Director – Phil Tippett (Prehistoric Beast, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation)
Starring – Alex Cox (Repo Man, Dead Beat), Niketa Roman (Cloverfield, Jurassic World), and Satish Ratakonda (Star Trek, The Chronicles of Riddick)
Release Date – 2021
Rating – 4/5
I’m a huge fan of Claymation, miniatures, puppets, and stop motion animation. It’s a lost art but there are some filmmakers out there keeping it around. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to review the films Clay Zombies, Misfit Heights, Giant Rubber Monster Movie, and a few more that evade me currently. They are fun and very different when compared to their other indie counterparts. Hell, it’s a big gamble for these indie productions to tackle any of these but it’s a gamble that I truly admire.
A few weeks ago, I received word that the Shudder exclusive Mad God was getting a blu release from my friends over at RLJE Films. This stop motion spectacular was 30 years in the making and the trailer looked absolutely phenomenal. I reached out to my friends at RLJE and they were kind enough to send over the steelbook release for review. Like always I want to thank RLJE for supporting Horror Society and myself.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a being bound in leather and wearing a gas mask as he maneuvers through a desolate wasteland until he reaches a tower full of murder and mayhem. The traveler plans on planting a bomb and then fleeing the tower but is soon apprehended by a grotesque figure. He is soon subjected to the true horrors that take place inside the blood-stained walls. **Spoiler Alert**
Mad God is one of those films that people fall in love with after seeing it yet it doesn’t get the recognition that it deserves. It’s a phenomenal film that looks absolutely amazing, but a lot of genre fans will more than likely look over it due its unimaginative title and dull artwork. The title Mad God doesn’t really trigger your imagination and the artwork is a bit underwhelming. With that being said, this is a film that you should not be sleeping on. It’s a phenomenal film that truly deserves to be seen. I couldn’t imagine working on something for 30 years but his tremendous effort shows.
The film doesn’t really have acting. At least, not in a traditional sense. Most of the film is creatures, monsters, and the undead that is created by Tippett. However, there is a few human characters that disembowel a humanoid but that is the extent of it.
The story for this one is a bit simple but the way Tippett tackled it with his monsters creates a fantastic adventure that you can’t look away from. This is not a film that is story rich. Instead, its visually stunning and the decay and devastation from scene to scene is enough to really hold your attention. The movie progresses in the same manner that the original animated Lord of the Rings films did. It’s an adventure in an apocalyptic world with a lot of dismemberment and carnage.
Finally, the stop motion and designs for this film is something that truly needs to be seen. It’s a violent epic with so much blood and gore. I loved the look of everything and how Tippett was able to blend in so many different mediums into one film. Overall, Mad God is a once in a lifetime film and Tippett should be extremely proud of all the hard work he put into it. It’s a film that will stick with you for years and you will never tire of it. I could watch this film on repeat and still find it fascinating. Do yourself a favor and watch it.
