The latest movie from Forbidden Zone (1980) director Richard Elfman is a brisk, fun, demonic romp that revels in its low-budget, gonzo ethos.
A performer in a Grand Guignol burlesque routine, Bridget (Anastasia Elfman), is constantly abused by her employer, the ultra-sleazy Tony (Tom Ayers), her leeching, cheating boyfriend Edwin (Christian Prentice), and fends off an attempted rapist (Adam J. Smith). It turns out he was a high-flying lawyer, and she finds herself in jail. When a prison guard (Kristin West) assaults her, Bridget decides to hang herself, sending her plummeting into the void between life and death, where Baron Samedi (Jean Charles) takes her as a reincarnation of his wife, Maman Brigitte. Offering her a chance to return to the land of the living to take vengeance on those who abused her, he turns her into a heart-chomping Valentine Vampire, but the catch is that she must also marry him.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the shoestring budget, Elfman’s film delights in filling the screen with skin and gore, but it also boasts an independent spirit for not only the artists involved but the characters themselves. As one might expect from the founder of The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, music (provided by Richard’s younger brother Danny and Ego Plum) plays a large part of Bloody Brigitte (the director has a standout sequence playing the Devil), and while it’s not as integral as it was in Forbidden Zone, it’s still catchy and adds to the surreal enjoyment of the tale. The simple Chroma key effects have a quaintness rather than provoking a lame reaction, as do the stereotypes (such as the diminutive Jewish lawyers). There are extra points for the evocative illustrations that precede the titles. However, the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously and neither should the audience.
Like Forbidden Zone, this has the potential to garner a cult following and is well worth seeking out for lovers of the perverse and is a celebration of female empowerment, the spirit of H.G. Lewis, offensive humour, and performance art.
You can check out the official website here for more information on the film.
