House of Flesh Mannequins (2009)

While Hidden was a bit tame and uninspiring, I knew that I had to find something more intense to fill my craving for horror. Lately, I have been caught up working with Steelers101.com and have not journeyed deep into the depths of darkness as much as I would like to. On top of that, some of my selections lately have not quite hit the spot. Some were good, and a couple truly disturbing, but there is always room for more. My selection for last night definitely was something different, 2009s House of Flesh Mannequins.  

Plot/ Sebastian, a loner artist, photographer and filmmaker spends his days in the seediness of life's elements. Taking pictures, photographing violent acts and spending a lot of time watching homemade films filled with jarring imagery, Sebastian also happens to be his building's landlord. He has also suffered an abused childhood, being subjected to sleep deprivation and constant home videos. Things begin to change for him when apartment tenant, Sarah Roeg, begins to take interest in his work and Sebastian himself.

When I finished watching this flick, I was speechless. I honestly, was unsure of what I had just witnessed. This surreal journey into an abyss of darkness and vivid imagery was nothing as I imagined when I picked it up. More artsy and art house than horror, it is a twisted and extreme exploitation flick that was not afraid to push the limits on any front. Yes, it is incoherent at times and the intense and explicit amount of fetish acts, nudity and sexual penetration (both male and female) could definitely turn some viewers off. However, if you are able to look deep inside this film, you can see a piece of cinema that is much more than a horror flick, it is a work of art that truly pays homage to the giallo flicks that influenced horror in the 1970s and 1980s. Yes, some of the dialogue is hidden behind accents and there is a heavy and dark feel, but the diverse soundtrack and inherent atmosphere draw you deeper inside the nightmarish mystery. In the end, this intense and disturbing avant-garde film must be seen to be understood. Yes, it is at times difficult to watch due to the graphic and depraved acts that create an erotic and perverse trip into the unknown, but if you like something deeper than a typical slasher, you will understand and possibly enjoy it. If you want standard or clichéd horror, stay away, stay far away.

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