Here's what the creatures had to say:
Lord Battle - "Ask any creature that has visited the Overlook before and they will tell you, Lord Battle is no novice when it comes to micro budget, regional, or indie horror movies. So when I say I didn't love Morbid it's for specific reasons and not just because the film is poorly lit, staring friends and family of the director, or ineptly written. My problem with Morbid is it's too self aware; I prefer my low budget horror to be an honest attempt at making something amazing, not a compromise based on what's available to the film maker. Morbid did play quite well to a crowd of 5+ people, though the longer scenes could drain the energy of a 5 year old on a sugar high." - 3.5 Stars
Dabbles - "Um... I wish I could have fallen asleep during this one but it was too irritating to not be watched. It's like having someone poke the back of your head every second, just to make a very BRO-ligerent joke or 2. Yes, I fused the words bro and belligerent and it does sum up most of the movie on 2 levels. Sure this movie had its moments, and by moments I mean where you are watching and saying to yourself "Yup... I'm actually watching this... wait wtf really?!?!?!!" moments. You know how you regret drinking the morning after you blacked out? Yeah that's how I felt while writing this review." - 1 Stars
Creature of the ComiCombs - "With micro budget films you never know what you're in for. I can't say this was the worst I've seen but it definitely was not the best. The kills were enjoyable enough to watch but a thin plot and long scenes full of boring dialogue lost my attention. So many wacky things happened in this film for no apparent reason, and that ending, oh my goodness that wtf why is this happening?! ending. If you find yourself watching this, make sure you do it with a group of friends." - 2.5 Stars
Huntress - "Moments into the first scene, it's already obvious that Morbid is not for everyone. It feels homemade, the acting is rough, and the first kill is a little awkward, somehow boardering on romantic at one point. But weirdly enough, I only have fond memories of watching this no budget slasher. So I would say watching it in a group is a must, or you'll find yourself questioning a lot of your choices in life." - 3 Stars
KillDozer - "The film has amazing poster art work that reminds you of old school VHS rental stores. I say this because just like a lot of the rentals themselves the artwork was quite often better then the actual film or included a scene never even in the film at all. I always give credit where credit is due, especially when it comes to micro budget. The facts are simple: this film was made, it took time and effort, people worked on it, and for that they have my respect. The other facts are this: the editing, pacing, and acting are awful. The practical effect are fun in a few spots but focused on for long periods of time, I can only assume due to the film makers being extremely proud of their work. I also felt that the writing had a lot of inside jokes or you "had to be there" humor. This is a perfect movie to put on with a group who is ready to riff out loud." - 2 stars (Not collection worthy but a fun watch with a group of MST3K friends!)
The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*
(Below is for after you've seen the film)
The creation of a slasher is an intricate process that requires several elements to simultaneously work as a narrative and be refreshing. Morbid seems to ignore this tradition. The Masked killer really gets no story time at all and is instead used as a plot device to further the social commentary aspect of the script. Not something you’d normally expect from a fanboyish film, especially one that shows the filmmaker flexing his horror nerd knowledge so blatantly in the beginning (read the Black Christmas/Halloween story here).
The thing is slashers are created 80% by the writer (backstory, weapon of choice, mask, death, weakness, etc…) but the other 20% is what the audience makes of it (Jason hating windows ala The Final Chapter or the broader idea that slashers teleport ala Jason Lives). So as a fan of slashers and micro budget film I’d like to offer up some ideas on possible character traits of our Killer in Morbid.
- The killer may have been a victim of BDSM gone wrong and his death is a mystery but it definitely involved his artificial manhood revealed at the climax (no pun intended). The result is he now haunts the land with a large black cod piece he uses to kill survivor girls and other special combatants.
- He may be related to the white rapper that appeared on TV. This is a long shot but why else would that rap had been featured? It's definitely a clue.
- The slasher is a member of the LGBT community. The opening sequence featured a gender reversal that staged a male in the shower at the worst time. I honestly think this was a conscious attempt to play with the masculine trope that Hitchcock made famous. The next victim, however, is very suggestively slaughtered, with the slasher standing over him in a very obvious sign of domination. But it's the playfulness of the knife tease that makes me think he chose this guy because they were “out of the closet” and it's something that he could never come to terms with, thus the need of a mask.
If you have your own theories please share them, I'd love to discuss where this character belongs in the slasher landscape! And checkout KillDozer's interview with Morbid's Chuck Conry,(Director/Writer/Editor/FX artist).
The Overlook Theatre Materialized in a residence for Double Feature Thursday on 4/28/2016
*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.
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