Gutterballs (2008)
Review by The Fiend of Grue
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the types of films that Ryan Nicholson makes, then you might be in for a real jaw dropper if you start with his latest film entitled Gutterballs. With all of the brutal gore, over the top blood, guts and enough degradation to make even the most jaded of viewers cringe, Ryan has made a name for himself in the horror/sleaze pantheon. If his last film, Live Feed, gave Ryan the reputation of a horror director who’s not afraid to push people’s buttons, then Gutterballs should cement it.
After a prolonged and jarring gang rape scene during the opening sequence, it’s easy to see that Ryan hasn’t lost his edginess or willingness to offend. Gutterballs takes place entirely in a bowling alley called the Xcalibur Bowling Centre in which the night janitor lets two groups of young adults into the place for some after hours bowling. One night while setting up the pairings, they notice a strange name appear on the screen (BBK) that they don’t recognize. Unable to find out who it is, they start to bowl but soon begin to disappear one by one. As they disappear, BBK’s score increases on the screen with a skull and cross bones emblem. Soon they learn that the score he is keeping is murder, but can they find out who BBK is before he/she reaches the tenth frame and murders them all?
This film isn’t likely to be found sitting on the shelf at your local Blockbuster to rent or your local Best Buy to purchase anytime soon and if you do find it, it most certainly won’t be the version I just seen. From the shocking death scene that I like to call the “69 suffocation” to the “split penis slice” death scene, the censors will have a field day with this film. Also, all of the bouncing breasts, outrageous, lingering gore and the insane amount of times the word “fuck” is used, this film is bound to leave the MPAA members in straight jackets. Kudos to Mr. Nicholson for that, haha. Surely there will be a butchered version of this film floating around soon enough, but really, it was meant to be seen in all of its NC-17 gory glory.
There’s not a lot of plot to Gutterballs, but rather it serves as a homage to 80’s slashers, Italian giallo films whose killer wears black gloves, and extreme, over-the-top kill scenes of gore and sex. The soundtrack of Loverboy and Bachman Turner Overdrive, among others, that Ryan was able to get for the film really helps drive home the early 80’s vibe that the movie has. With that said, the film also genuinely looks and feels like a grainy, gritty, Grindhouse era movie.
It has been along time since I have seen a more obnoxious prick that you can’t wait to see die than the character of Steve (Alastair Gamble). It’s not just him though, but all of the characters in this film are overly bitchy and mean or just plain wrong, which kind of hampers the film. Between the constant cussing, sexual insults and fighting, it’s hard to care for any of these people, but I’m sure that was Ryan’s point anyway. When these people die, you almost want to cheer for the bowling-bag-for-a-mask BBK killer and when you see these wild death scenes that this movie offers it’s hard to not be a fan of Gutterballs almost immediately.
Much more technically proficient than Live Feed in the way it was shot and especially the effects, I found Gutterballs to be a fun, sick as hell joy ride. Not everyone is going to enjoy this movie, but if you’ve got a sick sense of humor, like your films to push the envelope of good taste and/or enjoy 80’s style films then you’ve got to check this out. Gutterballs may not quite roll a perfect three hundred, but it has enough strikes to pull in a great finishing score!
Gutterballs’ Official Site
Gutterballs on Myspace
Ryan Nicholson on Myspace
Watch the Gutterballs Teaser Trailer:
Popularity: 58% [?]
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