Inspired by the 1982 Robert Beckowitz murder case, The Degenerates is an ode to pseudo-snuff and found footage film that showcases the exploits of a couple who recently murdered a man to use the body as a toy of entertainment for their drug fueled honeymoon.
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Jonathan Doe's second instalment of the Erotic Grotesque Nonsense series is loosely based off the Robert Beckowitz murder case: a supremely nasty nightmare involving Robert's girlfriend and best friend murdering him then spending the weekend in a hotel room with his corpse getting high, messing around with the body, and taking snap shots that led to them eventually getting arrested. So really what we have is the perfect backdrop for some vile defilement.
The camcorder footage is lovingly degraded, the dismembered corpse looks painfully realistic, and Felicia Fisher and Doe are game to just giggle, smoke drugs, and piss all over the remains of their brutalized victim.
This is some extreme cinema, so it's a testament to Doe's artistic eye…
syd told me i should watch something from jonathan doe so i decided to throw this on! i enjoyed it, i don’t watch too much pseudo snuff but this felt pretty refreshing for the genre thanks to the fun and bubbly improv from felicia fisher. at times you’ll almost forget that there’s a putrid dismembered corpse on the ground that’s been pissed all over thanks to felicia's funny dialogue and fashion show breaks <3 she truly stole the show but i can’t not mention how great the sfx was. saw james bell credited at the end for the gore which reminded me i should check out some of his films as well.
For years I wanted to know more about the famous photo of a naked woman squatting next to a dead body, which was obviously real, after having seen it so many times used for grindcore album artwork and such. Until I saw an online review for this movie, quite by chance, I still had no idea the context. Happy (or, let's say, satisfied) that I finally had all the grisly details, I ended up snagging a DVD.
When The Degenerates starts, the killer couple have already dismembered a corpse, so we're just left with them dicking around the crime scene with a camcorder for 50 minutes. Definitely gross and full of bodily fluids, there's really nothing much else to it. What do you expect when it's part of a series of videos called "Erotic Grotesque Nonsense"? A little plot and more ambition could've done wonders.
Great acting, awesome improvised dialouge, and some disturbing and creative scenes. Well worth your time.
Great effort that shows the pseudo-snuff genre has plenty of room for creativity and diversity. Feels reminiscent of the first torture scene from August Underground, with its “look at this body I have” vibes. However, the malice of AU is nowhere to be found. In fact The Degenerates feels like a cheerful analogue to AU’s own trademark nihilism. JD and FF have great chemistry, and the prop/effects are very convincing. Properly disturbing and gross, this is evidently a genuine effort made by a talented creator with a passion for the genre.
Fuzzy lil fucked up true crime inspired snuffy fetish flick starring JD himself, pornstar Felicia Fisher, a corpse, a camera, and a motel room!!!!
First time I tried to watch this, I was in mixed-ish company and pretty much had no choice but to turn it off once it got too horny...
That's a pro not a con tho, I would have been pretty letdown if everyone in the room that day had been receptive to the content on this disc lol.
I have Barf Bunny, Defilement of a Porcelain Doll, and The Art of Self Harm all in the watchpile. Looking forward to all 3, but especially Self Harm.
A home movie found in the gutter, all VHS grime and high pitched whine. It's a plot-less meander like most home movies are, but this one has a naked Felicia Fisher vomiting on a corpse instead of your grandma eating cake.
