PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Sometimes in life (and horror films) legacy is everything. Filmmakers, since the inception of the medium, have tried to make their indelible mark. In the horror realm, and indeed in the HP Lovecraft sub-genre, the late Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond, Dagon) unquestionably left both a mark and a legacy. His frequent collaborations with Dennis Paoli, Brain Yuzna, Jeffery Combs, Barbara Crampton, and Charles Band are a study in: fear, gross-out set pieces, and black humor, they made up a large portion of the horror boom of the 1980’s and 90’s.
Filmmaker Joe Lynch (Chillerama, Holliston), with writing from Paoli, by way of HP Lovecraft’s “The Thing on the Doorstep”, makes a serious effort to both assume the mantle of gonzo Lovecraftian body horror, and further the legacy left by the esteemed Mr. Gordon with Suitable Flesh.
Synopsis
“A psychiatrist becomes obsessed with one of her young patients, who she later discovers is linked to an ancient curse.”
Here’s a look at the trailer!
Sexy headshrinker Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham; Boogie Nights) has a problem. Despite being married to aging studboy Eddie (Johnathon Schaech; Prom Night), she is becoming increasingly attracted to a troubled new patient, young Asa Waite (Judah Lewis; The Babysitter), who has the crazy notion that his asshole father Ephraim (veteran character actor Bruce Davidson; 1923) is somehow using supernatural powers to inhabit his body. Confiding in her friend Dr. Daniella Upton (my biggest film crush, the incomparable Barbara Crampton; Jakob’s Wife), the duo is soon thrown headlong into a tangled web of murder, ancient curses, mysterious incantations, body swapping, and a whole lot of CFNM sex!
And dig that retro poster art!
Relying heavily on Paoli’s interpretation of Lovecraft (old Howard Phillips famously eschewed any mention of sexy time activities…), who, by adding in the decidedly “hornier” elements more in line with his work with Gordon, makes this script warmly familiar, Lynch (who also adds some dark, comic relief as an orderly) faced the daunting task of making “Gordon-like” film, while also putting his personal, more contemporary, stamp on it. In my somewhat biased opinion—Mission Accomplished.
Visually, the film looks very “mid-80s Full Moon”, especially with its neo-Re-Animator opening credits and score. And, wow, does Lynch “get it” when it comes to emulating, to a degree, Gordon’s style. The pacing, FX gags, and the onscreen chemistry between Graham and Crampton is extremely effective. Both actresses, along with the rest of the cast, are given plenty of material to stretch their acting legs out and everyone seems to just have fun chewing up every scene.
It’s a true pleasure to watch experienced thespians play off each other like they’ve been working together for decades, particularly Davidson, who seems to relish portraying such a repulsive character. Like a really good cover version from a favorite band, with a spectacular new arrangement, Lynch added just enough personal touch, and a punk rock attitude, to make his film.
Suspenseful, expertly paced, superbly written, and demonstrating a subtle sleight of hand when going for the “gross-out”, Suitable Flesh is the most fun you’ll have watching a full-on horror flick in recent memory. Shocks, scares, a ridiculously talented cast, and crew will have even the most seasoned horror fan smiling, squirming a little, and maybe even getting a tad misty-eyed from the wink in the late Mr. Gordon’s direction by the ensemble cast and crew of his “film family” (and a few that are new to the fold).
Suitable Flesh is available streaming on Amazon and hits physical media from Image Entertainment on 1/9/2024. It’s also coming to Shudder later in January 2024.
