PopHorror Let's Get Scared
If anyone asks you to name Rob Zombie’s filmography, I can almost guarantee there’s one entry you’ll completely overlook or haven’t even heard of: his animated fifth flick, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto.
“Beasto” (Tom Papa) is a masked wrestler with a giant ego and a world-famous man of action. One night, after filming a porn flick, “Beasto” heads out to a bar to look for some “action.” While there, he witnesses Otto (Tom Kenny), the reanimated corpse of King Kong, kidnap Velvet Von Black (Rosario Dawson), a stripper whom “Beasto” has a thing for. Now, “Beasto” must enlist the help of his sister, Suzi X (Sherri Moon Zombie), and her robot partner, Murray (Brian Posehn), to save Velvet Von Black from Otto and his master, Dr. Satan (Paul Giamatti), before Black and Satan’s unholy marriage unleashes Hell upon the world!
Sex and violence abound in this animated flick definitely not for the kiddies! I swear, there are more bare breasts in this flick than in five XXX flicks combined and more violence than you can shake a rubber knife at.
Of course, all this would be for nothing were it not wrapped up nicely in an entertaining story. Sure, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto ain’t gonna get you waxing metaphysical about the meaning of life, but I’ll be damned if this ain’t a little entertaining romp through a bizarre world that moves quickly with a devil may care attitude. Oh, you wanted to stop and smell the flowers? Tough crap, Jack: this movie ain’t got time for you.
The film also knows how to dish up the humor – and shows a degree of self-awareness as well. However, this is where the movie falls a bit flat. While it does have moments that will have you laughing, the flick overdoes it a bit and the laughter begins to fade out by the third act (well, except for those who are connoisseurs of Lucifer’s Lettuce: they’ll keep right on laughing and choking on their bong water). However, the overdose of humor doesn’t really impair the flick.
Oh, and did I mention the flick has horror character cameos up the wazoo? Jack Torrence, Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dr. Phibes, Captain Spaulding, and Otis Firefly are just a few of the familiar faces you’ll see around these parts. Heck, you could devise a drinking game centered around these cameos (maybe that was the filmmakers’ intention?).
Final Thoughts:
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto is like Cool World filtered through the mind of Rob Zombie – with the added benefit of Nazi zombies! No, this flick ain’t gonna change the world, but it will change your Entertainment Status from Bored to Thrilled. Hunt it down and give it a spin.
