A
NIGHT TO DISMEMBER (1983)
Directed By Doris Wishman
Elite Entertainment DVD
Reviewed 08.10.05
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
Doris Wishman's gore-infested experiment
in necessity isn't so much a misconstrued
slasher film. It's a boon to all
of mankind. How's that settle with
you?
In the early 80s, the horror genre
was becoming saturated with cut-rate
slasher knock-offs (whoopee!). Being
the most prolific female exploitation
director of all time, Doris knew
a potential money-maker when she
saw it. Attaching her grim, sex-infused
docu-style to a typical slasher
plotline, A Night To Dismember
was shot in 1982. Then something
happened. A peeved lab worker at
the bankrupt Movielab destroyed
several negatives in a fit of rage.
Forty percent of Doris’s completed
film was lost that day. She was
forced to compensate. For the next
eight months, a film was pieced
together with bits of unutilized
movies, alternate takes, and new,
on-the-cheap footage. We’ll
probably never know the identity
of that celluloid slaughterer, but
one thing’s for sure. Trash
film scholars (you and me) owe him
a hearty handshake. Big time.
No amount of of syllables and syntax
could possibly sum up the “plot”
of this film, so here's some ambience
for you: Vikki Kent (80s porn star
Samantha Fox) comes home after a
stint in a mental institution. Axe
and knife murders occur and there’s
a lot of gore. Some of it is quite
uncomfortable and realistic. Story-wise,
that's all there is to it. Now I
can get to the good stuff.
Think you've seen the weirdest of
the weird? Did Psyched By The
4-D Witch and Boarding
House throw you for a loop?
Amateurs. A Night To Dismember
chucks the notion of linear story
telling and any semblance of continuity
out the window, forging a mind of
its own. Due to Wishman's obligations,
this film is an incoherent mess
of purposeless footage; a pervertedly
insane teenaged Super 8 epic that
never existed. The pace moves like
a bullet, loosely tieing together
random threads of violence and dreamy
visuals with superhero LP narration;
all caught through the lens of a
spastic 16mm camera. Hairstyles
change in nearly every scene. Soundtrack
cues comprised of Jazzercise schlock,
public domain spooks, and wailing
80s rock overlap in the triplets.
Footage repeats itself often. Dialogue
and sound effects are supplied by
Doris's mouth, crackling vinyl,
and hideous post-dubbing. All of
the violence is impossibly snail-paced
and soft, making way for implausible
pancake gore. As for Wishman's trademarks?
Save for a few shots, the feets
are curiously absent, but the tacky,
claustrophobic locales remain. She
even throws in a psychedelic sex
scene and some random nudity from
unnamed females.
If you're asking yourself, "Why
in the world would I want to watch
this," I'll tell you. Beyond
the grimy sleaze, A Night To
Dismember is a true experiment
in resource-deficient cinema. Whether
she was intending to or not, Doris
channeled snippets of H.G. Lewis
grue, French New Wave urgency, and
amateur naivety into a bizarre experience
that trumps most any other. You'll
never be bored.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Presented in anamorphic widescreen,
Dismember looks perfect.
No, not perfect for anal retentive
party poopers, but perfect for those
that like to see a little character
in their films. Believe you me,
the artist's hands are all over
this inconsistent pastejob. But
that's what I like. The mono sound
might have been a bit too tweaked,
but I got used to it. I would've
liked to see some tape hiss on the
menu.
EXTRAS
The pleasant surprises continue.
First up, we have a six minute promotional
trailer, used by Doris to sell the
film before it was completed. Taken
from a video master, the clip features
a drunken horror host narrating
his way through tons of unseeen
footage, which was later destroyed
in the Movielab debacle. In its
early stages, the film seemed to
resemble an actual cohesive whole,
a kind of supernatural slasher on
a miniscule budget. Excellent.
If you know nothing about the commentary
track that Doris provides with longtime
cameraman C. Davis Smith (Chuck),
then get ready for some entertainment.
D.W. delivers a blunt free for all,
constantly sending jabs at Smith,
which he playfully throws back.
Both come across as articulate and
sharp, always taking the work seriously,
but fully aware of the outcome of
the film. The insults fly. The memories
sometimes conflict. At the end of
the day, this is two old friends
sitting down to talk about a low
budget gore film; a sit-down brunch
with the coolest grandma of all
time. One of the most enjoyable
commentary tracks I’ve heard
in quite awhile.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Throughout her career, Doris Wishman
was a true maverick in trash filmmaking,
if only for her aversion to all
things typical. Truly one of the
most bizarre genre films ever completed,
A Night To Dismember is
an essential keepsake, especially
when combined with the glorious
supplements. Elite has recently
dropped the price (you can find
it for under $10, brand new), so
really, there's no reason not to
dive in. |
Front pager!
Ms. W's favorite shot
Special place
Uncle Sebastian gets it
|
