When it comes to gross-out special FX, Gabe Bartalos is a legend. His unique and instantly recognizable work can be seen in films like Basket Case parts 2 and 3, Brain Damage, Spookies, and Leprechaun parts 1-4. His work is a large part of what makes the films of Frank Henenlotter so special and the gags in the first four Leprechaun movies so incredibly wild and memorable. What fans may not know is that Bartalos is also a director, having helmed two original films. His latest, Saint Bernard, is a completely whacked-out trip that fans of subversive experimental cinema are sure to love.
It’s only fair to start a review of this film by firmly stating, this film is probably not for everyone. It relishes in the absence of a proper “story” and instead sees the main character walking from one surreal circumstance to the next, all culminating to an ending that sheds some light on what you just witnessed. Saint Bernard follows Bernard (Jason Dugre), a classical music conductor, as he wanders around town toting a cloth sack with a severed dog head in it. I told you this was a strange one. Along the way, Bernard encounters a host of bizarre people, creatures, and predicaments.
Since this is a Bartalos film, Saint Bernard has no shortage of cool and interesting make-up FX. These are the centerpiece of the film. Being that the film is such a non-traditional narrative, Bartalos and company are able to really stretch their legs and present some truly unbelievable set-pieces. Viewers are served some really gruesome gore, a big bean-shaped creature defecating like a geyser, a nauseatingly gross severed Saint Bernard head, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking for a film that’s essentially a showcase of nasty FX, this one is for you.
While Saint Bernard is certainly rooted in horror, there is a satisfying amount of humor here.The film is sure to delight fans of irreverent humor like the Greasy Strangler, Rubber, and the works of awkward comedy titans, Tim & Eric. You may be nervously laughing, but you’ll be laughing none the less. Bartalos has also infused this movie with some not-so-subtle symbolic criticism of religion, capitalism, law enforcement, and other hot button issues. The statements are on-the-nose, but they are so absurd that viewers are sure to get a rise from them.
Saint Bernard is a truly unique film. It’s like watching an Alejandro Jodorowsky movie, if Jodorowsky was really into yucky FX-heavy horror flicks. It’s gross, weird, daring, often funny, and occasionally quite shocking. If you fancy yourself a fan of strange and subversive films, you gotta see this.
The film releases on Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms on May 14th from Severin Films. Check out a new clip featuring Warwick Davis and Jason Dugre below!
Related Article: 25 Years Later, ‘Leprechaun’ is Cinematic Gold
