Tales from the Carnal Morgue
Volume One
(2007)
directed by David Quitmeyer
reviewed by
Jonathon Rocks
12.17.2007
For quite some time people
have drawn comparisons between horror films and pornography. They are probably
the two least respected yet most produced types of film being made today. The
fact is, horror films and porno are cheap to produce, and they make a lot of
money. It seems only natural, then, that someone would develop a hybrid of the
two, and that's exactly what filmmaker David Quitmeyer
has done with “Tales from the Carnal Morgue.”
The film is a collection of three short films, each reminiscent of an episode
of “Tales from the Crypt.” The first tale, “Mail order Bride”,
tells the story of a lonely man who orders a programmable love doll, only to
have it mimic the violent horror films it has been mistakenly exposed to. The
second film, “Mr. Buttons”, is a take on the enchanted doll stories that
we've seen before. A girl receives a doll for her birthday and soon discovers
it has the power to make her wishes come true, though not always in the way
she'd hoped. Finally, “Sustenance” tells the story of a woman who is so
obsessed with being thin that she is willing to give anything to lose weight.
Instead she gives everything, including her sanity.
Two of the most important aspects of a film's aesthetic are the attention given
to the sound, and whether it's shot on film or digital video. Believe it or
not, these two decisions alone can often make or break a film's overall appeal.
In this case, it seems Quitmeyer has borrowed a
little too heavily from his pornographic influences. The films are shot on
digital video, and apparently without the use of a sound engineer, or even a
boom operator which lead to the production value being so low that it feels
like watching a porno film without the sex scenes. The writing for the films
also seems not quite ready for public consumption, although that may be due, in
large part, to the actors who were delivering the lines.
Overall, the film was not incredibly entertaining. Though some of the makeup
effects were well done, the film as a whole lacked the attention to detail that
it would require making any sort of impact. Personally, I would have liked to
see Quitmeyer choose just one of the stories; devote
more time to the script and overall production value of the film.
Score: 1 out of 5
Purchase your copy on Amazon.com: Tales
from the Carnal Morgue: Volume One