satan-worshipers and that the lyrics of their songs are aimed at summoning demons and other nasty creatures. In the sleepy little town of Greypoint, the social outcast Brodie coincidentally gets his geeky metal hands on music and lyrics called "the black hymn". When he and his amateur band called Deathgasm rehearse it in his uncle's garage, the universe's most evil force descends to earth and turns all villagers into bloodthirsty demons. Among all victims, Satan is scouting for the most evil human soul to possess and this just might be Brodie's metal buddy Zakk. "Deathgasm" is a fun movie, but certainly nothing more than that, and I wouldn't go as far as some of my fellow reviewers around here that label it as one of the best genre outing of the last years. The gore and make-up effects are well-handled but often too absurd and especially too tasteless for my liking. The best example to illustrate this is an extended sequence in which a supposedly normal middle-class and religious couple are beaten to death by the the sex-toys (like a gigantic black dildo and anal beads
) that are hidden in their bedroom. The funniest thing about New Zealand movies is that pretty much all cast and crew members previously worked on most of the Lord of the Ring movies, either as extras or as visual effects people. There are also a couple of cute references and tributes towards Peter Jackson's earliest splatter movies "Bad Taste" and "Braindead". Ideal stuff to watch late at night with a bunch of friends or – like I did – at a festival in the company of 200 gore-crazed horror freaks.
Metalocalypse meets Dead Alive/Brain Dead
dworldeater23 July 2019
Deathgasm is a splatter comedy about a metal band that plays a riff that turns people into demons. Being a metalhead myself, I found that the people who made the film don't really understand the subculture and rely heavily on stereotypes. Considering this is just campy fun and not too be taken too seriously, it did'nt bother me much. Plus , most metal fans that I know are horror fans too and this film is very influenced by The Evil Dead series as well as Peter Jackson gore classics Dead Alive and Bad Taste. I would not put this in the same class as the aforementioned classics, but I did enjoy it and delivers huge on gore with extreme metal as a backdrop. Deathgasm is a fun little horror flick with its tongue firmly planted in cheek and is good entertainment.
Half full
begob13 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Lonesome metaller is exiled to respectable suburbia, where he unwittingly summons down a demon god when he plays the tune from Hell. Can he defeat the forces of evil with his new butter-wouldn't-melt girlfriend?
Starts off at ferocious pace, with the editing taken from Shaun Of The Dead + Bill And Ted. The lead actor plays it perfectly, and is well backed by the cast (apart from the cousin), and the gags are packed in. Best of the lot is the diesel and the ambulance.
But ... I checked my watch at about 45 mins. Hmmm. I think there's a point where the protagonist has to change, and it felt like something strange was going to happen when he looked in the mirror after being beat up. Instead, things change around him, and the story goes Buffy-zombie as it plays out in Wheedon/Scoobie-Doo style.
Plenty of real-effect gore, with some laughs - big set scene with sex toys - but just a bit yawny as the inevitable climax plays out. Not sure whether this is to it's credit, but the laid-pipe deus ex machina was dodged and, instead, used in the end credits for a gag.
Full of metal, but the mood music and horror sounds were tame and unimaginative.
Overall, skillful techniques with camera and editing, but not that engaging.
Starts off at ferocious pace, with the editing taken from Shaun Of The Dead + Bill And Ted. The lead actor plays it perfectly, and is well backed by the cast (apart from the cousin), and the gags are packed in. Best of the lot is the diesel and the ambulance.
But ... I checked my watch at about 45 mins. Hmmm. I think there's a point where the protagonist has to change, and it felt like something strange was going to happen when he looked in the mirror after being beat up. Instead, things change around him, and the story goes Buffy-zombie as it plays out in Wheedon/Scoobie-Doo style.
Plenty of real-effect gore, with some laughs - big set scene with sex toys - but just a bit yawny as the inevitable climax plays out. Not sure whether this is to it's credit, but the laid-pipe deus ex machina was dodged and, instead, used in the end credits for a gag.
Full of metal, but the mood music and horror sounds were tame and unimaginative.
Overall, skillful techniques with camera and editing, but not that engaging.
Metal meets Evil Dead 2
alucardvenom2 October 2015
I've waited for this movie since it was announced. Then I saw the trailer which looked like movie is gonna be gory flick that doesn't take itself too seriously, while metal music plays in background... and movie is exactly that.
"Deathgasm" while not taking itself too seriously, it still hits all the marks of what made other horror-comedies like Evil Dead 2 and Braindead great. It has style, it has life, and enough gore to satisfy even hardcore horror fans. Story follows group of metalhead losers who accidentally play some "devil's music" which in fact is a summoning tune to some Arch Demon, and as rest of the people in town are turning into demons, it's up to our "losers" to save the world.
The Demons resemble Deadites from Evil Dead 2, which this movie clearly pays homage to among other several horror movies (most notable, Braindead). There's also a lot of dark humor and while some scenes do go crazy with gore, it never really gets over-the-top. It's all in good fun.
Screenplay itself pokes fun at metalhead stereotypes, with characters reacting to certain events with lines like "Brutal!" or "Metal!" (little nod to Metalocalypse). Production is rather good, much better then you would expect from this type of movie, and overall it looks lot more expensive then it's budget.
Some minor problems here and there (climax could have been a bit better), but nothing too troubling.
One of the best horror-comedies in a while, and if you love your metal and your horror, check it out.
"Deathgasm" while not taking itself too seriously, it still hits all the marks of what made other horror-comedies like Evil Dead 2 and Braindead great. It has style, it has life, and enough gore to satisfy even hardcore horror fans. Story follows group of metalhead losers who accidentally play some "devil's music" which in fact is a summoning tune to some Arch Demon, and as rest of the people in town are turning into demons, it's up to our "losers" to save the world.
The Demons resemble Deadites from Evil Dead 2, which this movie clearly pays homage to among other several horror movies (most notable, Braindead). There's also a lot of dark humor and while some scenes do go crazy with gore, it never really gets over-the-top. It's all in good fun.
Screenplay itself pokes fun at metalhead stereotypes, with characters reacting to certain events with lines like "Brutal!" or "Metal!" (little nod to Metalocalypse). Production is rather good, much better then you would expect from this type of movie, and overall it looks lot more expensive then it's budget.
Some minor problems here and there (climax could have been a bit better), but nothing too troubling.
One of the best horror-comedies in a while, and if you love your metal and your horror, check it out.
Decent metal horror
TdSmth512 January 2016
In the intro we are told that all the gruesome stuff metal bands sing about is actually true.
Some geeky metalhead named Brodie ends up living with his uncle who is Christian. His cousin is a bully and gives him a hard time. He's good at drawing gruesome stuff. One day at a record store he runs into an older and truer metalhead, the kind that chain smokes, chain drinks and doesn't care. This guy, Zakk, plays bass, Brodie plays guitar and he gets two other geeky friends to play keyboard (?) and drums. They end up calling the band Deathgasm.
One day Zakk takes Brodie along and they break into a house. Turns out it's the home of some metal legend of decades ago. They find the guy clutching some album. Suddenly some guy in a suit arrives and attacks them. The metal legend throws to album to the kids who escape. It's a crappy album but also inside the cover are a bunch of papers in Latin with some musical tabs.
Brodie translates the stuff, which reads something like 'summoning such and such a demon to get power and fortune.' They start playing the tune and everyone in the small town turns into demons without eyes who go after them.
Brodie also met the most gorgeous girl in school, Medina, who likes him even though she's his cousin's girlfriend. But Zakk is a backstabbing jerk and through deception hooks up with her.
Now the kids sort of join forces to defeat the demons and to find out how to reverse the situation. We also learn that some rich evil guy wants to take hold of the pages in Latin so he can control this demon.
Extreme metal and horror movies make a good pair, not that Hollywood would understand or care. So it's up to low budget independent producers to work on this, and the guys from Brain Damage have released some movies. Now comes Deathgasm from New Zealand, a very gory movie, although some of the gore is repetitive. But because Deathgasm also aims to be a teen comedy it's unnecessarily juvenile and gross. There is some nudity but not enough. While it has the horror part covered, and it could have gone even darker had it focused more on the occult stuff and the evil cabal, it surprisingly fails when it comes to metal. They get the band posters right, the CDs right, the occasional metal-related dialogue is right, Brodie's guitar, a BC Rich Warlock, is right, but the music is off. A movie called "Deathgasm" should have settled for straightforward death metal, instead we get some really lousy stuff. The music the band plays is terrible and so is most of the soundtrack.
As most movies from New Zealand this one too maintains some of the charming Kiwi innocence. You do empathize a bit with our heroes but not enough. Zakk is well cast and goodness is Kimberley Crossman gorgeous, but our lead is missing something. It appears they were going more for looks, someone to remind us of Death's Chuck Schuldiner. Overall a good effort in a much neglected potential subgenre.
Some geeky metalhead named Brodie ends up living with his uncle who is Christian. His cousin is a bully and gives him a hard time. He's good at drawing gruesome stuff. One day at a record store he runs into an older and truer metalhead, the kind that chain smokes, chain drinks and doesn't care. This guy, Zakk, plays bass, Brodie plays guitar and he gets two other geeky friends to play keyboard (?) and drums. They end up calling the band Deathgasm.
One day Zakk takes Brodie along and they break into a house. Turns out it's the home of some metal legend of decades ago. They find the guy clutching some album. Suddenly some guy in a suit arrives and attacks them. The metal legend throws to album to the kids who escape. It's a crappy album but also inside the cover are a bunch of papers in Latin with some musical tabs.
Brodie translates the stuff, which reads something like 'summoning such and such a demon to get power and fortune.' They start playing the tune and everyone in the small town turns into demons without eyes who go after them.
Brodie also met the most gorgeous girl in school, Medina, who likes him even though she's his cousin's girlfriend. But Zakk is a backstabbing jerk and through deception hooks up with her.
Now the kids sort of join forces to defeat the demons and to find out how to reverse the situation. We also learn that some rich evil guy wants to take hold of the pages in Latin so he can control this demon.
Extreme metal and horror movies make a good pair, not that Hollywood would understand or care. So it's up to low budget independent producers to work on this, and the guys from Brain Damage have released some movies. Now comes Deathgasm from New Zealand, a very gory movie, although some of the gore is repetitive. But because Deathgasm also aims to be a teen comedy it's unnecessarily juvenile and gross. There is some nudity but not enough. While it has the horror part covered, and it could have gone even darker had it focused more on the occult stuff and the evil cabal, it surprisingly fails when it comes to metal. They get the band posters right, the CDs right, the occasional metal-related dialogue is right, Brodie's guitar, a BC Rich Warlock, is right, but the music is off. A movie called "Deathgasm" should have settled for straightforward death metal, instead we get some really lousy stuff. The music the band plays is terrible and so is most of the soundtrack.
As most movies from New Zealand this one too maintains some of the charming Kiwi innocence. You do empathize a bit with our heroes but not enough. Zakk is well cast and goodness is Kimberley Crossman gorgeous, but our lead is missing something. It appears they were going more for looks, someone to remind us of Death's Chuck Schuldiner. Overall a good effort in a much neglected potential subgenre.
Few witty moments underneath lots of gruesome imageries and loud noises.
quincytheodore8 December 2015
Sometimes horror movie can benefit from delicate and refined presentation, but don't tell that to Deathgasm. It will throw severed limbs at you, the rest of the bodies along with it and an extra pint of blood for good measure. This is definitely not for the fainthearted, although there's admittedly some good comedic moments, but they are spread across marathon of slaughter.
The film moves at strikingly fast pace, but it doesn't tell the narrative well. Plot isn't that deep, it's a mix of new guy in town formula with heavy tone of death metal. Occasionally characters and subplots would be introduced haphazardly only join the orgy of blood. This is more of a general line to very brutal carnage than structured pathing, most of which barely make any sense anyway so it just has fun with it.
Its production, beneath all the chaos, is actually pretty well done. Make-up and practical effect are very gory as the intended effect, and they create it with exaggerated volume. There are also some clever lines between brief rests of brutal showcasing, which proves that the movie has sophistication level to revel on the silly carnage premise.
However, this is a movie not for the timid audience. The jokes are filled with brash delivery as well as heavy emphasis genitalia exposure. There's no five minutes without excessive blood, profanity screaming or some random images of maggot, among other things. It's as though at some point, the crew opted for the most hardcore display they could fit on a feature film.
Deathgasm is as chaotic as it sound, albeit there's a merry mix of comedy and horror here. This is movie aimed towards a specific taste. I can understand the appeal of unhinged gore and I do enjoy this type of horror from time to time, but personally this is more bloodbath and phallus display than I can bear.
The film moves at strikingly fast pace, but it doesn't tell the narrative well. Plot isn't that deep, it's a mix of new guy in town formula with heavy tone of death metal. Occasionally characters and subplots would be introduced haphazardly only join the orgy of blood. This is more of a general line to very brutal carnage than structured pathing, most of which barely make any sense anyway so it just has fun with it.
Its production, beneath all the chaos, is actually pretty well done. Make-up and practical effect are very gory as the intended effect, and they create it with exaggerated volume. There are also some clever lines between brief rests of brutal showcasing, which proves that the movie has sophistication level to revel on the silly carnage premise.
However, this is a movie not for the timid audience. The jokes are filled with brash delivery as well as heavy emphasis genitalia exposure. There's no five minutes without excessive blood, profanity screaming or some random images of maggot, among other things. It's as though at some point, the crew opted for the most hardcore display they could fit on a feature film.
Deathgasm is as chaotic as it sound, albeit there's a merry mix of comedy and horror here. This is movie aimed towards a specific taste. I can understand the appeal of unhinged gore and I do enjoy this type of horror from time to time, but personally this is more bloodbath and phallus display than I can bear.
Perfect balance of gore and black comedy
hath-5373514 August 2015
Just watched this movie in the Melbourne International Film Festival and I absolutely loved it! Without a doubt, it will be essential viewing for every lover of cult movies for the next 30 years.
The movie's central theme is around metal music, which even though I'm not a fan of, actually makes zero difference to its enjoyment factor. It was laugh-out-loud funny and so gruesome that you couldn't take your eyes off it. Sometimes in these kinds of movies the acting and effects can be really average, but here the effects were fantastic and the actors were perfect for their characters.
Unfortunately this movie is too different from Hollywood's crap factory to receive a fitting score on IMDb but if you've ever watched Evil Dead, Braindead, Shaun of the Dead or Bad Taste you know what kind of fun you're in for. If you haven't... trust me it's the perfect movie to watch with your mates.
The movie's central theme is around metal music, which even though I'm not a fan of, actually makes zero difference to its enjoyment factor. It was laugh-out-loud funny and so gruesome that you couldn't take your eyes off it. Sometimes in these kinds of movies the acting and effects can be really average, but here the effects were fantastic and the actors were perfect for their characters.
Unfortunately this movie is too different from Hollywood's crap factory to receive a fitting score on IMDb but if you've ever watched Evil Dead, Braindead, Shaun of the Dead or Bad Taste you know what kind of fun you're in for. If you haven't... trust me it's the perfect movie to watch with your mates.
A Fun Horror Comedy Clearly Influenced by Peter Jackson
TheRedDeath3031 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I tend to be very harsh to this particular little sub-genre of the film world known as the "horror comedy". It can be a hard style to do correctly and very often, in my opinion, flops completely. After all, those two styles are polar opposites of one another. It's like fried ice cream. Two things that shouldn't go together, at all, in theory. If done poorly, it becomes a sloppy mess. If done well, it can be classic. Horror demands tension, atmosphere and mood, established to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat in order to make the horror elements work successfully. Comedy, on the other hand, demands a consistent breaking of that tension, a disruption of the atmosphere. For every ZOMBIELAND or SHAUN OF THE DEAD that does this well, there are a thousand imitators that come and go to be forgotten completely.
In DEATHGASM, the director has successfully combined these two elements in a way that each of those halves works well. The movie is horrific and tense at times, but also hilarious in others. The director is able to achieve that by mixing just the right parts of both. The world he chooses to use as is backdrop is a big help, as the metal scene is fertile ground for horror, but just as easy to make slight fun of with your comedy (and that's coming from a metalhead that realizes how ridiculous some of it can be). The worlds of black metal and extreme metal can be so close to cartoonish, at times, that it's not hard to push through to straight comedy. Throw in, then, a gang of high school "losers" which allows for some fun juvenile humor, as well.
The movie also uses its' horror to play for laughs, going to such extremes with the use of gore that it feels both horrifying and hilarious. For most gorehounds, we all feel that devilish glee in a typical horror movie at the most gory scenes. It's that slight chuckle that elicits when a limb is torn off and blood gushes everywhere. For some that's disgusting, but for the gore hound, there is a fun humor in it. This movie knows how to play that angle for the right laughs. In this way, it touches on its' most obvious influences.
In most user reviews I read, I've seen a lot compare this to EVIL DEAD (or those who are calling it an outright rip-off). I'm not denying those influences and absolutely see them, but to me there is a far bigger influence, which is Peter Jackson. After all, this is a Kiwi film and it stands to reason that the biggest influence would be the most successful horror director to ever come out of that island nation. The homage is evident by the BAD TASTE t-shirt that one of the characters wears and the copious amounts of blood that are thrown everywhere are exactly the influence of Jackson's DEAD ALIVE.
It's that movie that I feel this most compares to, in good and bad ways. In both films the humor is going to be for everyone, nor is the extreme gore. Like DEAD ALIVE, though, that last element is what gives this such insane pleasure for the gorehound. This movie isn't trying to establish mood and atmosphere, at all. It's grounding its' horror in a gory, crimson-stained glory featuring marvelous practical effects. It's using it's gore for humor and that allows the two elements to mingle so well together that the movie really works on both levels.
It definitely requires a certain kind of viewer. You must have a tolerance for high school guy humor, involving lots of metal and sex jokes. You must have a tolerance for blood being splashed all over your screen. Perhaps, I'm exactly the target audience for this one, an extreme metal, extreme horror loving former high school "burnout", but I also don't think you have to fit that pigeon hole to enjoy this. Just be willing to have some fun.
In DEATHGASM, the director has successfully combined these two elements in a way that each of those halves works well. The movie is horrific and tense at times, but also hilarious in others. The director is able to achieve that by mixing just the right parts of both. The world he chooses to use as is backdrop is a big help, as the metal scene is fertile ground for horror, but just as easy to make slight fun of with your comedy (and that's coming from a metalhead that realizes how ridiculous some of it can be). The worlds of black metal and extreme metal can be so close to cartoonish, at times, that it's not hard to push through to straight comedy. Throw in, then, a gang of high school "losers" which allows for some fun juvenile humor, as well.
The movie also uses its' horror to play for laughs, going to such extremes with the use of gore that it feels both horrifying and hilarious. For most gorehounds, we all feel that devilish glee in a typical horror movie at the most gory scenes. It's that slight chuckle that elicits when a limb is torn off and blood gushes everywhere. For some that's disgusting, but for the gore hound, there is a fun humor in it. This movie knows how to play that angle for the right laughs. In this way, it touches on its' most obvious influences.
In most user reviews I read, I've seen a lot compare this to EVIL DEAD (or those who are calling it an outright rip-off). I'm not denying those influences and absolutely see them, but to me there is a far bigger influence, which is Peter Jackson. After all, this is a Kiwi film and it stands to reason that the biggest influence would be the most successful horror director to ever come out of that island nation. The homage is evident by the BAD TASTE t-shirt that one of the characters wears and the copious amounts of blood that are thrown everywhere are exactly the influence of Jackson's DEAD ALIVE.
It's that movie that I feel this most compares to, in good and bad ways. In both films the humor is going to be for everyone, nor is the extreme gore. Like DEAD ALIVE, though, that last element is what gives this such insane pleasure for the gorehound. This movie isn't trying to establish mood and atmosphere, at all. It's grounding its' horror in a gory, crimson-stained glory featuring marvelous practical effects. It's using it's gore for humor and that allows the two elements to mingle so well together that the movie really works on both levels.
It definitely requires a certain kind of viewer. You must have a tolerance for high school guy humor, involving lots of metal and sex jokes. You must have a tolerance for blood being splashed all over your screen. Perhaps, I'm exactly the target audience for this one, an extreme metal, extreme horror loving former high school "burnout", but I also don't think you have to fit that pigeon hole to enjoy this. Just be willing to have some fun.
Asinine antipodean antics
radhrh1 July 2022
Cheap and very nasty, Deathgasm might scratch an itch for 15 minutes or so but soon becomes repetitive and boring. There's a couple of good gags and the OTT effects are fun for a while however there's nothing original to see here.
Cant say _I didn't like it, but..
umjetnik_david-16 October 2015
It started great, nice little introduction into characters and their persona. Comedy felt great for the atmosphere and i was drawn into it. It's all going perfect and i cant believe it, then comes the love scene, this is OK, but it was too typical teen movie problem but i can get over it. After about 45mins comedy starts feeling childish and dumb, d**ks, s**t and dil**s. It slowly loses it's comedy charm it had at the beginning after 10 jokes that feel the same. There is a hand scene (I wont spoil it) that feels like it was undone but I feel Evil Dead fans will love the reference. Also the ending was too fast and it made no sense. I love that some characters die just like that, but after an hour and a half of not showing them I can't feel sympathy for them. All in all good movie, I liked it, I know people here say "so-so movie" and give it 7/10. I thought it was OK metal fun and I rate it 6/10
Nice little bloody flick
8512221 March 2016
Greetings from Lithuania.
"Deathgasm" (2015) is pretty much as it sounds - the little says a lot. It is very bloody, gory, sometimes disgusting but sometimes fun and not badly made at all. The plot is nothing much to talk about. Make up was pretty cool. Acting was i guess OK for this material. Directing pretty nice, at running time 1 h min 20 it does it's job and doesn't drag much.
Overall, "Deathgasm" is kinda spoof bloody horror flick which doesn't take itself very seriously and that is good. It is far from original, and original "Evil Dead" was clearly it's inspiration. This is not a bad bloody flick for one evening.
"Deathgasm" (2015) is pretty much as it sounds - the little says a lot. It is very bloody, gory, sometimes disgusting but sometimes fun and not badly made at all. The plot is nothing much to talk about. Make up was pretty cool. Acting was i guess OK for this material. Directing pretty nice, at running time 1 h min 20 it does it's job and doesn't drag much.
Overall, "Deathgasm" is kinda spoof bloody horror flick which doesn't take itself very seriously and that is good. It is far from original, and original "Evil Dead" was clearly it's inspiration. This is not a bad bloody flick for one evening.
A film for when your friends are losers, your uncle keeps trying to Christen you in your sleep, and you are drenched in your cousin's bodily fluids
one9eighty19 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Brodie is into heavy metal, unfortunately his mum was into drugs due to a mental health issue. As a result he was sent to live with his very Christian Aunt and Uncle and their meathead jock of a child in Greypoint. Brodie does not really fit in locally, he is even bullied, it is not until he meats the mysterious Zakk that he really gets a friend. Together with Zakk and other outcast geeks Dion and Giles, Brodie forms a heavy metal band called Deathgasm. Brodie is even attracting attention from popular cool girl, Medina - somebody all the boys fancy - so his life is on the up. One night, Brodie and Zakk break into a building that's apparently where legendary heavy metal guitarist Rikki Daggers lives. They are not the only people breaking in though, in a panic Daggers gives the boys a record he has been holding onto and tells them to run. Daggers is then killed by a sharp dressed individual, a cultist who is trying to claim something that Daggers has. After escaping the boys are "Rickrolled" with the album, but Brodie finds some sheet music. Unbeknown to him the music is the 'Black Hymn', music so evil that it can unleash a demon called Aeloth, the "Blind One". Fortunately, Brodie is prevented from playing the music a couple of times. It is not until he deciphers the Latin wording that he begins to realise what exactly he has. As with all teenagers, drama is getting in the way of harmony. In a fit of anger one night, Brodie gets the band to play the music, and things are never the same again. People become possessed by Aeloth's minions who are attempting to kill everyone in town, preparing for the "Blind One's" arrival. At 3pm the most-evil person in town will be the vessel for Aeloth. Zakk decides he does not care for preventing the impending doom and takes a seat to watch the end of the World, Brodie, on the other hand, is up for the fight and manages to convince Zakk. Armed with sex toys, power tools and an array of objects they attempt to get the sheet music, in order to play it backwards - because of course, logically that would prevent the summoning. But Aeloth is powerful, on his side has a cult of demon worshippers who will stop at nothing to see their master freed, as well as the possessed minions doing Aeloth's bidding. It is up to Deathgasm, and popular cool girl Medina to stop the demon from unleashing an apocalypse.
"Deathgasm" was written and directed by New Zealander Jason Lei Howden. It stars Milo Cawthorne as Brodie, James Joshua Blake as Zakk and Kimberley Crossman as Medina. Running at 86 minutes, this film, originating from New Zealand, was made on a relative shoestring of a budget
Bordering on horror, action, comedy, and horror - this B-Movie low budget film is really enjoyable. It is packed with the kind of tongue in cheek gore that you might expect to find in other New Zealand classics such as "Bad Taste" and "Braindead" - which is high praise. It is not just a goretastic film that looks awesome, this film also has a heart. It is a coming of age film in which Brodie finds himself and his place in life. He is taken away from his mother and being looked after by family that do not necessarily understand him or want him. He feels out of place in life and school. When he does make a friend, he starts coming out of his shell, but at same time he is unashamedly in love with his passion for loud and heavy music. Along his journey of discovery, he gets a girlfriend from the most unexpected sources, he meets a heavy metal legend, his friend betrays his for a girl, fights a demonic cult, fights the demon which the cult worship - and ultimately saves the world! As Brodie, Milo Cawthorne delivers a really solid performance. There were times I really felt connected to the character (maybe because of my own upbringing), and Cawthrone does a sterling job, being authentic and believable. Likewise, James Joshua Blake does really well as the catalyst for realisation and change in Brodie's life. Kimberley Crossman is sweet and gorgeous in a sickly way at the start of the film, but a performance grows as she changes too, accepting Brodie for what he is and finding happiness with that rather than a shallow existence. Research I have done told me that the characters and the scenario are all directly from director, Jason Lei Howden's, own experiences growing up.
Well written with engaging characters that have a journey of discovery and personal development. Lots of fun for audiences who enjoy their films with darkness and a splattering of blood and guts. This is Tenacious D and Scott Pilgrim smashed together with Sam Raimi's Evil Dead and Peter Jackson's "Braindead". This is a very clever and entertaining film which makes fun of itself as much as the content it is dealing with. The film has lots of occult references, bad language, blood, guts, sexual and graphical content, and frontal nudity. I wouldn't recommend it to younger audiences. If however you like bad tongue in cheek humour, good horror, blood, guts, blasphemy, occult, heavy metal, and a film that is the polar opposite to the trashy "American Pie" style teenage/buddy movies of the 2000's, then in this you will find a gory but shiny hidden gem of a movie.
"Deathgasm" was written and directed by New Zealander Jason Lei Howden. It stars Milo Cawthorne as Brodie, James Joshua Blake as Zakk and Kimberley Crossman as Medina. Running at 86 minutes, this film, originating from New Zealand, was made on a relative shoestring of a budget
Bordering on horror, action, comedy, and horror - this B-Movie low budget film is really enjoyable. It is packed with the kind of tongue in cheek gore that you might expect to find in other New Zealand classics such as "Bad Taste" and "Braindead" - which is high praise. It is not just a goretastic film that looks awesome, this film also has a heart. It is a coming of age film in which Brodie finds himself and his place in life. He is taken away from his mother and being looked after by family that do not necessarily understand him or want him. He feels out of place in life and school. When he does make a friend, he starts coming out of his shell, but at same time he is unashamedly in love with his passion for loud and heavy music. Along his journey of discovery, he gets a girlfriend from the most unexpected sources, he meets a heavy metal legend, his friend betrays his for a girl, fights a demonic cult, fights the demon which the cult worship - and ultimately saves the world! As Brodie, Milo Cawthorne delivers a really solid performance. There were times I really felt connected to the character (maybe because of my own upbringing), and Cawthrone does a sterling job, being authentic and believable. Likewise, James Joshua Blake does really well as the catalyst for realisation and change in Brodie's life. Kimberley Crossman is sweet and gorgeous in a sickly way at the start of the film, but a performance grows as she changes too, accepting Brodie for what he is and finding happiness with that rather than a shallow existence. Research I have done told me that the characters and the scenario are all directly from director, Jason Lei Howden's, own experiences growing up.
Well written with engaging characters that have a journey of discovery and personal development. Lots of fun for audiences who enjoy their films with darkness and a splattering of blood and guts. This is Tenacious D and Scott Pilgrim smashed together with Sam Raimi's Evil Dead and Peter Jackson's "Braindead". This is a very clever and entertaining film which makes fun of itself as much as the content it is dealing with. The film has lots of occult references, bad language, blood, guts, sexual and graphical content, and frontal nudity. I wouldn't recommend it to younger audiences. If however you like bad tongue in cheek humour, good horror, blood, guts, blasphemy, occult, heavy metal, and a film that is the polar opposite to the trashy "American Pie" style teenage/buddy movies of the 2000's, then in this you will find a gory but shiny hidden gem of a movie.
Splatter flick malfunction.....
s327616919 December 2015
I'm not really a huge fan of the splatter flick. That said, if they are done cleverly, with some genuine comedic moments, some are entertaining.
Lamentably, Deathgasm, is neither clever nor funny. Its a clumsy B grade flick that uses an over abundance of puerile toilet and exceedingly cheesy, visual adult jokes and tries to palm them off (no pun intended) as humour. Combine this with some really over the top splatter that, for me, goes too far and you have a real stinker on your hands here.
The acting, such as it is, is passable. Don't expect any stand out performances. The storyline is actually not half bad but mis-casting adults, who are clearly well into their twenties, as teens is a huge mistake. The whole thing is simply unconvincing.
In summary, there are some good ideas behind Deathgasm but the overly crude tone, the fall flat jokes, excessive violence (even for a splatter flick) and poor casting choices, let it down badly. Four out of ten from me.
Lamentably, Deathgasm, is neither clever nor funny. Its a clumsy B grade flick that uses an over abundance of puerile toilet and exceedingly cheesy, visual adult jokes and tries to palm them off (no pun intended) as humour. Combine this with some really over the top splatter that, for me, goes too far and you have a real stinker on your hands here.
The acting, such as it is, is passable. Don't expect any stand out performances. The storyline is actually not half bad but mis-casting adults, who are clearly well into their twenties, as teens is a huge mistake. The whole thing is simply unconvincing.
In summary, there are some good ideas behind Deathgasm but the overly crude tone, the fall flat jokes, excessive violence (even for a splatter flick) and poor casting choices, let it down badly. Four out of ten from me.
First Wyrmwood, then I Survived a Zombie Holocaust, and now Deathgasm: antipodean splatter is well and truly back.
BA_Harrison3 October 2015
After his meth-addict mum is sent to a mental asylum, teenage metal-head Brodie (Milo Cawthorne) moves to the suburban town of Greypoint to live with his bible-bashing Uncle Albert (Colin Moy), Aunt Mary (Jodie Rimmer), and obnoxious cousin David (Nick Hoskins-Smith). There he befriends role playing game-nerds Dion and Giles (Sam Berkley and Daniel Cresswell) and wild rocker Zakk (James Blake), with whom he forms a band, Deathgasm.
When the guys chance upon and perform a song written by Satanic metal star Ricky Daggers (Stephen Ure), they unwittingly unleash a plague of demons that possess the locals and kill the living in order to pave the way for the coming of an ancient evil known as Aeloth, The Blind One. With the help of axe-wielding blonde hottie Medina (Kimberley Crossman), the metal-heads try to find a way to prevent Hell on Earth.
Is there anything more sublime in this world than a heavy metal horror movie? The world's foremost form of music fused with the greatest genre of film known to man to create an exquisite elysian experience for connoisseurs of peerless audio visual entertainment. If I'm brutally honest, the script for Deathgasm is a bit of a mess, the action lurching awkwardly from one scene to the next, but its combination of metal mayhem and outrageous splatter is so irresistible that a completely coherent narrative is of little consequence. The riffs are heavy and the gore is very gory (with the graphic dismemberment achieved through the use of practical effects), which is what matters most with this type of flick.
Directed by Jason Lei Howden, who clearly knows his music and his horror, Deathgasm owes a lot to the splatter classics of Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson, his film possessing a similarly energetic and madcap style. When the demons attack, anything and everything becomes a weapon: an angle grinder, an engine block, a chainsaw, an axe, a weed whacker, a big, black, double-ended dildo, some love beads, and a pair of vibrators. That's right Deathgasm features a fight scene in which the heroes are armed with sex toys, which should give you some idea of just how demented the film really is.
7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.
When the guys chance upon and perform a song written by Satanic metal star Ricky Daggers (Stephen Ure), they unwittingly unleash a plague of demons that possess the locals and kill the living in order to pave the way for the coming of an ancient evil known as Aeloth, The Blind One. With the help of axe-wielding blonde hottie Medina (Kimberley Crossman), the metal-heads try to find a way to prevent Hell on Earth.
Is there anything more sublime in this world than a heavy metal horror movie? The world's foremost form of music fused with the greatest genre of film known to man to create an exquisite elysian experience for connoisseurs of peerless audio visual entertainment. If I'm brutally honest, the script for Deathgasm is a bit of a mess, the action lurching awkwardly from one scene to the next, but its combination of metal mayhem and outrageous splatter is so irresistible that a completely coherent narrative is of little consequence. The riffs are heavy and the gore is very gory (with the graphic dismemberment achieved through the use of practical effects), which is what matters most with this type of flick.
Directed by Jason Lei Howden, who clearly knows his music and his horror, Deathgasm owes a lot to the splatter classics of Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson, his film possessing a similarly energetic and madcap style. When the demons attack, anything and everything becomes a weapon: an angle grinder, an engine block, a chainsaw, an axe, a weed whacker, a big, black, double-ended dildo, some love beads, and a pair of vibrators. That's right Deathgasm features a fight scene in which the heroes are armed with sex toys, which should give you some idea of just how demented the film really is.
7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.
pure gore
trashgang21 January 2016
What can I say about this so-called horror comedy. On part of the hahahaha I must say that I almost never had a smile on my face because there's nothing to laugh about. The only moment that I did laugh is when they use sex attributes to go kill the demons.
Luckily the horror part is worth watching if you are into gore. it does, due the accent, remind me of the ultra gore in Braindead (1992). This is what this flick is all about, nothing scary, a weak story with two nerds summon some devilish demons with their metal music and from there on they fight against them with all items they can find.
Gore galore, neck some brewskies and enjoy it with friends, nothing more to see.
Gore 5/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 1/5
Luckily the horror part is worth watching if you are into gore. it does, due the accent, remind me of the ultra gore in Braindead (1992). This is what this flick is all about, nothing scary, a weak story with two nerds summon some devilish demons with their metal music and from there on they fight against them with all items they can find.
Gore galore, neck some brewskies and enjoy it with friends, nothing more to see.
Gore 5/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 1/5
Good effects, but the juvenile humour lets it down
Leofwine_draca22 May 2016
DEATHGASM is a disappointing indie horror flick that comes to us courtesy of New Zealand. It features a bunch of high school reject death metal musicians who accidentally summon up a demon army thanks to their hellfire music and then must figure out a way to stop it in its tracks.
As a film, DEATHGASM has plenty to recommend it, not least the quality of the gruesome special effects which are very good. It's obvious that the original EVIL DEAD was a huge inspiration here because the demons in this film look and sound EXACTLY the same as in the Raimi flick, but the calibre of effects makes them work.
A shame, then, that the film overall is let down by a juvenile script that seems overly obsessed with scatological and anatomic humour. One set-piece in particular involves the use of sex toys and is dumb beyond belief. In addition, I hate the death metal genre of music so the soundtrack was unfortunate and the characters both clichéd and unlikeable. Films like DEATHGASM make me miss the days of well-written horror fare with intelligent characterisation.
As a film, DEATHGASM has plenty to recommend it, not least the quality of the gruesome special effects which are very good. It's obvious that the original EVIL DEAD was a huge inspiration here because the demons in this film look and sound EXACTLY the same as in the Raimi flick, but the calibre of effects makes them work.
A shame, then, that the film overall is let down by a juvenile script that seems overly obsessed with scatological and anatomic humour. One set-piece in particular involves the use of sex toys and is dumb beyond belief. In addition, I hate the death metal genre of music so the soundtrack was unfortunate and the characters both clichéd and unlikeable. Films like DEATHGASM make me miss the days of well-written horror fare with intelligent characterisation.
Metal, Gore, Funny as Hell.
searkle7 August 2016
Funny, Metal relative line and hidden jokes here and there which grabs the genre specifications eyes. I loved it, you can see the little differences of the special effects but that didn't bother me, if it doesn't bother you to much too, then you'll love this title as a metalhead.
This would be my go to, movie as a "classic" to watch again and again over time just to enjoy its great story and relative target audience and nostalgia.
This would also be the first movie that has casts from New Zealand as well and metal, so props to them for making both comedy/gore and metal movie all in one, and not a documentary.
i doubt there would be a follow up on this, but interesting if they do.
This would be my go to, movie as a "classic" to watch again and again over time just to enjoy its great story and relative target audience and nostalgia.
This would also be the first movie that has casts from New Zealand as well and metal, so props to them for making both comedy/gore and metal movie all in one, and not a documentary.
i doubt there would be a follow up on this, but interesting if they do.
Fun but flawed ......these aren't metalheads!?
Jester22219 March 2019
Love the gore. Reminds me of Bad Taste, Brain Dead from Pete Jackson's early works.
As a metalhead and musician myself I wanted to see this when first heard about it because was supposed to be a comedy 'metal' horror. Sadly it just does as most metal band films and takes to piss out of metalheads by painting them as lonely loser idiots with zero sense and plays up to all the incorrect stereotypes. I was hoping that it would show metalheads in a better light but all It does is enforce the crap image most non metalheads think we are. I was hoping for a film that had cool likable leads that you could root for, these are pathetic cheesey imitations and not really likable at all. Especially that selfish idiot bass player. The director clearly doesn't have a grasp on metal or being in a band. But....... All that aside it's still a fun watch and has some funny good gore moments. Added to collection. It just could have been so much better.
As a metalhead and musician myself I wanted to see this when first heard about it because was supposed to be a comedy 'metal' horror. Sadly it just does as most metal band films and takes to piss out of metalheads by painting them as lonely loser idiots with zero sense and plays up to all the incorrect stereotypes. I was hoping that it would show metalheads in a better light but all It does is enforce the crap image most non metalheads think we are. I was hoping for a film that had cool likable leads that you could root for, these are pathetic cheesey imitations and not really likable at all. Especially that selfish idiot bass player. The director clearly doesn't have a grasp on metal or being in a band. But....... All that aside it's still a fun watch and has some funny good gore moments. Added to collection. It just could have been so much better.
horrible
ulaskorpe9 October 2015
thats a horrible movie, waste of time, nothing more i m a metal fan & i hated it . any moron who has a cam can make a better movie - thank you(!) for stealing my time. IMDb insists on , minimum length of reviews but its totally useless , what can someone able to write ten lines about such a movie, watching a WC for one and half hours would be more fun . i d like to ask the producers that, did you really look for the ugliest and most talentless players of all time and who has written the scenario , a 6yo half-witted ? it would be great that, such incompetents would not be encouraged with ratings above 6 in IMDb. many people would have a very wrong opinion about it and fall in the mistake of watching it , i d be really shamed if i d pick that one to watch with friends
Metalgasm
kosmasp9 January 2016
The movie was recently released on Disc in America and they had to change the title for Walmart. A funny side note for some, but also an indicator that this movie is not mainstream and that is made very clear (not only in its original title). You have a student who is an outsider because of his music taste. And yes Heavy Metal might be your favorite poison, but if it is, you also know it's not what some would call popular music.
On the other hand, you wouldn't want it any other way. Any real Heavy fan wouldn't want his music to "sell out". And so the movie plays off on that and many other clichés. Some of those things work very nicely. Others do not work as good. But overall this is a fun movie to watch ... even if you're not into the music as much as others are ...
On the other hand, you wouldn't want it any other way. Any real Heavy fan wouldn't want his music to "sell out". And so the movie plays off on that and many other clichés. Some of those things work very nicely. Others do not work as good. But overall this is a fun movie to watch ... even if you're not into the music as much as others are ...
Easy to watch gore fest.
ryan-o-donnell22 December 2015
Long day at work? Want to sit back and watch Satan's hordes get their head taken off with a chainsaw? Then this is the movie for you.
This film will strike a chord with every metal head around the world. A group of misfits decide to form a band and stumble upon a piece of music that when they jam turns the towns population into demons. Hilarity ensues when everything from a dildo to an axe is used to defeat the demons.
You will also notice lots of tongue in cheek metal references in here!
A great gore filled movie that throwbacks to classics such as brain dead.
This film will strike a chord with every metal head around the world. A group of misfits decide to form a band and stumble upon a piece of music that when they jam turns the towns population into demons. Hilarity ensues when everything from a dildo to an axe is used to defeat the demons.
You will also notice lots of tongue in cheek metal references in here!
A great gore filled movie that throwbacks to classics such as brain dead.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
