This is a diverting, delightfully bad horror/parody centered around metal music. Released in 2015 and written & directed by Jason Lei Howden, "Deathgasm” follows a group of teenagers in Auckland, New Zealand, who form an extreme metal band called Deathgasm and unintentionally unleash dark forces that take over the people living nearby. "Deathgasm” incorporates elements from “Evil Dead II” (1987), “Trick or Treat” (1986) and "Braindead” aka “Dead Alive” (1992). Despite some vulgar and tasteless moments, there are genuinely funny scenes—like the Peter Criss joke and a photo shoot in the woods—and plenty of black comedy. The film acknowledges numerous important bands, with some deserving recognition more than others: Death, Judas Priest, Bathory, Slayer, GWAR, Cannibal Crap, among many others. Even Def Leppard gets a mention, which might seem strange, but it shows Howden’s open-mindedness; after all, they were definitely a metal band during their early albums, even if not extreme metal. Florida's Trivium is repeatedly referenced, suggesting they are popular in New Zealand—less so in the USA, though they remain a strong metal act. The band’s name, Deathgasm, seems to be an homage to Wargasm and Death or Death Angel. The main character, Brodie (Milo Cawthorne), resembles a younger Alice Cooper mixed with Keith Deen, vocalist for Holy Terror (R.I.P.), while his friend, Zakk (James Blake), looks like a pale version of Conan the Barbarian. Kimberley Crossman is cute, curvy and strong as the blonde female character, but the camera rarely focuses on her beauty, unfortunately. There’s the common misconception that Christianity and Christians are against metal, yet Black Sabbath started the genre with overtly pro-Christian songs such as “After Forever” and “War Pigs.” Just look at the lyrics if you don't believe it. Or consider the ending of "Hallowed Be Thy Name." There are also many other excellent metal bands that have incorporated biblical themes positively, including Cage, Trouble, Megadeth, W.A.S.P., Saint, Tourniquet, Bride, Saviour Machine, Living Sacrifice, Antestor, Zao, Seventh Angel, Theocracy, Barnabas, Believer, Overkill, Deadly Blessing, Avenged Sevenfold and (of course) Stryper. It’s worth noting that I didn't say they were all "Christian bands," just that they have all openly expressed biblical themes at times. To put it simply, the idea that metal is inherently anti-God is ridiculous. Christianity has been a part of the genre from the very beginning. If you don’t live in New Zealand or Australia, the accents can be difficult to understand, so subtitles might be helpful. The movie runs for 1 hour and 26 minutes and was filmed entirely in west Auckland. The soundtrack features several New Zealand bands that are unknown outside of the area. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB