Cannibal Flesh Riot!
Directed by Gris Grimly
Mad Creator Productions

Taking elements from Tim Burton, psychobilly and 50's horror comics, Cannibal Flesh Riot is a 34 minute ride of laughs, deaths and ridiculous monsters. It has a unique edge and has a look that far surpasses its meager budget.

While the name might mislead you into thinking this is a horror short, it is actually more in line with a black comedy I would say. The story is about two ghouls raiding a cemetery to find a corpse to munch on. Instead of gore, you get conversations between the two ghouls. The ghouls have an in-depth conversation about different ways to eat humans. One of the ghouls likes to spice things up with condiments while the other prefers the flesh to be au natural. It is almost Tarantino like in its delivery with the dialog being witty yet still very much ridiculous.

Without giving away the end, the ghouls do indeed find the corpse they are searching for but it is their last meal. Cemeteries just arent safe for flesh eating ghouls anymore as they discover that there are horrors waiting for them in the cemetery. The ending uses stop motion effects to great success. Sure it looks a little bit cheesy but it matches the feel of the film as well as the B movies that influenced the short. You can't beat the stop motion bats that show up occasionally as well.

Like I mentioned earlier this isn't really what you would call a gory film. There is blood shed during the climax including a blood fountain on par with the ridiculous amount of blood in the Evil Dead movies. Just don't expect a ridiculous amount of gore and you wont be disappointed in that aspect of the film.

The film is shot in black and white and it looks like filters have been used to make the film look older and like it is missing a few frames. The skips and lines across the screen help create a 50s drive in feel to the film and it matches the old school special effects perfectly. This short film is a perfect example that with imagination and art direction you can rise above a low budget and make an interesting and unique film visually.

Gris Grimly's debut film has a style that matches his art and shows that he definitely has potential in the film medium. Armed with a well written script, hilarious actors and chuckle worthy special effects, Cannibal Flesh Riot is a film that all fans of 50's horror will stand up and applaud.

Official Cannibal Flesh Riot Webpage