In Keri’s earlier review of writer-director Jason Lei Howden’s headbanging horror comedy (consider hers an insider account of sorts, given Keri’s a lifelong metalhead and I’m not), Keri contemplates the ‘special relationship’ between heavy metal music and black magic. It’s fair to say there are similar links between heavy metal and horror cinema. Again, my metal knowledge is very limited, but as I understand it Black Sabbath (is there any debate they’re the band that started it all?) settled on their signature sound by taking influence from the horror movies they loved, including but by no means limited to taking their name from a Mario Bava movie. And in the years ahead, moral panics around both metal and horror would deepen that bond further, both genres deemed public enemy number one by polite society – and, as such, made all the more attractive to anyone with a rebellious bone in their body.
It’s by no means the case that every confirmed horror film addict is also a metaller, or for that matter a goth or a punk (again, I wouldn’t class myself as any of those, though I guess I’m closest to the latter), but at the same time it’s no great mystery as to why these worlds so often collide. There’s a lovely moment in Deathgasm when Milo Cawthorne’s Brody tries to convey the appeal of metal to Kimberley Crossman’s Medina, explaining how the rage in the music can be uplifting, reassuring the listener that they’re not alone in their anger and frustration; very similar to the cathartic release that can be taken from horror movies. Jason Lei Howden has said that providing such an outlet was very much his intention with Deathgasm, stating, “Metal and horror helped me through some dark times in my life, and I wanted to give back to people who might be going through similar dark times.”
This, as Keri rightly asserts in her review, means neither mocking metal nor horror, but embracing both genres in all their absurdity and having fun with them, as opposed to making fun of them. Something those on the outside of both horror and metal routinely fail to understand (again, as a non-metaller I will admit to having been guilty of this myself at times) is that by and large fans are fully aware of just how ridiculous the genres are, and while they may take them seriously, they do not by any means take them literally. Yes, the movies and the music may deal with anxieties and issues which are very real, but from a fantastical viewpoint; a dark daydream reality, in which our fears take tangible form as monsters, and – sometimes – we might just prove strong enough to destroy them. Preferably in a very bloody fashion indeed, armed with chainsaws, axes, power drills and – erm – maybe even vibrators.
Long story short – no, I’m not a metalhead, but Deathgasm makes me think it might be fun to be one. And above and beyond all else, Deathgasm is a hell of a lot of fun, an energetic horror comedy with an entertaining central conceit, great special effects and gore, and endearing, relatable characters. Yes, it’s a bit puerile and it frequently lurches off a bit far into adolescent male wish fulfilment territory – but again, this is pretty much de rigueur for both horror and metal.
Central metalhead Brody is your classic everynerd; alienated at school, lacking parental guidance, disapproved of by his guardian aunt and uncle, and ruthlessly bullied by his alpha prick cousin. No one could blame him for wanting a way out – so when, under suitably absurd circumstances, a piece of literal Devil’s music comes into his possession with a promise of limitless power, we can’t look too harshly on Brody for jumping at the chance, even if he does inadvertently set off an epidemic of demonic possessions which threatens to end the world. Again, metal frequently gives voice to the disaffected, and Deathgasm explores this in a deceptively intelligent way, firstly via the ostensibly well-meaning Brody, and secondly via his new BFF – ahem, sorry, I mean brother of steel – James Blake’s Zakk.
Sure, there’s a very familiar best buds butting heads vibe about Brody and Zakk – not unlike that of Shaun and Ed (yes, a Shaun of the Dead comparison had to be made at some point), or any number of Kevin Smith movie double acts – but our protagonists here aren’t just lacking in motivation, they’re genuinely pissed off with their lot in life. However, where Brody (the name alone a possible nod to Smith’s Mallrats?) merely enjoys the fantasy of a fuck-the-world philosophy, Zakk literally gives no fucks, frequently demonstrating a pathological need to do the wrong thing at all times, even – or perhaps especially – when it will hurt those close to him. Having each come from broken homes, Brody and Zakk both have their reasons for being the way they are, but in its own way Deathgasm explores how one can rise above such matters and emerge a strong, decent person. Well, perhaps ‘decent’ isn’t the word considering how much obvious glee both boys take in brutally murdering the demonically possessed, but still.
Where Deathgasm may slip just a little – though it’s hardly unique in this – is in the female lead. It’s the usual problem: whilst there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Kimberley Crossman’s performance, there’s also no getting around the fact that, once again, this is a male wish fulfilment story, and the character of Medina ultimately has little to do beyond fulfilling part of that fantasy. While it’s made evident that, beneath her mainstream popular girl exterior, she’s a metalhead at heart, she remains a little underdeveloped – and, in yet another parallel with Shaun of the Dead, the whole boy-girl romance angle does seem a little unnecessary when the movie’s real focal point is clearly the bromance. Still, Medina proves every bit as adept at demon-slaying as the guys, Crossman’s experience on Power Rangers Samurai no doubt coming into play as she busts some serious moves on the possessed. And whilst she may be a dreamgirl, there’s thankfully very little of that ‘manic pixie’ bullshit about her.
Also on the subject of wish fulfilment: I may be nitpicking now, but a high school garage band who get together on a whim – yet instantly play well and in time with one another? And, more to the point, know how to read sheet music? Come off it! Where are the endless hours of buggering up the intro to Nothing Else Matters whilst out of tune? (There’s your indication of just how metal my teenage years got.)
There are more nits which could be picked about plot logic and slightly too convenient turns of events, but when all’s said and done these are very, very easy to brush to one side when a film is this much fun. Deathgasm is bursting at the seams with cheap dick jokes, ridiculous (and largely practical) gore, awesome demons, the occasional gratuitous tit shot – and even a bit of willy to sort-of redress the balance. If that doesn’t sound like an entertaining hour and a half, I don’t know what does. I’m really sorry to have missed this at the 2015 festivals, as I can imagine it plays a storm with an audience, but in this instance it wouldn’t seem to lose much at all on the small screen. It isn’t too often that I think this of new releases, but there’s very little question in my mind that Deathgasm is one for the ages, a cult classic in waiting that fans will come back to again and again. Death to false metal, indeed. (Pity the Blu-ray’s completely devoid of extras, though.)
Deathgasm is out on UK DVD – and, exclusive to Zavvi, on Blu-ray – on 29th February from Studiocanal.