RIbspreader (2022)- Munsters Weird and Awesome Movies

 

Ribspreader-(2022)

Director: Dick Dale

The Players: Tommy Darwin, Marni Russo, Tess O’Flaherty, Fred Negro, Chantal Contouri

Ribspreader is the brain child of Murder Citys answer to Herschell Gordon Lewis, Dick Dale. I first met Dick back in 2010 when he played at the Arthouse with his South Australian based band Kamikaze. 40 minutes of pure chaos, sleaze and blood, which is wot punk should be. I loved every bit of it. Later I discovered Dales love of cinema, and his film festival, Trasharama, Australias only traveling film festival. Fair to say, I knew a beautiful friendship would develop straightaway.

Dale has been working on this film for around a decade, making it on his own dime and time, until he launched a crowd funding campaign to help him get the production over the line. While he managed to raise a 50k, which is a great achievement, thats small change when it comes to a full length film, and given Dales punk rock attitude, its not surprising his punk DIY ethos is all over this feature length talkie. Dale writes, directs and edits Ribspreader. Several of his mates, some well-known, others drinking buddies, star in the film. Dick is a top bloke and an absolute credit to the indie film scene, so it was brilliant to see people came out in droves to help the great man out.

Regardless of wot I think of the film (review spoiler alert: I loved it), the fact he was able to make a feature length film on his own dime, with help from his friends, not a big, or even small studio, and no grants, is to be commended. So onya DD, you’re a true inspiration.

Now the film:

Bryan (Tommy Darwin) has hit rock bottom. His glory days being a Marlboro Man style spokesmen for a cigarette company are long gone. His mother has just died of lung cancer, and given his past employment of spruiking durrys (you made smoking sexy he/s told), he is blamed for his mothers passing. On top of that, Bryans sole contact is with Gypsy Lee (Marni Russo), who only sees him when he has money to spend on a good time, and will not see him socially. When Bryan is rejected by Gypsy and humiliated at a club by her and the bouncers, Bryan decides to end his life. However, he starts hallucinating and has a Cigarette mascot for a Quit Smoking help line (also voiced By Tommy Darwin), telling Bryan he knows wot he has to do. He believes the way to make up for promoting cigarettes to the world, is to knock off smokers one by one. Bryan mutilates his victims and rips out there lungs, and Ribspreader is born.

While committing mass murder to help society as he sees fit, Bryan must deal with a crime lord who has a roll in who can deal out bodily harm, put up with a rival killer/pervert/flower shop owner, and also encounter punks, freaks and several degenerates. While all this mayhem and blood is going on, the head of Police, played by Fred Negro, can/t seem to end the crime sprees. Aving known Fred for a while and hearing stories of his dealings with the law, he specks like a man who has dealt with the law many a times. The mayor of this town also offers little comfort in putting an end to all this mess, played by the great Lloyd Kauffman.

As said, the film did not ave the biggest of budgets, so the blood and splat here is not super gruesome. While it does ave a high body count, the violence here is over the top, but not too violent, which for me is the way to go when you/re going for a comedic take. Dale in his introduction said it was a real Adelaide film, and the city shines in this film. Given the strong punk community in murder city, the city did come alive in the film and could not image another state producing a film like this.

Darwin is brilliant here as the pathetic rubble of a man that is Bryan and then the man on a mission in Ribspreader. Two roles really in one film and he does an amazing job. The films also filled with cameos from Spencer P Jones, Rat Scabies and Chad Morgan, all who do their roles well, and not just a cheap hey there’s so in so walking by. All contribute even if they only ave a few seconds of screen time, which is a credit to Dale for knowing talent and how to use it best.

This is a top video nasty. Given the gore it certainly won/t be for everyone/s liking, but for me, I loved it. Full of splat, humor, punk rock and Adelaide vibes. Fans of Lloyd Kauffmans Nuke Em High and the Toxic Avenger, and Peter Jacksons New Zealand work will love this.

 

Again DD, congratulations. Look forward to another beer with you when you’re in Melbourne.