Director – Marcus Koch (Bad Blood, Rot)
Starring – Georgia Chris (The Punisher, Vampire Biker Babes), Joe Davison (Stranger Things, Sorority of the Damned), and Raine Brown (Psycho Street, Plasterhead)
Release Date – 2007
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 3.5/5
Many years ago I reviewed the indie clown slasher 100 Tears from effects artist/director Marcus Koch. I remember thinking that the film was amazing but wasn’t a fan of the music and how loud it was compared to the rest of the film. I remember watching the film several times that week while I prepared my review and couldn’t get passed the ridiculously loud music that was very distracting.
Fast forward several years and Unearthed Films is putting the film out on blu and they were kind enough to send me a copy. Like always, I want to thank MVD and Unearthed Films for sending this one over!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows two journalists who are investigating the murders committed by a prolific killer. However, their investigation has lead them straight into the path of the clown killer Gurdy (Jack Amos) who is leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. **Spoiler Alert**
Horror has always been masked slashers, vampires, zombies, and werewolves to me and I know most genre fans feel the same way. However, clowns have always had a chokehold on the genre with films like It, S.I.C.K., Camp Blood, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Killjoy, Blood Harvest, and many more. In recent years the clown sub-genre has been flipped on it’s head with the release of the Terrifier trilogy. The first film caused a stir when released but the second and third films went on to catapult Art the clown to pop icon status. With that being said, I was never a fan of Art and the Terrifier films though I have yet to see the third installment.
The films have tremendous gore but the story is so fucking weak. Even the second installment, which is overflowing with story, tries too hard to be something it’s not. However, 100 Tears was Terrifier before Terrifier was a thing. It’s a killer clown film with amazing gore but it does something the first film could not and that delivers a decent story.
The acting in this one is a bit inconsistent. It’s not what I would call bad but some of the scenes is a bit stiff while others are better acted. I don’t know if it’s inexperience or the rushing of scenes but they are not consistent from scene to scene. Also, what happened to Raine Brown? I loved to watching her when I started my writing career and haven’t seen her name appear in anything in years. Her imdb shows her most recent film credit is 2017. I’d love to see her make a come back to the indie horror community.
The story for this one is pretty basic but it works and is just enough to get us from kill to kill without boring us to tears. Not to compare this one to Terrifier, but that is my biggest complaint with the film. It has very little story, unlikable characters, and amazing gore while being released a few years after 100 Tears. 100 Tears does delivers what most horror fans are looking for. It’s a coherent story with somewhat likable characters and crazy deaths. The pacing is a bit on the slow side when people are not dying but we have a death scenes frequently to offset that.
Finally, this film has some of the most brutal and graphic deaths I’ve seen. I reviewed this film in 2012 for the first time and I can probably count on one hand the amount of films that has surpassed it in regards to carnage. The effects are top tier and these deaths set the standard for the films I’ve reviewed since my initial viewing. Overall, 100 Tears isn’t as polished as most films with the quality of kills that this one is. While the music is still distracting, the film is a must see for genre fans. I highly recommend this blu release from Unearthed Films.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary with Director Marcus Koch & Stephen Biro
Original Cut
Interview with Director Marcus Koch
Blood, Guts & Greasepaint: Making 100 Tears
Original Behind the Scenes
Additional Behind the Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Marcus Koch’s Childhood Short Films
Trailer
