Gothkill
Released 2009
You know how – generally speaking – low budgets lead to much more interesting storylines and script, when it comes to movies, tv, etc? I mean, realistically, the director has to make up for the lack of spectacle somehow. And that is not to say that it is always leads to a good intelligent product, but just that there tends to be a more thoughtful story created. And it also leads to a general singularity of vision from the director. And again this can be quite bad, but you usually at least get a very clear sense of what the writer and directors intentions are, why they are making the film, what they are trying to prove etc. and usually no matter how bad you can appreciate things on this level, even if it is the worst film you have ever seen.
Goth kill, although it is extremely low budget and should lend itself to this sort of filmmaking, somehow doesn’t: It’s almost like they just pieced a film together as they went, with no real thought to story or ideas, with tons of moments that contradict early moments and the whole thing just doesn’t make sense, except perhaps as some sort of goth exploitation film. But even then…. I think they just sat down and though to themselves, hmmm we like Goths, maybe we are Goths! If we put all our money together and make a goth film with goth in the title Goths will love it and make it a gothic cult classic.
Now, having been particularly enamoured of goth culture at one point in my life, I feel I can say without feeling like a twit that this film really just uses every bad goth cliché there is out there. And hell, maybe I just missed the point: maybe it is in fact a parody of goth culture. Let us hope so.
Okay, so basically the premise, if we can be so kind as to acknowledge that there is one, is that Nick Dread is priest of the inquisition in Scotland (heavens know how the inquistion got there but it did, okay) in charge if burning witches finds out that the church is burning wealthy people and taking their land: the horror!
Of course as he is not okay with this, he soon finds himself burned sat the stake and vows revenge. Somehow or other, he makes a deal with the devil who for some reason grants him his own kingdom in hell if he captures 100,000 souls. Now how he make s a deal with the devil and why the devil cares enough to make it are – don’t worry – not explained. And this leads me to another query. As in the Faust myth, doesn’t the existence of the devil in fact prove the existence of god, and if Dread is killed upholding all that is good and merciful and trying to challenge and put the church on a good path, wouldn’t he be eligible to get into heaven, and since the devil is willing to send him back to collect souls, wouldn’t god be willing to send him back to right wrongs? And voila, you could have another blood bath from the side of righteousness. This whole devil thing just doesn’t make sense. Okay so centuries go by and he collects these souls; Again, we don’t really know how or why, I mean, I believe killing people wouldn’t just automatically let you collect their soul, or am I some how confused there? Anyway, dude collects his last soul and is executed only to arrive in his kingdom that is empty of souls. Oh my the devil lies.
Enter the Goths. Some innocent chick moves to the city to live with her cool cousin, who has discovered how cool goth is. They get goth and find their way to this ultimate elite club that is the coolest in the city, and of course as with all of the coolest clubs it is a disguised mecca for raping innocent Goths. As the main guy, fuck I’m bored just recounting this, finds an old spell book to make things seem more groovy he unwittingly unleashes the soul of Dread into this innocent girls body and the fun and games begin.
Basically lots of really uninteresting uninspired slaughter. I mean I get this is going for the campy and silly cult thing, but really it just isn’t over the top enough. It either needs to be: (1) more serious and creepy, or (2) way more silly. It’s like people that want to be silly and fun but can’t let their coolness shields down long enough to actually do that. Anyway some more stuff happens the film ends. The DVD has extras if you really care.
