PopHorror Let's Get Scared
When I first unknowingly stumbled into the Unearthed Films’ American Guinea Pig series, it was with Stephen Biro’s possession feature, Song of Solomon (read our review here). The gruesome practical effects matching Jessica Cameron’s devilish performance along with that infamous vomit scene made this feature an instant indie hit. How much more graphically intense could these films get? Soon after, I viewed Poison Rouge’s directorial debut, Sacrifice (read my review here). Unfamiliar with the Guinea Pig origin, I was clueless that Sacrifice was about to take me from a fairly tame possession feature with grotesque moments to a whole different level of extreme horror. After the genital mutilation from this film had burned itself into my memory, I decided to check out Biro’s American Guinea Pig: Bouquet of Guts and Gore. What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment with a heavy sense of curiosity.
You can watch the trailer here.
Before diving into the nitty-gritty gruesome details, a brief history lesson that is stranger than fiction may help put things into perspective. In 1985, Japanese filmmaker Hideshi Hino released the first of the Guinea Pig features, entitled Flower of Blood and Flesh. As a foreign underground work of horror, this film was fairly unheard of among horror fans in the United States. That is, until a copy found its way into the hands of Charlie Sheen, who mistook it for a real snuff film. Of course, after investigation, the film was proven to be a work of fiction. However, after Biro bought the rights to the Guinea Pig series, he wrote and directed American Guinea Pig: Bouquet of Guts and Gore, which serves as a prequel to the fictitious controversial film that started it all.
Bouquet opens with the sudden abduction of two women who wake to find themselves strapped to tables. Paralyzed by drugs insuring their cooperation and psychological trauma, Amy (Cayt Feinics: Slimoids, Lefty Lucy) and Erika (Ashley Lynn Caputo: Cannibal Claus) become the unwilling participants of a snuff film. On the surface, Bouquet appears to be nothing more than 1 hour and 13 minutes of purely depraved torture, daring you to look away with every shocking moment. However, when the blood is shed, the skin is removed and bones are broken, a plot emerges as it appears that these two may not be the only attendees held against their will.
Filmed through the gritty lens of retro camcorders used by masked, sadistic black market filmmakers, there’s an element of realism that is as disturbing as the mind can fathom. While realistic enough to unleash an unnerving level of discomfort, it is just fake enough to remind you that you’re watching a work of fiction… for which I am actually thankful. However, if a rendition of this was given to me as an underground film with little to no background information prior to the world of internet research, I may have had a similar reaction to that of Charlie Sheen.
As I have come to expect from the American Guinea Pig franchise, this film was not for the faint of heart. Anyone who is familiar with this series of extreme horror is aware that the franchise isn’t exactly known for its layered storytelling and plot development. It goes balls out with prolonged discomfort through the use of grotesque practical effects and scenarios that will likely leave you feeling as though you need to bathe yourself in bleach. From the first cut of flesh to the last splinter in a chest cavity, Bouquet of Guts and Gore is an anatomy lesson that could even make a mortician squirm.
You may have to look beyond the layers of blood-drained flesh, skin stripped muscle and guts and gore, but Biro cleverly places a small plot amongst the torture. This eventually comes to light in an unexpected way before reemerging in a suspenseful ending that had me bracing for an A Serbian Film moment. While I’m personally glad it didn’t go quite that far, the film edges the limits close enough for discomfort with audio that will leave you suspended in a haunting moment. And, anyone with an eye for detail will catch a certain node to Mr. Sheen himself before the credits roll, which I found to be quite amusing.
Available for purchase through the Unearthed Films’ website and Amazon, Bouquet of Guts and Gore is a hard copy collector’s dream with a 3 disc-deal including a soundtrack and special features. A short pamphlet is even included that highlights the history of the Guinea Pig series. However, this likely won’t be something a casual horror fan will view let alone add to their collection. It is a work of horror that most mainstream audience won’t touch with a 10 foot pole. It is a film that select horror audiences can appreciate and true gorehounds will want in their personal library of chills and thrills.
