Movie Pick

From the man who has brought us Raspberry Reich and Skin Flick, Bruce LaBruce releases another movie of a different kind. If you thought the other two films mentioned were trippier than a two-cent crack whore with a PhD., (and trust me, those films are if you’ve scene them) then I guarantee Otto; or Up with Dead People will certainly top all! Queer horror is a genre still barely in its infancy and Bruce LaBruce has contributed by giving it some growth hormones! Not only does he manage to alienate the movie goers but perhaps give a new meaning to “freaky gay sex”. Yes it’s a new ground to tread—a dark, comedic, necrophiliac-embracing treading! And if you’re the type that loves the feeling of being squeamish for varying reasons, then this film’s for you!

It’s about Otto (played by newcomer Jey Crisfar), a young zombie who rises from the dead and wanders the streets of Berlin. He is homeless, as I supposed most zombies are, and faces several accounts of anti-zombie attacks from the living. He wanders through the Berlin gay scene and eventually winding up being cast in a zombie film by a hyper necro-obsessed lesbian director that wants to depict the similarities of homosexuality and zombies. (Really?) What stands out about it is that above the film and the gay sex the protagonist constantly battles with his zombie existence; does he really have to eat flesh? What the hell are the flashbacks of the former lover is about? I’ll tell you one thing; it’s got everyone saying not only “what the hell” but “wtf!”

If you’re unfamiliar with LaBruce’s work I highly encourage you to get to know it before seeing this film. I have read several accounts of people who were damn well offended in certain scenes—particularly the “belly fuck” scene where a zombie copulates into(?) the wound of a recent kill. Many people walked out. Many people gave it bad reviews. Particularly my opinion is that this was because of their unfamiliarity of the nature of a LaBruce film. It’s a very satirical film and never meant to be taken seriously. There are a lot of subtleties in that film, for example the fact that the lesbian director did captuer much of LaBruce’s actual loud and socio-political views. Did I mention the gay sex? Most LaBruce films contain gay porn actors who do what they do best: gay sex. And although this film would definitively make a nun toss her cookies, this is a very (ironically) bright and actually a worth-to-see film. But once again let me state: get over the empirically offensive.

I’m sending Gay Henchman on assignment and watch this film. He’s not into zombie films; in fact he’s damn near terrified of them, but I’m sure the gay sex will make up for it!