I am a big fan of anthology horror, and this one is pretty decent.  Not great -- as not all the stories build to a satisfying payoff -- particularly the first -- but there is still plenty here to recommend this to the patient viewer.

There is lots of gore and nudity, lopped off male organs, and one segment that has lots of stuff with eyeballs that is truly squirm-worthy.  The offerings have a nice variety, some with nods to Lovecraft, and the final one is way out there with a gleeful WTF attitude. Tom Savini even directs one of the episodes, and makes an appearance as a demented psychiatrist.

One of my favorite segments is called, "The Accident", simply for the method of its storytelling. Very quietly flashing back and forth towards a non-resolution that really is a resolution -- visiting a horrifying scene through the eyes of a young girl.  It is deceptively simple, tries to go deep, and very nearly hits the mark.  Amidst all the slap-happy gore, this odd-man-out segment asks for your attention, and is worthy of it.

The actual title of this film seems to be "Theatre Guignol," which suits it better, as Guignol has something to do with puppets, which play a central role in the main story that ties everything together. It almost seems like it is not an American film -- and there are definite draws from the Italian Giallo style -- but it is not dubbed into English (I don’t think), so I am not really sure about the backstory to this one.

It is not a solid "10" or anything -- so don't let me steer you wrong -- but a solid recommend for those who like something off the beaten path.

I watched this one awhile ago and I liked it too. It's different enough that it keeps you wanting to watch more. I even recommended it to Cornetto since we're working on the Motel Anthology. Not sure if he ever watched it though.

So yeah, I recommend it too.  8)

Quoted from myself ...lopped off male organs...

Quoted from Grandma Bear ...I liked it too.

Yeah, I was actually going to recommend this to you for the breakfast sausage scene alone!  :D

I've had this in my que for awhile and will watch it this week.

It was filmed in Germany, Canada, and the US.  I think it's also released in French and am wondering if it's a French production.

Thanks for the heads up, Bert!  Looks like my kind of flick.

Quoted from Dreamscale I've had this in my que for awhile and will watch it this week. Can't wait to check out the male organs before they sadly get lopped off.

Stevie, you fucker...give me a quote and I'll spoof it and if I have to break the rules, I fucking will!!!

;D ;D ;D ;D

The Grand Guignol is probably the only thing I'll admit to being an inspiration in my writing.  (Although I take more of a serious approach to it, rather than outright or slapstick horror.)

And, as I'm a fan of anthologies, too, I'll be checking this one out soon.

Thanks for the heads up, Bert.

Looked this up cause was curious if it was available on Oz's version of Netflix (quickflix) - alas, no... then again based on the trailer maybe I got lucky. Seems a bit over the top and schlocky to me - terrific for fans of gore!

But 'The Accident' has been uploaded to youtube which surprised me. So, for anyone who's interested.



Thanks for the tip, Bert.

I'll admit to finding it a little underwhelming, thought more could be done with it, but it's nicely filmed and a good little tool as said for it's flashback and flashforward construction.

If the embed doesn't work - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fut3dYC1uCI

I was not impressed at all, sorry to say.  I also wasn't entertained and that's where the real problem is for me.

It actually took me 3 nights to get through this, as I continually fell asleep!  Argh!!

In all honesty, not a single segment worked for me.  All were overblown and didn't deliver.  Actually, I didn't get anything from any of them, including Udo Kier's odd maniquen thing in between.

There were a few good effects and as Bert correctly stated, it is quite brutal all in all.

Not for me, however.  I gave it 2 stars and was nowhere near a 3rd.