It’s been a wild year. We battled flying demons and wiggling xenomorphs, endured an endless string of traumatic dick kicks, and fended off a goopy, tentacled monster that smells of death. All this to say that we watched some extraordinary films in 2023. Every time we pressed “play,” we had the same giddy excitement we’ve always had and asked ourselves the age-old question, “Will this be a banger?” This year we discovered a legendary drag racing champion, a girl with a machine gun arm, and the first Pakistani zombie film. We were moved by a cyberpunk short, chilled by found-footage horror, and entranced by an avant garde, surreal Nickelodeon show.
Joe first started Bleeding Skull as an outlet to share otherworldly films that sat largely ignored along the fringes. He spotlighted the weird, gruesome, and insane with respect, empathy, and deep enthusiasm. Now, almost twenty years later, Bleeding Skull is still thriving. This is because of people like you. We are forever grateful for your support; it fuels us to keep going, dig deeper, and navigate the never-ending depths of independent DIY cinema.
We’re excited not only for next year, but also for the next twenty years. We spent 2023 digging through our archives and researching and exploring like never before, all in service of a big announcement that we can’t wait to share in a few short weeks. Safe to say, 2024 will be our wildest and most exciting year to date. Until then, thank you—and strap in for our favorite first-time watches of 2023.
1974: The Possession of Altair (Victor Dryere, 2016)
Blu-ray / Full Review
“1974: The Possession of Altair proves once again that every horror movie would be better if it was shot on Super 8 film. Warm and soothing like a Beach House song, but still showing plenty of teeth, 1974 embraces analog technology to fashion something otherworldly—an experimental exploration of fear and trauma with the assistance of found footage magick.”
A.I. Mama (Asuka Lin, 2020)
Streaming / Full Review
“The year 2020 wasn’t all bad, because it gifted us with this movie. A descendant of the cyberpunk dynasty established by Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Anatomia Extinction, A.I. Mama is a haunting, multilayered experiment that explores grief, trauma, and identity through the comforting nostalgia of outdated technology. Filmmaker Asuka Lin steeps their 5-minute short in wires, tubes, CRT screens, stop-motion animation, and metallic soundscapes, all abstracted through the immersive haze of black and white Super 8 film stock.”
Blood and Steel (Mark Swetland, 1990)
Blu-ray / Full Review
“Blood and Steel has a wide variety of shots which is in no way typical for a backyard action film shot on 16mm. Fights explode from different angles, stunts are captured in medium and wide shots, and edits come fast and quick which keeps the momentum up all the way through the conclusion where Mark Swetland breaks necks while wearing Bruce Lee’s iconic yellow jumpsuit.”
The Curse of Kazuo Umezu (Naoko Omi, 1990)
Bootleg DVD-R / Full Review
“The Curse of Kazuo Umezu is a 40-minute OVA (original video animation) that has only ever been released on VHS and LaserDisc. It will delight fans of Ringu, Paranormal Activity, and children being decapitated. Leaning into early tech-horror mechanics and surrealist visuals, the movie’s strengths lie in its cozy, modest ambitions. The good vibes are enhanced by the fact that this appears to be one of the few horror anime that was directed by a woman.”
Guzoo: The Thing Forsaken by God (Kazuo ‘Gaira’ Komizu, 1986)
Bootleg DVD-R / Full Review
“Guzoo packs a potent punch that will leave an impression on your soul. It is stuffed with practical effects and gallons of blood and entrails. Imagine, if you will, a garden hose on full blast that’s flopping around in the yard. Now imagine that it’s spraying blood and it’s inside a guesthouse and ruining the decor. Writer/director Kazuo ‘Gaira’ Komizu created what most filmmakers don’t have the discipline to achieve: a full, engaging, cohesive story with accomplished, amazing practical effects, all in a runtime of 40 minutes.”
Hell’s Ground (Omar Ali Khan, 2007)
DVD / Full Review
“Writer/director/producer Omar Ali Khan funded the movie with money from his chain of ice cream restaurants called The Hot Spot, and Pete Tombs from Mondo Macabre co-wrote and produced it. Even though the film screened abroad, it struggled against censorship in Pakistan. The government, turns out, doesn’t love Muslim serial killers, drugs, gore. Khan proclaims that Hell’s Ground is the first Pakistani zombie movie, and I believe it.”
The Machine Girl (Noboru Iguchi, 2008)
Blu-ray / Full Review
“I still enjoy seeing a face get shot off by a shitstorm of bullets until all that’s left is a bloody skull. There’s plenty to love about The Machine Girl. It’s got elements of camp, zany comic book deaths, and ridiculously over-the-top villains with even more ridiculously over-the-top weapons. But it’s important to note that the female characters in this film are absolute badasses. They wield weapons, take no prisoners, and relish every second of it. Sure there are exploitive moments—it’s a genre movie after all—but I do love that women are in the front seat.”
Red & Rosy (Frank Grow, 1989)
VHS / Full Review
“Crank has nothing on Red & Rosy. Eighteen minutes of spasmic fury shot on beautifully decayed 16mm film, this is the story of ‘legendary drag racing champion Richard ‘Big Red’ Friedman’ and his addiction to a self-made drug that simulates adrenaline. That, and a garage full of monsters that resemble a gene splice between Belial from Basket Case and The Muppets. Red & Rosy is an outstanding melting pot of underground Gen X aesthetics—crude animation, dildo props, gory murders, found footage, op-art collages.”
The Seventh Curse (Ngai Choi Lam, 1986)
Blu-ray / Full Review
“Directed by Ngai Choi Lam, the perfect genius who brought us The Cat, The Peacock King, and Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, The Seventh Curse is another riotous, fist-pumping hit that delivers on pretty much every element. The plot moves, the action sequences are high-octane, and the film explodes with practical effects like beast transformations, skeleton puppetry, and oozing entrails. There’s also a scene where someone is saved by eating a piece of boob. And that’s not even the best part of the movie (though it’s up there).”
UFO Kidnapped (Geoffrey Darby & Roger Damon Price, 1984)
Bootleg VHS / Full Review
“UFO Kidnapped encompasses everything that’s magical about lost media. Produced by Nickelodeon and shot on video in Ontario, the 50-minute series pilot is a serious attempt at creating a sci-fi television show for children. But that’s not what happened. UFO Kidnapped reconstitutes ideas from Return of the Jedi, E.T., and Land of the Lost and sends them on a grim voyage of accidental, avant-garde surrealism.”
