BODY MELT

Australia, 1993, 81 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Kennedy, Andrew Daddo, Ian Smith, Regina Gaigalas, Vincent Gil, Matthew Newton.
Directed by Philip Brophy.

This is an Australian horror film of the 1990s, directed (and with many other credits, including musical composition) by Philip Brophy who made a number of similar films, shorts and feature films in the late 80s and into the 90s. They are the type of films which are popular at Monster Fests.

While the setting looks ordinarily suburban, there are a sinister goings-on behind some of the suburban walls, especially of abandoned buildings. This is a film of mad scientists doing all kinds of strange experiments, allegedly respectable and experimenting with products for the market.

However, the laboratories are full of bodies, all subject to sinister goings-on – and some very special horror effects in their decomposition.

There is some respectability from the Australian film industry with Gerard Kennedy as one of the police investigating the situation, Andrew Daddo as his assistant.

The film draws its audience in with a character desperate for some kind of relief from his infection, going to a supermarket and drinking disinfectant – but then gruesomely melting. He is investigating the operation which leads to more police involvement, more visits to the laboratories, a range of characters who become victims, a suave woman who is the public face of the experiments.

Not one that the general public would be putting on their list of must-see films, but popular with the audiences at the previously mentioned Monster Fests.