Bliss

Being one that loves any type of vampire film this one was done exceptionally well in the dark setting he chose and the actress that portrayed the main character! This is one trippy dark ride in the city of Angels!

Look, there's not really a lot that happens in Bliss. There's a lot of setup, especially for a horror movie, and you have to wait a while for it to pay off. At times reminiscent of Starry Eyes, Bliss is three-quarters drama-- but then, aren't us horror fans always telling our judgmental friends that drama and horror aren't that different? Horror is just tragedy written all-caps.

But this isn't anything you'd call slow burn. It's not understated. It's loud. It's in your face. There's a lot of blood. There are a lot of boobs. There are a lot of bloody boobs. And there's no apology for any of that, not in Bliss-- there's exultation.

Eventually, I guess, Bliss is supernatural horror, playing around a popular enough trope, adding it's own fresh take on the (frankly tired) canon. I'd tell you more, except maybe you don't want to be spoiled. But really, it doesn't matter, not for this film. It's not about the plot, not about any kind of twist. It's about the character and the imagery.

There are a few reasons why Bliss really works. First, the lead is perfect. "Angsty," yes, but not to the point of parody. Madison takes us along for the ride in a way that few could. Second, the visuals are stunning. Part of this is filming. Part of it is editing. Most of it is just having the guts to follow the vision. If Bliss is part Starry Eyes, it's equally part Beyond the Black Rainbow: style above all.

Dezzy (Dora Madison) is a struggling artist. The muse seems to have deserted her. She spends her time high as a kite, having sex, listening to chunky grunge music and swearing. A lot. To have a good time, or to cope with a bad time, she meets up with others just like herself. Together, they get as high as a kite, have sex and listen to chunky grunge music. Oh, and they swear a lot. So much so that, at the beginning of the film, their stream of endless profanities and imaginatively arranged expletives are riotously funny - until you get used to it and it just becomes irritating. In between all these pastimes, they talk about themselves endlessly. Who would have thought being so 'bad' could be so boring?

That's the characters, though, not this film. 'Bliss' moves along at a brisk pace. 'Norm' (George Wendt) turns up as 'Pop' for the briefest time. Even he is surrounded by thick cigarette smoke and a whirl of bad language. Director Joe Begos clearly wants us to become as immersed in this grindhouse lifestyle as possible. There are eccentric camera angles and fast edits to create for us a disorientating world. There's even a warning for epileptics at the beginning.

I enjoyed the film. It's a slow build-up. Yes, we understand - these characters are hardcore! But it is a convincing environment and the horror, when it comes, alongside some excellent gore effects, is effective and above all - does something different.

It isn't possible to sympathise with someone who takes so many narcotics just so she can function enough to take *more* narcotics - and then complains, in the strongest possible terms of course, that she is not well. I get the impression, though, we're not being asked to sympathise with her. Whether we care about her is up to us - she is presented as what she is: take it or leave it. In real life, I would definitely leave it, but in this film, it is interesting to see where her increasingly deadly trips - and her equally immersive art - are taking her.

Nothing is particularly obvious in this movie until late on when the story explodes.

The acting - especially by Dora Madison - is excellent throughout with believable characters that take you into their disturbed lives.

This movie is a conceptual idea of horror from beginning to end without the cliches and with superb production.

If you like something different on your movie menu this is certainly one to watch.

I get it - Why tell a movie in straight-forward fashion when you have have poor lightning, aggravating camera angles, Super-8-quality film-making, and scenes so dark, oddly-colored and unclear that it looked like it was shot in a psychedelic cave? 'Bliss' is all this and then some. I actually liked the acting of the lead painter; I think she'll go places. The rest of the cast? Not so much. (Norm was wasted in this flick!) There was an interesting, though half-done story in there somewhere, but it collapsed under the sheer weight of the drugs, profanity and violence. 'Bliss' isn't recommended unless you're a gorehound. In that case, you'll get your money's worth.