EXCREAMER

Professor Van Reek (writer-director Shane Mather) works hard in his hi-tech computer-filled laboratory on his latest invention - a floating vibrator. Delighted with his success, he opts to test the appliance on himself while leering over a gay porn mag.

But the professor's fun is cut short when his mute assistant Floxy alerts him to a message on the main computer. The professor is dismayed to learn that a batch of toilets secretly sent to space by NASA years ago (in the hope of tempting aliens into using them) have been spotted making their way back to Earth. As the professor muses, "but why?" ...

In the meantime. a huge spaceship approaches Earth and dispatches the toilets through space. Some land in New York, others in Paris - and some in the south of England.

On that same day, a couple of ex-convicts are on a field trip with their probation officer when they suddenly decide to rape and kill her, then dispose of the body. Crucially, this happens in the close vicinity of the landing toilets.

Nearby, Van Reek and Floxy make their way to a field where they witness one of the toilets being beamed to Earth and manage to take a sample of excrement from the ground before being chased away by the flying loo.

Back in his lab, Van Reek analyses the shit and determines it contains alien elements that can turn humans into black mongoloids.

But what he doesn't realise, as we discover through some rousingly meaty episodes, is that the shit also turns people into crazed perverts. Some are taken to opening fire on innocents in-between scraping crap off their own backsides and eating it, while others indulge in shit orgies and cannibalism.

As if I needed to say this, EXREAMER is pretty insane. It knows no such thing as taste or frontiers - instead scraping the barrel to cover everything from shit gags, to homophobic humour and the possibility of being accused of racism. An early indicator of how scuzzy things are going to get is when the floating vibrator can be seen with shit on it after penetrating Van Reek ...

But it's also very funny on frequent occasions, and surprisingly well-made. Mather is a talented director who knows how to control pace and editing, while delivering the funniest performance in the film too.

His brother Dean is on hand to provide some impressive, extremely gory FX work too. Expect plenty of cannibalism, splashy shoot-outs, stabbings and a nasty (though not terribly convincing) bunny slaughter. As Mather has proudly declared, none of the blood is CGI.

The visual effects (the fun opening credits; toilets flying through space; the alien craft; the professor's lab etc), however, were achieved by Mather on his PC. They've been painstakingly put together and are hugely successful. For it's no-budget origins, EXCREAMER shows considerable ambition and, in parts, looks absolutely stunning.

Special mention must also be given to the soundtrack, which consists of numerous old public domain pop tunes. It contradicts the foul stuff unfolding onscreen superbly, adding to the bizarre humour.

Look out for some bloopers and photos during the end credits too.

This independently-released 2 disc director's cut offers the film in it's original 4:3 ratio, and it looks great. The 2.0 audio is as clear as the sharp picture. The film can be accessed via 20 chapters.

Extras on disc 1 include an amusing, affable 12-minute Behind The Scenes featurette. It looks like a fun shoot as people prepare for their gore scenes on location.

A commentary track from the Mather brothers is indispensable listening for anyone who wants tips on no-budget filmmaking. It's packed with informative talk, and a few laughs along the way. When Dean Mather introduces a tit-munching scene as his "Anthropophagus homage", you know you're in good company!

Disc 2 serves a plethora of interesting extras, including some unused scenes from the shoot of EXCREAMER. There's also a few short films from Mather's earlier career (the best of which is ANGELS WEPT, a sort of DEAD MAN'S SHOES/PULP FICTION hybrid with gore galore), a music video and an amusing short animation project entitled LITTLE HOPE.

This 2 disc special edition can be ordered direct from www.masochistpictures.co.uk for £9.99 (that includes postage to anywhere in the world). If you like your comedy-horrors to come as gory and fucked up as possible, I heartily recommend this.

Also, some may want to check out the site anyway as Shane is on the lookout for actors and scriptwriters ...

Review by Stu Willis