Autopsy (2009)
Reviewed by Uncle Creepy
Starring Michael Bowen, Jessica Lowndes, Jenette Goldstein, Robert La Sardo, Ross McCall, Robert Patrick
Directed by Adam Gierasch
Distributed by After Dark Films and Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Director Adam Gierasch is a twisted, twisted man. He and his writing partner Jace Anderson have worked with some huge names over the last few years from Tobe Hooper to Dario Argento. Now that Gierasch is at the directorial helm for the first time (he’s also directing the forthcoming Night of the Demons remake), he’s had a chance to prove just how fucking psychotic his imagination is. Let’s just say that with his entry into the After Dark Horrorfest, Autopsy, he’s taken full advantage of that opportunity.
Written by Gierasch, Anderson, and E.L. Katz, things start off normal enough for our heroes. It’s Mardi Gras, and they’re out painting the town all sorts of colors. There’s drinking, beads, laughter, you name it. Unfortunately all good things come to an end. As our tipsy teens are driving home, they end up in a pretty gnarly car accident involving their vehicle and a tree. Lucky for them, an ambulance isn’t far behind, and before you can call Geico, our group is being whisked away to Mercy Hospital.
Upon arrival things seem slightly off. The nurse on duty (genre favorite Jenette Goldstein) is a little creepy, and the two paramedics who picked them up come off as more than a little menacing. Still, they need medical attention and there’s no better place to be, right? Wrong.
As Autopsy unfolds, we find out that head physician Doctor Benway (Robert Patrick) is only interested in saving one life: his wife, who is dying of cancer. Good thing for her Benway is an unconventional MD. One who believes in alternative forms of treatment such as … oh … harvesting body parts from the living and playing switch the organs.
One-by-one our heroes, headed up by a stellar Jessica Lowndes, are picked off, dismembered, and generally fucked up. This is where Gierasch truly shines. The things he has concocted to happen to the victims in this movie go far beyond the normal hack and slash. Autopsy pulled off some gags I never saw coming, and I’m as jaded as they come. The man should register his imagination with the police. Dangerous, twisted, and filled with wall-to-wall sick, Autopsy delivers on everything that you want it to.
I also have to give a special nod to the look and sound. For all the fucked up shit that’s going on, the film looks absolutely beautiful with rich colors just dripping from the screen. That, combined with the score by music maven Joe Bishara, contributes to making this experience a living, breathing nightmare of a movie that’s as sadistic as it is surreal.
That being said, the flick does have its fair share of pitfalls as well. There are a few blatant gaps in logic that will leave you scratching your head, and there’s even a bit of supernatural shit that, while well done, almost feels as if it’s part of another movie. Still, if you don’t think too much and just take the ride, you’re bound to have fun.
Each year the After Dark Horrorfest has one or two shining stars amidst some mid-level mediocrity. Autopsy is without question one of this year’s darkest bright spots! Bravo!
“>“>“>“>4 out of 5
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