Body Melt

Body Melt
DVD Cover
Directed by	Philip Brophy
Produced by	Rod Bishop Daniel Scharf
Written by	Rod Bishop Philip Brophy
Starring	Gerard Kennedy Andrew Daddo
Music by	Philip Brophy
Cinematography	Ray Argall
Edited by	Bill Murphy
Distributed by	ViewCave 21st Century Film Corporation
Release dates	15 December 1993 (1993-12-15)
Running time	81 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English

Body Melt is a 1993 satirical Australian horror film directed by Philip Brophy and written by Brophy and Rod Bishop (both ex-→ ↑ →), influenced by "splatstick" Peter Jackson films like Bad Taste and Braindead.

Plot

The film is about the residents of Pebbles Court in the Melbourne suburb of Homesville who are the unknowing test subjects for a new variety of "Vimuville" dietary supplement pills that arrive for free in their mailboxes. The pills are designed to produce the ultimate healthy human, but have unexpected side effects including hallucinations and mutations. Despite the attempts made to warn the townsfolk from a previous test subject, who is now undergoing rapid cellular decay, he arrives too late, and crashes his car and is killed by tentacles growing out of his throat. The pills are consumed by the residents, and produce liquefying flesh, elongated tongues, exploding stomachs, exploding penises, imploding heads, monstrous births, tentacles growing out of the face, living mucus, sentient placentas, and other gruesome mutations. Ultimately more and more of the residents of the Pebbles Court mutate or die horrific deaths, until almost every character has been dispatched.

Production

The film was shot in October and November 1992.^[1]

Cast

• Gerard Kennedy as Det. Sam Phillips
• Andrew Daddo as Johnno
• Ian Smith as Dr. Carrera
• Regina Gaigalas as Shaan
• Vincent Gil as Pud
• Neil Foley as Bab
• Anthea Davis as Slab
• Matthew Newton as Bronto
• Lesley Baker as Mack
• Amy Grove-Rogers as Old Woman
• Adrian Wright as Thompson Noble
• Jillian Murray as Angelica Noble
• Ben Geurens as Brandon Noble
• Amanda Douge as Elloise Noble
• Brett Climo as Brian Rand
• Lisa McCune as Cheryl Rand
• Nick Polites as Sal Ciccone
• Maurie Annese as Gino Argento
• William McInnes as Paul Matthews
• Suzi Dougherty as Kate
• Bill Young as Willie

Critical reception

• Video review wrote "With over 150 ways to melt your body, it's one of the most innovative and versatile horror films ever. Guaranteed to make you squirm."
• Samhain wrote "Unique and individual. A wicked and gruesome satire on the clean-living lifestyle of modern Australia as seen across the globe in various TV soaps."
• Screen International described the film "As satirical as it is sick-making. A cult hit."
• Star Burst wrote "Packs more mucous, phlegm, puke, snot, slime & spit than you'd ever think possible."
• Time Out wrote "Despite its emetic preoccupation with exploding stomachs & bodily fluids there is also a liberal injection of black humour."
• Fangoria wrote "A slime-soaked all-out shocker!"
• Face described the film as'"A dumb/smart satire on health fascism. The kind of movie they just don't make anymore."^[2]

Accolades

Home Media

Body Melt was released on DVD with a new print by Umbrella Entertainment in August 2006. The DVD is compatible with all region codes and includes special features such as the original theatrical trailer, Umbrella Entertainment trailers, a behind the scenes featurette with cast and crew and a storyboard gallery.^[3]

See also

• Cinema of Australia

References

External links

• Body Melt at the Internet Movie Database
• Body Melt at AllMovie
• Body Melt at the National Film and Sound Archive