Body Melt

Body Melt is a 1993 Australian satirical horror film, directed by Philip Brophy and written by Brophy and Rod Bishop. Brophy and Bishop are ex-members of the art punk group → ↑ →. The pair also composed the film's soundtrack.

Body Melt
DVD cover
Directed byPhilip Brophy
Produced byRod Bishop
Daniel Scharf
Written byRod Bishop
Philip Brophy
StarringGerard Kennedy
Andrew Daddo
Vincent Gil
Music byPhilip Brophy
CinematographyRay Argall
Edited byBill Murphy
Distributed byViewCave
21st Century Film Corporation
Umbrella Entertainment
Release date
  • 15 December 1993 (1993-12-15)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The film is about the residents of Pebbles Court in the Melbourne suburb of Homesville who are the unknowing test subjects for a new variety of "Vimuville" dietary supplement pills that arrive for free in their mailboxes. The pills are designed to produce the ultimate healthy human, but have unexpected side effects including hallucinations and mutations. Despite the attempts made to warn the townsfolk from a previous test subject, who is now undergoing rapid cellular decay, he arrives too late, and crashes his car and is killed by tentacles growing out of his throat. The pills are consumed by the residents, and produce liquefying flesh, elongated tongues, exploding stomachs, exploding penises, imploding heads, monstrous births, tentacles growing out of the face, living mucus, sentient placentas, and other gruesome mutations. Ultimately more and more of the residents of the Pebbles Court mutate or die horrific deaths, until almost every character has been dispatched.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in October and November 1992.[1]

Critical reception

  • Video review wrote "With over 150 ways to melt your body, it's one of the most innovative and versatile horror films ever. Guaranteed to make you squirm."
  • Samhain wrote "Unique and individual. A wicked and gruesome satire on the clean-living lifestyle of modern Australia as seen across the globe in various TV soaps."
  • Screen International described the film "As satirical as it is sick-making. A cult hit."
  • Star Burst wrote "Packs more mucous, phlegm, puke, snot, slime & spit than you'd ever think possible."
  • Time Out wrote "Despite its emetic preoccupation with exploding stomachs & bodily fluids there is also a liberal injection of black humour."[2]
  • Fangoria wrote "A slime-soaked all-out shocker!"
  • Face described the film as "A dumb/smart satire on health fascism. The kind of movie they just don't make anymore."[3]
  • According to Bloody Disgusting Magazine: «The film is a satire of extremely healthy living»[4]
  • PopHorror: "Residents of peaceful Pebbles Court, Homesville, are being used unknowingly as test experiments for a new Body Drug that causes rapid body decomposition (melting skin etc.) and painful death."[5]
  • SBS Moves: "A yucky, shlocky, gory, tongue-in-cheek horror film".[6]

Accolades

Award Category Subject Result
AACTA Award
(1993 AFI Awards)
Best Editing Bill Murphy Nominated
Best Sound Philip Brophy Nominated
Craig Carter Nominated
Best Costume Design Anna Borghesi Nominated
Saturn Award Best Genre Video Release Nominated
Sitges Film Festival Best Film Philip Brophy Nominated

Home media

Body Melt was released on DVD with a new print by Umbrella Entertainment in August 2006. The DVD is compatible with all region codes and includes special features such as the original theatrical trailer, Umbrella Entertainment trailers, a behind the scenes featurette with cast and crew and a storyboard gallery.[7]

On September 25, 2018, the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Vinegar Syndrome.[8]

See also

References

  1. "Production Survey", Cinema Papers, January 1003 p75
  2. Time Out: Body Melt
  3. "body melt: reviews". Philipbrophy.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  4. Bloody Disgisting Magazine: HOME VIDEO[DVD Review ‘Body Melt’ is a Satirical Slapstick Splatter Fest! ]
  5. PopHorror: Australian Body Horror ‘Body Melt’ (1993) – Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review
  6. SBS: Body Melt review
  7. "Umbrella Entertainment". Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  8. "Body Melt Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
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