THE BALLAD OF SKINLESS PETE (2013)
THE BALLAD OF SKINLESS PETE
“…Re-animator and The Fly had a cOOl Ugly baby…”
“…A twist on black comedy that mixes laughs with tragedy…”
2013 saw the release of this seemingly popular entry by Director Dustin Mills. Dustin himself was astounded at the success of this release, such is the view of many artists with their work.
Likewise, when this one hit “Well Downunder” to Scratchy’s DVD player, it fitted so very, very well. Reminiscent of many films from that great 70’s and 80’s era, this one could slot in well, but makes a more important statement in 2013 and stands out from the crowd with it being so very nicely “different”.
Not huge budget driven and yet effective, the story follows Dr Peter Peele and Dr Alice Cross and their work in the scientific field that may well lead to the discovery of the cure for cancer. Now with names like that, you know the film is happy to take a good laugh in its own direction. Dead pan one liners in amongst humorous scenario’s only add to the fun.
A cancer grows on Peter’s shoulder and a strange worm that feeds on flesh may just help him heal.
Laugh out loud when you see the worm (that purposefully looks the way it does) dissected. How does that much “gut” come out of such a small thing…
And continues to come out…
Watch the thieving of equipment and the “burglar run”…you cant help smile when the “Boss” tells them when there is no more $$ for their experiments to…
“Grab a stray Cat – inject it and move up from there”…
“We’re fucked”…
The lead actors acting which especially true of Dr Peele, is just so “matter of fact”. It’s excellent and fits in well with the whole theme.
A love once known still rests awkwardly with Pete. His heart has been broken by Alice and yet with the sexy Olivia, he still gets his fill. The full womanly form on show, teasing and yet the shyness of Alice shown the same way, lovely.
Temptation to test a cure takes the well-known format and the effects of same show in graphic detail on Pete and his unsuspecting “victims”.
Enjoy Pete’s clever and cunning disguise…yellow dishwashing gloves, a black hoodie under a white doctors gown, plastic bags over his feet and sunglasses over his “specially sliced off” flapping mask…. a new “visible/invisible” man! Excellent sound effects and music accompany the making of that adornment!
You probably didn’t even recognise him…
Bet you want to look at him…
In the flesh…
And suspense has been solved.
I never realised that a woman’s true survival kit consisted of..
A condom.
A can of mace.
A tampon.
Believe me, that’s all she needs.
Poor “Itchy” the dog never had a chance when experimentation was undertaken on her…eyes wide before it begins…eyes wider when the effects take place. Still, with a name like “Itchy”, and with all that skin peel, you just know…
Say no more.
Still intent on winning her over, Pete in his deformed state wants to have dinner with Alice – he has a special outfit for her and she will need all her womanly charms and cunning to escape from the Prison he has forced her to be part of.
A photo of “togetherness”…
A reminder of days gone by…
Together.
He goes out to buy food. A man on the verge of scientific genius, yet lacking any true self worth – something missing…
a real relationship, a real love…
in return.
“You should see the looks they gave me at the drive through window”….
and yet he needs food of a very different kind and has perfected “the gobble” to partake…
He persecutes Alice for not loving him, just as he has persecuted the Boss “You’re a rich white man with a gun. You’re a cliché”…
and yet it is him who is the cliché…his “Fly” like actions as he tweaks and twitches…
He simply doesn’t understand love and that friendship “does not obligate me to fuck you”.
You feel for him – the desire and needing of love and acceptance and just 3 simple words.
A flawed yet superior being needs a “mate” though…
“This is solely a procreative act. I have a new means to impregnate you as I lost my traditional reproductive organs weeks ago”…
Lucky Alice…bound to the table, naked, vulnerable, her legs opened, vagina exposed…
Ready to receive…
Something so naturally unnatural…
Rotting, decaying…
Realistically unrealistic.
Something snaps. Reality takes shape and a new learning begins…
At last, can there be fulfilment?
Yes, even in rot, blood and tears, I really think…
There can be.
Most definitely.
With great effects, superior acting from the two leads interacting in opposite and yet the same directions, the film is riddled with clever irony, a great look back…
and a very positive step forward.
I can quite understand why this has become one of Dustin’s most popular titles.
It sat very positively with me.
I simply said “wow, that was Cool”.
And it was.
“…He was looking for a cure. What he found was a curse…”
Says the tagline. An irony in itself as I believe a cure was most definitely found.
“Scratchy” Pete Feb 2014
