Headless (2015) Reviews

• Bloody, violent, uncompromising and yet a fun ride for seasoned horror fans

  DVD_Connoisseur2015-02-25

  Headless is Found's perfect sister film, a much anticipated tie-in that has so much to live up to. Scott Schirmer's Found (2012) took the horror world by storm, sweeping up dozens of awards at film festivals and gaining an instant cult following. Headless is Found's "film within a film", a no- holds barred, '80s nasty that pushes the envelope of good taste and has a lasting impression on at least one of its viewers. To produce a stand-alone, full-length movie of Headless is no easy feat. Headless needed to shock on a visceral level whilst maintaining the original film's dark psychological edge and taboo themes. With expectations high, the potential for failure and disappointment was very real. The good news is that Headless delivers the goods. Scott Schirmer passes the directorial reins this time around to Found's special effects director, Arthur Cullipher, whilst maintaining co- producing responsibilities with Kara Erdel. The Found army can breath a collective sigh of a relief. The combination of talent here is a winning formula. Headless is fast-moving, bloody beyond belief, boundary-pushing (there's one particular act of carnage that I've never on screen in such candid and unflinching detail before), psychological, hallucinatory, surreal and unpredictable. It manages to honour the themes of its predecessor whilst adding something new to boot. The entire cast is excellent but special mention must go to young Kaden Miller for his chilling performance as the Skull Boy. The character's physical presence takes the movie to another level. It's a jaw-dropping pièce de résistance. With the presence of this character, we witness the killer's (played by a truly believable Shane Beasley) ride into a hellish insanity. As an aside, I hadn't expected to see this movie so soon. At around 1.00am on a cold February morning, I realised I'd received an invitation to catch a preview screener of the film. Sleep was put on hold until the film had been devoured. In a way, this is how Headless should be viewed. It is a midnight movie, through and through. Perfect entertainment for a gathering of gore- hounds or the genre enthusiast who needs something new to rekindle his love of the modern horror movie. Whilst being released in 2015, the '70's (and early '80's) atmosphere is soaked into every frame. With faux print damage, big hair, cheesy dialogue and zero political correctness, this is like uncovering a hidden gem in a filmmaker's cupboard. If The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Last House on the Left married and had a child, its name would be Headless. 9.5 out of 10. Close to indie perfection, this is unmissable. From the moment the credits start, your senses are reeling from the physical insults delivered to the characters from the original Headless footage. Nasty but nice.

• The best movie about a killer that copulates with severed heads ever.

  gorechef2015-03-16

  You ever see one of those horror flicks where the killer does all manner of inhumane and despicable things to their victims? Of course you have. You ever wonder just how they could have become so depraved and what could possibly motivate them to continue their sadistic and cruel behavior? Maybe you have, or maybe you didn't put any further thought into it. Have you ever been disgusted and repulsed to the point where you couldn't continue watching? I'm asking all these questions, because the answers are simple: You will. Whether or not you have, you'll find out. And... you just might be. If you haven't watched FOUND by Scott Schirmer, you should. Its based on the novel of the same name, by Todd Rigney. That story contains a film within itself, and that film is HEADLESS. Easily one of the most brutal and integral parts to FOUND, it was a throwback to 70s underground indie horror exploitation that drove the killer in FOUND to commit his own atrocities. FOUND was so well received by the underground horror heads, that it spawned a successful crowd- funding campaign for a full length HEADLESS feature. I now understand how such a cruel and demented killer could be created. I could feel his pain. His nightmarish hallucinations could drive any one to such lengths. While this film contains incredibly horrific acts of intense brutality, they seem natural for the monster committing them. By the time it was over I realized had thoroughly enjoyed all which I had witnessed. Then again, I'm a fairly twisted individual that knows it's all just entertainment. Yet, to be entertained by such heartless acts, to cheer along at the ghastly images, it makes me wonder... What the hell is wrong with me? Also, what the hell is wrong with Arthur Cullipher and Nathan Erdel? Cullipher has masterfully crafted a film that is as equally beautiful, surreal, atmospheric, and lucid as it is sickening, perverse, gut-wrenching , and unapologetic. He and several colleagues from FOUND (Scott Schirmer, Nathan and Kara Erdel, Leya Taylor, and Shane Beasley reprising his role as the killer) have given us a peek into the mind of a demon not spawned from Hell, but birthed of the torment that was all he had ever known. Plot and story are definitely present, and certainly not pleasant. Headless could have easily just been a load of graphic, sexualized violence to satisfy the sickos - and we get plenty of that - but a tale is to be told, and you will understand just where its "headed" right from the start. This film feels like it's from 1978. It looks gorgeous, and sounds equally appropriate. They made sure to use the right clothes and vehicles to get the proper atmosphere going. Don't even get me started on the roller rink. The killer's house is dingy and disgusting, he's living in a filthy old run down building on a farm. Shane Beasley provides an incredible performance as the Headless killer. In the original short from FOUND, he didn't have to do much but kill women, eat their eyes, and hump their heads. He gives so much more in this role for the feature film. We know and experience not only the horrors and pain he inflicts, but those he has suffered as well. Kelsey Carlisle, Haley Madison, and Ellie Church give great performances in their roles, proving they have what it takes to be scream queen material. There is an abundance of opportunity for wailing and agony from the victims in this film, and by its very nature, these women must scream! There is comedic relief in all this gruesome slaughter. Brian Williams' Slick Vic is a sleazy 70s roller rink tycoon scumbag asshole, paired perfectly with Ellie Church's Betsy. Their on- screen chemistry is undeniable. It's like they are married or something. I also thought the hitchhiker scene was pretty hilarious, without even trying. The FX are all practical and top notch. There are gallons of blood, killer gore, gruesome mutilations, and those special things that only the Headless killer does to his victims. Everything looks great. The music and score are so perfect. At times the score is haunting, and it even gets chilling what music will be heard during some of the most gruesome scenes. The bar just got set higher for indie horror. This film is absolutely everything I imagined it might and be much, much more. This will surely go down as one of the sickest, most well-executed indie films ever. It has instantly rocketed into my top 3 ever. I loved every second of this sick, twisted movie!

• Holy Hell! What was THAT?

  arfdawg-12015-04-18

  The Plot. In this "lost slasher film from 1978," a masked killer wages an unrelenting spree of murder, cannibalism, and necrophilia. But when his tortured past comes back to haunt him, he plunges to even greater depths of madness and depravity, consuming the lives of a young woman and those she holds dear. This film is unrelenting and border on those classics of the 70s like I Spit on your Grave for it's depravity. It is one sick movie that is some how mesmerizing and oddly touching, as the plot unfolds with flashbacks that tell us how this sicko got this way. I could not take my eyes off it and there is very very little dialog. It's a must see.

• Modern exploitation at its finest! Not for casual horror fans. Disturbing & extemely graphic.

  Mike_T-Little_Mtn_Sound_Archive2019-02-16

  ***Note*** This film is extremely graphic and NOT for the faint of heart, the easily disturbed, or even casual horror fan. It is filled with staunch and violent imagery, taboo subject matter, and is extremely gory. It is the very definition of exploitation and is unapologetic in its brutality and both extreme thematic content & visual presentation, all of which begin during the opening credits and do not cease until the closing credits are complete. Many current reviews of films are latently obvious comparisons to either other films or are done in such a way that it is immediately evident the reviewer's subjective views oppose the purpose or intent of the film - ie missing the mark due to not understanding the director's vision. That said, the purpose of this review is not to offer synopses or plot & story construction, but to comment on content and execution, with no spoilers. "Headless" is a modern day master class in exploitation. As noted in the above warning, it is not for the squeamish, as the contents are among the most vile & disturbing visual sequences and viscerally impactful psychological horror in the recent lexicon of film. Numerous "taboo themes" unapologetically unfold in brilliantly full detail, including child abuse, necrophilia (of sorts), torture, rape, Reinfield syndrome, urophagia, incestual molestation, cannibalism, mutilation, and abbatoiric hording. There's likely even another couple of "isms" missed in this description, but suffice it to say that "Headess" is an homage to the most perpetuated brutality ever seen on screen, and pays tribute to the legacy of grindhouse cinema in the most callously obdurate presentation. The brooding texture is complemented by a constant stream of darkly intrinsic music and/or perpetually dissonant sounds that tranform and elevate each sequence of violence from mere blood & gore to brutal acts of depravity that transcend explanation. Combine these elements with professional grade camera equipment, skilled production, and quality sound & foley, and the result is a very well made independent film. All that said, the film is not without its flaws. The acting is not superb by any means, and there are some questionable editing decisions during flashback sequences, though nothing so problematic that the film suffers. There are also some inconsistencies in character development that leave questions which would have never arisen had scenes not been included. While the purpose of "Headless" is born from its gratuitous nature, the writer and director included character development as an explanation for WHY the lead character is the way he is. As a result, the viewer is left with a questions that remain unanswered. Again, this is not hugely problematic but is indeed a flaw. Overall, director Scott Schirmer dropped a bomb with this film, the likes of which will be difficult to top. Repeated maybe, but doubtfully equaled. He has raised the bar for exploitation cinema to such heights that it will become the model for future films of this nature. Regarding content: For those reviews that bash the film because of the acting performances, those viewers completely missed the mark with this film. Watch at your own risk and enjoy the film for what it is - one big, massive disgusto-fest.

• giving head, literally

  trashgang2015-11-16

  If you have seen the flick Found (2012) then you know that one of the brothers is addicted to horror movies. When he do go watch one or pick one up at the local store all titles you see are real existing flicks except for one, Headless. That particular flick took a main part in Found and it was a so-called lost flick. The fun part is that Headless can be found nowadays. It's supposed to be shot in 1978 but we all do know better. Were Found went deeply into the characterisation this one here is pure horror, and I must say a good one. If you can't stand brutal horrors then don't go watching this little stinker. The story has a weird part with the child and his skull for example and it do explains a lot towards the end but what they made was an ode to those gory flicks from the seventies. This isn't a slasher this is a gorefest. It did remind me somehow towards the cult classic The Last House On Dead End Street (1977). What you get is pure horror with extreme parts like using the severed head for having sex, a lot of decapitations, gratuitous nudity, dismembering females and sickening parts. I liked it a lot storywise because it do make sense, the effects are for a low budget so well done, congratulations to that section, and it never got a weak part. A must see for those geeks out there who do like a lot of gore and can take sexual depravity. My cup of tea. Gore 4/5 Nudity 2,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5