Franklin: A Symphony of Pain

 

 

Franklin: A Symphony of Pain appeared on my cinematic radar via a thread here at Extreme Horror Cinema in the Underground Horror Films forum. With the promise of  “…viewer and protagonist walk hand-in-hand on a brutal quest for truth as they are subjected to a succession of incidences akin to Alice’s hallucinogenic journey through Wonderland with some torturous acts of ultra-violence along the way…” and a great looking trailer I just knew I needed to have my experience and share it here! 

 

Approaching their Face Book page for my request soon I was gifted with the opportunity. 

 

Franklin: A Symphony of Pain is the debut feature length film for underground filmmaker, writer and director Jeremy Westrate of The Lavender Handle Collective. Jeremy has two short films under his belt as well. Those being Bunny in the Green, Green Grass (2013) and Magnum Opus (2013). Nicholas Franklin, who stars as the name sake of the title, features in both films.

 

Jeremy started out by writing the segment My Aunt is Coming to Town underground / Indie horror anthology Theatre of the Deranged II (2013). He was also the writer for Christopher Leto’s Rough Cut (2013).

 

As part of the creative process Franklin: A Symphony of Pain has three writers on the team. Naturally as mentioned Jeremy Westrate as well as Richard R. Anasky and Sean Donohue. Richard wrote for his own film Actress Apocalypse (2005) along with upcoming film, Garo Nigoghossian’s Dangerous People. As for Sean Donohue he has three features to his name; Joe Vampire (2012), Die Die Delta Pi (2013) and Death-scort Service (2015)…a favourite of mine from 2015 and one I have reviewed for EHC Reviews & Interviews not so long ago. He has also created a number of shorts. 

 

Starring in Franklin: A Symphony of Pain is Nicholas Franklin who has featured in Jeremy’s before mentioned short films. Alongside Nicholas are a lot of regulars from earlier films of all three writers and director including Bob Glazier ~ Die Die Delta Pi (2013), Amerikan Holokaust (2013), Death-scort Service (2015),  Ashley Lynn Caputo ~ Joe Vampire (2012), Amerikan Holokaust (2013) American Guinea Pig: Bouquet of Guts and Gore (2014), and Krystal Pixie Adams ~ Joe Vampire (2012), Naughty, Dirty, Nasty (2014) and Death-scort Service (2015), just to name a few. All of these guys are quite busy with a host of other films as well worth looking into!  Both Bob and Ashley will feature in the upcoming Tim Ritter and  Scott Tepperman‘s I Dared You! Truth or Dare Part 5  (2016). Bob and Krystal will both feature in Christopher Leto‘s The Ritual (2016?)

 

Bob plays filthy degenerate perfectly, in Franklin: A Symphony of Pain he is more the straight, clean cut, looking pervert! 

 

“Welcome to where you are!”

 

Two men, one armed with a camera, the other a syringe, take a man on a drug fuelled trip. Day by day Franklin experiences sexual, mental and physical torments. 

 

Past fragmented memories of an early experience of sexual abuse Franklin re-lives his memories in an abstract way. Rape, mutilation and bondage race across the screen as Franklin’s memories rip forth. 

 

“Monkey, go get the Wood Bitch!”

 

Franklin: A Symphony of Pain is a modern take on Alice in Wonderland told through the eyes of a man being drawn into a dark past. His memories twisted and tangled by a drug fuelled haze. Each day passes with a new torment. Each Symphony of pain has Franklin envision his experiences in differing forms. 

 

As is the style of my new way of reviewing I will deal with the negatives first!

 

I suppose if you get offended by a guy getting raped in the arse by the woman in a wooden mask and a branch as a dildo called The Wood Bitch then maybe this isn’t for you! Each segment of the storyline is a new experience in torment for Franklin. So if you expect a straight forwards storyline maybe look elsewhere as well.

 

Yes the man rape scene is nicely done; guys, imagining this stick being used to fuck up your arse till it bleeds! You don’t see full anal penetration but it is seriously nicely done…if you could call it nice! 

 

But for me all of this along with a lot more all added up to an amazing experience for me. Films like Franklin: A Symphony of Pain which get the brain synapses firing really pull me in. Especially right at the end when all the pieces are brought together. 

 

Visually Franklin: A Symphony of Pain was so amazing, a psychedelic experience in one man’s torment. His mind and memories malformed by drugs. His memories in fact are totally fucked around with! From the opening credits I knew I was in for a treat!

 

Loved the use of the masks by the different characters and evolutions of Franklin’s drug fuelled thought processes. Along with the masks there are a TONNE of amazing conversations that are so damned quotable, I would re-watch Franklin: A Symphony of Pain simply to get some awesome quotes to apply in fitting situations!

 

For the gore freak there are some really nice experiences in here that fit into the whole storyline without them appearing to be just there for the money shot. A woman playing with a knife, Franklin with his eyeball hanging out along the way was done so damned well! I think Marcus Koch might have been involved in some way behind the scenes as he got a thanks at the end. But then that could have been out of inspiration. 

 

Really don’t want to talk too much about Franklin: A Symphony of Pain as I feel people need to have the full experience themselves. By the end I went fuck with what ends up transpiring! Each segment adds up to this moment of opening the eyes. That for some life can be pretty fucked up and the torment continues in its own ways fuelled by others needs! 

 

Franklin: A Symphony of Pain IS an experience in psychological torment that some experience for real in this life! Franklin tells it from the perspective of the victim and tells it well!

 

Franklin: A Symphony of Pain is one of those films that drew me into the Underground scene in the first place. An experience outside of the normal! A film that made me go fuck and had me glued to the screen. Jeremy Westrate brought to the screen what he and his fellow writers envisioned. A journey into one man’s thought patterns mangled by drugs. A visual and auditory experience that was capped off nicely! Want an experience that is a bit outside the norm then go grab a copy when you can!

 

Thanks to, I suspect Jeremy, or whoever, who allowed me to experience Franklin: A Symphony of Pain. This film belongs in my memory and Best Underground / Indie Release of 2016!

 

Franklin: A Symphony of Pain is due for release in January, 2016. Keep an eye open on the Franklin: A Symphony of Pain (2015) thread in the Underground Horror Films forum http://extremehorrorcinema.com/index.php?topic=3904.msg47448;topicseen#new for updates. Naturally you can check out the trailer and find all the important links within! Show support to Jeremy Westrate and the talented people he brought together by visiting the Franklin: A Symphony of Pain Face Book Page and hitting the like.