THE ABCS OF DEATH (2012)

Rating: 18

This review is going to be a little different from my others. Due to there being 26 individual films, I’m going to give each segment a mini review, rather than trying to give a general review, as I want to give credit where it’s deserved. I’ll try not to give too much away about anything!

The film as a whole is a horror film with 26 separate segments, with each segment relating to the letter of the alphabet the director was given. None of the segments are related to one another, just different horror shorts for their given letter. Each director had free reign over what word they could chose to create their story about death. I’ll keep this as short as possible, as not to bore you all…

A is for Apocalypse
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
As the beginning of the alphabet, this one immediately packs a punch. Although intriguing as to what was happening, it didn’t make a huge impression on me.

B is for Bigfoot
Director: Adrian Garcia Bogliano
From the off, it’s quite creepy, and plays on the inner child. It’s got some good gore, and an eerie storyline.

C is for Cycle
Director: Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
At first I had no idea what was happening, but once I got the jist, I realised that this was brilliant. A very intelligent idea.

D is for Dogfight
Director: Marcel Sarmiento
I was shocked when this first started playing, as I knew it was going to be bloody and brutal. I was correct, but it had a lot of depth and a little twist at the end.

E is for Exterminate
Director: Angela Bettis
For me, this one really had my skin crawling. If your biggest fear is spiders, then this will niggle at you every time you see one.

F is for Fart
Director: Noburu Iguchi
Well, I honestly do not know what to say for this one. It’s odd, it’s confusing, it’s weird and I don’t think I’d like to ever watch it again.

G is for Gravity
Director: Andrew Traucki
This one was beautifully shot; with great camera angles, yet it was very sad. Watching it brought on a deep sense of pain and loneliness, but it’s shot so well that it’s worth the watch.

H is for Hydro-Electric Diffusion
Director: Thomas Capplen Malling
An inventive take on many elements, and something only an over imaginative mind could think up. Very funny, and the costumes are amazing.

I is for Ingrown
Director: Jorge Michel Grau
This one I really liked, even though I’m still not quite sure what it was all about. All I can say is that it put me off ever scratching an itch a little too much.

J is for Jidai-geki
Director: Yudai Yamaguchi
This one is hilarious, and very odd at the same time. Once again, I had no idea what was going on, all I knew was that there was gore and some humorous face pulling.

K is for Klutz
Director: Anders Morgenthaler
Another strange story, but this time it’s a cartoon. Honestly I wasn’t keen on it as I thought it was slightly boring and unimaginative, but at the same time it’s funny due to me just thinking ‘why?’

L is for Libido
Director: Timo Tjahjanto
I’m not a huge fan of watching men masturbate, but I guess the storyline to this made it okay. If I were a man I could imagine this would not only be a horrible scenario, but also a near impossible one.

M is for Miscarriage
Director: Ti West
For me (maybe it’s because I’m a woman) I found this one a little tasteless. The title says it all, so I don’t really need to say why it wasn’t my thing.

N is for Nuptials
Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun
This was a really funny and inventive one. It also teaches you to never keep a parrot as a pet if you don’t like to live by the rules.

O is for Orgasm
Director: Helene Cattet
Honestly, I get very sheepish when a sex scene comes on screen, so this one had me a little flushed. Very well produced, with some great shots, and amazing sounds; this one really plays on your senses.

P is for Pressure
Director: Simon Rumley
After I recently killed a cat (an accident, and I was devastated) this one really got to me as it bought back some horrible memories.

Q is for Quack
Director: Adam Wingard
This one was one of my favourites. An interesting idea, with a hilarious and bloody ending.

R is for Removed
Director: Srdjan Spasojevic
I did really enjoy this one, but it was rather mind-boggling. I’m still not quite sure what it was about and what was happening, but I liked it.

S is for Speed
Director: Jake West
Another one of my favourites, although it was a very deep one. A friend of mine described it as “Grim.” Not everything is what it seems on the surface.

T is for Toilet
Director: Lee Hardcastle
Maybe the best of the lot here, and it’s no wonder seeing as Hardcastle makes all his shorts from clay. Funny and super gory; make sure you check out his Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/leehardcastle

U is for Unearthed
Director: Ben Wheatley
A nice little British piece! Quite simple but it works well and you get the point.

V is for Vagitus
Director: Kaare Andrews
A large quantity of thought went into this one as there’s a well-driven plot and detailed character traits. Nether-the-less it far too big budget for me.

W is for WTF?
Director: Jon Schnepp
They may as well have not bothered with this. I presume their intent was to create something surreal and obscure, but this is just pointless.

X is for XXL
Director: Xavier Gens
One of the most stomach-churning ones, with a tonne of gore. Might make you think about having another slice of cake.

Y is for Youngbuck
Director: Jason Eisener
Do you like revenge? Do you hate creepy old blokes? Then you’ll love this.

Z is for Zetsumetou
Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura
At first watch, you might be left feeling a little dazed and confused, but if you read the meaning, then it’ll click and you’ll realise why it’s brilliant.

So, that came out a little longer than expected, but I guess that’s just how it’s gone. Overall the film is a must see if you have a dark sense of humour, a strong stomach and don’t mind feeling a little overwhelmed at times. Definitely worth a watch if you want a variety.

Verdict: 4/5