- Director: Philip Brophy
- Writer: Philip Brophy, Rod Bishop
- Stars: Gerard Kennedy, Andrew Daddo, Ian Smith, Vincent Gil, Brett Climo, Lisa McCune, William McInnis
Review
So, this film was a blind spot for me, for two reasons. One being (and I am giving away my age here) that it was always on the shelf at the local video store and was always a film that I wanted to see because who doesn’t want to see a film called Body Melt? The second reason is that being an Australian, I should be familiar with Australian horror classics. The question is – Was it worth the 27 year wait?
Residents of Pebble’s Court are being used, unwittingly, as testers of an experimental new drug, that is meant to get your body working at peak performance. However, the side effects end up being far worse than anyone could imagine.
The story is much like the results of the drug, messy. But also – who gives a fuck? You’re only here for one thing, splatter. Whilst it takes a while to get to the body melting, the effects in this film are a gory, icky glory. The budget was reportedly 1.6 million and you can only imagine that a lot of it went to the effects and it was the right decision. Bodies turning to muck, mucus and an outrageous pregnancy Some may say that this is Australia’s answer to our New Zealand neighbours Braindead (aka Dead Alive) whilst this film embraces that chaotic nature, it isn’t in the same league. Body Melt is an unabashed Ozploitation flick and wears its heart (and oodles of body fluids) on its sleeve and with the all actors going 110% over the top.
Subtle it isn’t but Body Melt does have a little bit to say about the ‘wellness’ industry even back in 1993. A fun ride that tries it’s best to make you vomit in your mouth, even just a little.
Ryan Morrissey-Smith | Twitter: @TigersMS78
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