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Absurd (film)
Absurd (film)
Absurd (film)
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Absurd (Rosso Sangue)
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoe D'Amato
Screenplay byGeorge Eastman[1]
Story byGeorge Eastman[1]
Produced byJoe D'Amato
Donatella Donati
Edward Sarlui
Starring
CinematographyJoe D'Amato[1]
Edited byAlberto Moriani [it][1]
Music byCarlo Maria Cordio [it][1]
Production
companies
P.C.M. International
Metaxa Corporation[2]
Distributed byCinema 80[3]
Release date
  • October 1981 (1981-10) (Italy)
[citation needed]
Running time
96 minutes[citation needed]
CountryItaly
LanguageEnglish[3]

Absurd (Italian: Rosso Sangue, literal translation: Blood Red; also known as Anthropophagus 2, Zombie 6: Monster Hunter, Horrible, and The Grim Reaper 2) is a 1981 English-language Italian slasher film directed, lensed, and co-produced by Joe D'Amato and starring George Eastman, who also wrote the story and screenplay.[4]

Plot

[edit]

Mikos Stenopolis is a man who was experimented on in a church-sanctioned scientific experiment that gave him healing powers but inadvertently drove him insane. The Vatican priest who helped create him pursues the homicidal Mikos to a small American town, attempting to kill him by impaling him on a set of railings that disembowel him. Still, he revives later in a local hospital. After brutally murdering a nurse, the madman escapes and goes on a killing spree. The priest informs the hospital and authorities that the only way to kill Mikos is to "destroy the cerebral mass."

While attacking a motorcyclist after escaping from the hospital, Mikos is struck by a hit-and-run driver. The car's driver, Mr. Bennett, and his wife are going to a friend's house for a Super Bowl viewing party, leaving their two children at home with a babysitter. Their daughter Katya is confined to her bed because of a problem with her spine, while her younger brother believes that the "Bogeyman" is coming to get him.

Mikos makes his way to the Bennetts' home and, upon recognizing Mr. Bennett's car, begins to murder everyone there. Peggy, the babysitter, is stabbed in the head with a pickaxe, and Emily, a nurse who has been caring for Katya, has her head forced into a lit oven and is stabbed in the throat with a pair of scissors, but not before sending the brother off to get help. Katya struggles to get out of bed to take on the killer herself. Mikos breaks into Katya's bedroom and attacks her, but she manages to stab him in the eyes with a set of drawing compasses. She then stumbles down the hallway as the blinded killer staggers after her. He stalks her through the house, but Katya manages to elude him. The priest arrives and struggles with Mikos, and Katya grabs an axe from a decorative suit of armor and decapitates Mikos with it. The police and the rest of the family arrive to discover Katya standing in the doorway, covered in blood, holding Mikos's severed head.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

George Eastman, the film's protagonist and writer, remembers that director and producer Joe D'Amato wanted it to be a proper sequel to Antropophagus (1980) whereas Eastman himself was opposed. D'Amato then only asked him to act in it, but when Eastman read the treatment that someone had written, he found it so bad that he decided to write one himself for D'Amato.[3] Eastman then remembers rewriting it "from scratch, like one of those American thrillers, Halloween style".[3]

The shooting took place in May 1981 in a relatively short period of time.[3] Eastman remembers that the whole film was shot at nighttime.[3] The two child actors, Katia and Kasimir Berger, were the children of William Berger.[5]

Michele Soavi, who played a biker in the film, went on to become a successful Italian horror film director in his own right. D'Amato later produced Soavi's first directorial effort, Stage Fright, which he said was "...out of all the films I produced, my favorite, and Soavi is the most talented out of all the young directors I've launched....I think very highly of him."[5]

Absurd was the first film D'Amato directed spoken in English,[3] as it was conceived almost exclusively for the foreign market.[5]

At one point during the shoot, according to D'Amato's personal documents, the film's working title was La porta dell'oltretomba (literally: "The Door of the Beyond").[3]

The house in which most of the film is set was located at Fiano Romano near Rome.[3] Donatella Donati remembered it belonged to some girls who used to rent it out as a film set.[3] A few months later, in the summer of 1981, the same set was used in the three adult films Baby sitter, Pat una donna particolare and ...e il terzo gode directed by Alberto Cavallone under the pseudonym "Baron Corvo".[3][6]

D'Amato produced the film with his "P.C.M. International" (the acronym standing for "Produzioni Cinematografiche Massaccesi"), which he had already used to produce Sesso nero and Antropophagus, while Edward Sarlui provided additional funding with his Panamanian company Metaxa Corporation and acted as shield - so much so that the film never became Italian and ended up being officially Panamanian.[3] However, D'Amato later twisted it back his way and distributed it with his company "Cinema 80".[3]

Relation to Anthropophagus

[edit]

Absurd is in many ways only a spiritual sequel to Anthropophagus. Connections between the two films are the following: George Eastman's and Joe D'Amato's involvement; the presence of a murderer, played by George Eastman in effectively the same role as the one he played in the first film, the disemboweled man, and the association with a Greek island in both films.[7] Author Jim Harper felt "the film drew many of its ideas from Halloween (1978) rather than from Anthropophagous and that "it generally worked against the film."[8]

Joe D'Amato attempted to make the film more attractive to the American market by setting it in the United States, even though it was shot in Italy.[9][10]

Release

[edit]

Italy

[edit]

Absurd passed censorship on October 21, 1981.[1]

Theatrically, Absurd was released as Rosso Sangue in October 1981 in Italy.[citation needed] It was distributed by D'Amato's company Cinema 80, which he mostly used to produce hardcore pornographic films.[3]

On VHS, the film was released by Avo and Cinemanetwork.[1]

UK

[edit]

Absurd was originally released in both a cut and uncut version with identical sleeve design by Medusa Home Video in 1981.[citation needed] The original tape is much sought after and is an expensive collectible among fans.[citation needed] In its uncut state, Absurd was placed on the DPP's list of video nasties in 1983, but that same year a version was released theatrically with two minutes and 23 seconds of cuts. Still, Absurd was one of the video nasties of the United Kingdom and became one of 39 titles to be successfully prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Acts in 1984.[11]

In 2016, the UK company 88 Films Ltd conducted a crowdfunding campaign for a new mastering of the film in 2k.[12] The goal was reached quickly and surpassed, and the additional budget was used to add four other films. The BBFC rated Absurd with the BBFC '18' classification with no cuts necessary. That was the first time for the film in the UK. Previously, it was censored with that rating. The new Blu-ray, released by 88 Films, had its street date on February 13, 2017.[13]

Other countries

[edit]

In the United States, Absurd was released on VHS by Wizard Video under the title Monster Hunter.[citation needed] The film was also considered, at the time of its home video release, as a "sequel" to the Zombi series, under the title Zombie 6: Monster Hunter. An incorrect description on the back of the box promoted the film as a sequel to those zombie films.[citation needed] On September 25, 2018, the film was released on Blu-ray by Severin Films, limited to 3000 copies.[14]

In Germany, the film was released on DVD by Astro.[1]

An uncut DVD version of the film was released under the French title, Horrible, via Mya Communication on July 28, 2009.[citation needed] Also, an uncut DVD version including a long version of the film was released under the German title Absurd via XT-Video on December 15, 2010.[citation needed]

Reception

[edit]

On its release, some critics accused the film of being nothing more than an Italian version of Halloween. There are some similarities between the two films – references to a 'Bogeyman' and a babysitter and her charges in peril from a silent and seemingly indestructible killer.[citation needed]

To add to its fame, the film inspired the name for German black metal act Absurd, whose members later switched their interest from gore films to far-right extremism and committed murder in 1993.[15]

In 2001, Peter Dendle called the film a "boring formula-slasher."[16]

In his book on slasher movies published in 2004, Jim Harper opined that it was "a marginally better film than Anthropophagous" mainly because of its slightly improved pacing, with "gruelling special effects every twelve minutes or so" - which Harper, however, also criticizes as "dull and repetitive". According to Harper, D'Amato's camerawork is "as inept as ever", and "any humour [...] entirely unintentional".[17]

In 2012, Peter Normanton wrote: "While hopelessly limited by the constraints of an inadequate budget, [D'Amato] was still able to deliver the American-styled slasher, with script-writer George Eastman [...] engaging just enough narrative to allow the psychopath to stray between a series of set pieces as he killed off a predominantly youthful supporting cast."[18]

Critic Jim Harper opined, "(Absurd) boasts a more interesting plot (than Anthropophagous) and thankfully does not contain over an hour of dull holiday footage. This time the murders are spaced more evenly throughout the film, making it less of a chore to sit through".[8]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Absurd (film)

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
is a 1981 Italian directed, photographed, and co-produced by under the pseudonym Peter Newton, with a screenplay written by and starring as Mikos, a test subject granted rapid regenerative abilities through experimental procedures conducted in a church-affiliated . The narrative centers on Mikos's escape into a nearby town, where his indestructible nature enables a series of brutal killings targeting vulnerable individuals such as nurses and a babysitter protecting an infant, pursued by Father Hellman, a involved in the original experiments. Produced on a low budget as an unofficial follow-up to D'Amato's earlier gore-heavy Anthropophagus (1979), which also featured Eastman in a cannibalistic role, Absurd exemplifies Italian exploitation cinema's emphasis on visceral effects and minimal narrative coherence over polished storytelling. The film's graphic depictions of , , and other hyper-violent acts, achieved through practical effects, contributed to its classification as one of the UK's "Video Nasties," leading to an outright ban following the Video Recordings Act of 1984 for purported moral corruption via excessive bloodshed. Despite lacking mainstream acclaim or box-office success, Absurd has garnered a among horror enthusiasts for its unapologetic extremity and D'Amato's prolific output in the genre, though remains dismissive, with contemporary ratings averaging around 5/10 on aggregate sites due to perceived amateurism in acting and pacing. Its legacy includes indirect cultural influence, such as inspiring the name of the German band Absurd, which later became notorious for real-world criminal acts.

Synopsis

Plot summary

Mikos Stenopolis, a Greek subject of clandestine church-sanctioned genetic experiments involving fetal stem cells, possesses rapid regenerative abilities that render him nearly indestructible except through destruction of his cerebral mass; driven insane with murderous impulses, he escapes pursuit by Father Leopoldo Ribon, a involved in the program. Severely injured during the chase, Mikos is admitted to a in a rural American town, where surgeons witness his wounds healing instantaneously from catastrophic trauma, including evisceration. He then kills a nurse by severing her head with surgical tools and flees. The arrives and briefs local authorities, including Dr. Heinrich, on Mikos's origins and the necessity of destruction to end him permanently. Mikos proceeds with a spree of brutal killings: crushing a motorcyclist's against a , bisecting a using a , and murdering in a house—one by locking her in an oven to burn alive—exhibiting tendencies by consuming viscera. He next targets the Williams family home, where newborn baby has just been delivered; after slaying family members and staff in graphic dismemberments, Mikos advances on the infant. In the confrontation, the , doctor, and sheriff overpower Mikos temporarily; Dr. Heinrich performs an impromptu , but regeneration persists until the is immersed in , dissolving the cerebral mass and terminating the creature. The film echoes thematic elements of and features recurring actor from the unrelated Anthropophagus, positioning it as a thematic loose .

Production

Development

Following the commercial success of Anthropophagus (1980), which featured extreme gore sequences that resonated with international audiences, director (Aristide Massaccesi) and frequent collaborator (Luigi Montefiori) re-teamed to produce Absurd as a , retaining Eastman's portrayal of an indestructible while shifting focus to regenerative horror elements. This decision was driven by D'Amato's exploitation filmmaking strategy, which prioritized replicating visceral shocks to exploit market demand for low-cost, high-impact Italian horror rather than intricate plotting. Eastman authored both the story and , crafting a around a mutilated, surgically altered figure with unnatural abilities—evoking a modern —pursued through suburban settings by a relentless , thereby blending classical horror tropes with contemporary slasher mechanics tailored to budgetary limitations. occurred amid D'Amato's intense 1981 output, which included several horror and erotic titles like Caligula II: The Forbidden , underscoring his assembly-line approach where practical effects and rapid scripting took precedence to enable quick shoots and distribution. This phase positioned Absurd within D'Amato's early 1980s horror pivot, emphasizing gore spectacle over character development to maximize returns on minimal investment.

Filming and techniques

Absurd was filmed primarily in the region of , utilizing local villas and structures to simulate a generic Western suburban environment, including a and residential areas intended to evoke an American setting, though the European architecture often undermined this illusion. The production adopted an English-language approach from the outset to facilitate international distribution, a common strategy in Italian genre cinema of the era to bypass costs and broaden appeal. Director , under the pseudonym Peter Newton, also handled , employing work and natural lighting to capture the film's frantic pace and intimate kill scenes. Practical effects dominated the gore sequences, with D'Amato relying on prosthetics, simulated blood, and rudimentary materials like animal organs from butchers to depict graphic violence, including dismemberments and surgical experiments, without resorting to genuine harm. These techniques yielded visceral results suited to the low-budget constraints, such as the use of fake viscera for eviscerations, contributing to the film's reputation for explicit, unrefined splatter. Production dual-shot versions with varying levels of violence—milder for European markets and more intense for exports like the United States—to navigate differing censorship regimes. The shooting schedule exemplified Italian exploitation efficiency, commencing in spring 1981 and wrapping within weeks to minimize costs, which led to on-set improvisations for action and effects amid limited resources and crew. This haste prioritized raw energy over polished execution or safety measures, fostering the film's chaotic aesthetic while reflecting broader causal pressures of financial expediency in the genre.

Connection to Anthropophagus

Absurd shares principal creative figures with Anthropophagus (1980), including direction by Aristide Massaccesi (credited as ) and the central role of Luigi Montefiori (stage name ) as an indestructible, viscera-exposing killer. Both films were co-written by D'Amato and Eastman, establishing a foundational template for graphic sequences and relentless pursuit motifs that recur across Italian exploitation horror of the era. Despite these overlaps, Absurd lacks any plot continuity with Anthropophagus, introducing instead a science fiction-inflected narrative centered on experimental medical intervention rendering the antagonist impervious to injury, absent the prior film's isolated island cannibalism premise. Thematic echoes persist in the portrayal of an inexorable murderer driven by primal hunger, but these serve as stylistic homage rather than causal linkage, with Absurd's killer exhibiting cybernetic resilience over mere savagery. The film's promotion as Anthropophagus 2 in international markets, including titles like The Grim Reaper 2 and Zombie 6: , stemmed from commercial imperatives to leverage Anthropophagus's infamy amid Italy's late-1970s to early-1980s boom in low-budget horror exports. This tactic, common in the genre, prioritized box-office draw over narrative fidelity, as evidenced by divergent casts and settings that preclude canonical status. Eastman's own reflections in interviews affirm the project's roots in exploiting prior gore aesthetics without intending strict plotting inheritance.

Cast and crew

Principal cast

George Eastman portrayed Mikos Stenopolis, the laboratory-escaped mutant with regenerative abilities central to the film's horror elements. played Emily, the mother defending her family amid the creature's rampage. appeared as Father Ritter, the priest-scientist tracking and attempting to contain the subject.
ActorRole
Mikos Stenopolis
Emily
Father Ritter
Charles BorromelSgt. Ben Engleman
Katia Bennett
Eastman, also known as Luigi Montefiori, doubled as co-writer (credited as John Cart), a common practice in Joe D'Amato's low-budget productions relying on familiar Italian exploitation actors for streamlined casting. The multinational cast, including Italian performers, was post-dubbed into English for international distribution, typical of 1980s Italian genre films targeting export markets.

Key crew members

Joe D'Amato (born Aristide Massaccesi) directed Absurd, while also serving as and under the Peter Newton for the latter two roles, a common practice in his prolific output of low-budget Italian genre films that enabled streamlined , reduced overhead through multifunctional staffing, and stylistic consistency in visual framing during the 1981 production. This triple involvement exemplified the artisanal model of Italian exploitation cinema, where key personnel handled multiple disciplines to expedite shooting on limited resources. The film's score was composed by Carlo Maria Cordio, whose synth-driven cues drew from influences with repetitive piano riffs and tense electronic motifs, providing auditory propulsion to the slasher pursuits and regenerative horror elements without relying on licensed tracks. Editing duties fell to Ornella Micheli, a veteran of Italian horror who assembled the film's rapid-cut action sequences and gore reveals, maintaining momentum in the narrative's chase structure despite the production's constraints. Co-producer Donatella Donati, affiliated with D'Amato's operations, supported logistics under P.C.M. International, facilitating the multinational cast integration for broader export appeal while keeping the core crew predominantly and compact for efficiency.

Release and distribution

Italian premiere

Rosso Sangue, the Italian title for Absurd, received its theatrical premiere in in 1981, targeting primarily exploitation and cinemas amid a burgeoning domestic horror market influenced by Argento's successes and emerging slasher trends. The film's distribution emphasized its and elements, positioning it as a low-budget entry in the post- imitation wave, though specific premiere venues or events remain undocumented in contemporary records. The release occurred during a competitive landscape for Italian horror, with over 100 genre films produced annually in the early 1980s, many vying for niche audiences in second-run theaters; Rosso Sangue did not chart among top-grossing titles, indicative of its modest draw compared to mainstream hits like Innamorato Pazzo, which exceeded 1.6 million admissions. Pre-release previews by Italy's Commission for Film Review likely contributed to a curtailed run, prompting a swift transition to formats for broader accessibility among horror enthusiasts.

UK release and Video Nasty status

Absurd was imported to the for distribution in the early by labels such as Medusa Home Video, prior to the enactment of formal regulations. A censored theatrical version premiered in 1983, with the (BBFC) demanding the removal of 2 minutes and 32 seconds of footage primarily involving graphic violence. The uncut video release, however, prompted its addition to the ' (DPP) initial list of 72 "video nasties" in July 1983, citing excessive gore, mutilation scenes, and threats to children as obscene under prevailing standards. The film's status escalated when it was included among the DPP's final 39 titles recommended for prosecution under the , leading to successful court actions against distributors and retailers in 1984. Authorities conducted raids and seizures of tapes, effectively banning uncut circulation amid fears that such content could desensitize viewers or incite aggression, though these concerns were rooted in anecdotal reports rather than controlled empirical evidence of harm. The formalized BBFC oversight of home media, rendering unclassified tapes illegal and compounding the enforcement against Absurd. Prosecutions highlighted regulatory emphasis on visual depictions of depravity, with Absurd's regenerative killer and surgical horror sequences deemed particularly inflammatory, yet the process exemplified overreach, as no direct causal evidence linked the film to real-world violence spikes— violent crime rates remained stable or declined in subsequent decades despite prior media availability. Fan advocacy and evolving BBFC criteria delayed resubmission; the uncut version was not reclassified until , when 88 Films secured an 18 certificate with zero cuts required, marking the effective end of restrictions.

International markets

In the United States, Absurd bypassed theatrical distribution and debuted on VHS via Wizard Video under the title Monster Hunter on October 8, 1986, in an uncut 90-minute format that preserved its graphic content. This direct-to-video approach, amid the 1980s home media surge, disseminated the film to niche horror enthusiasts despite its absence from mainstream cinemas, fostering early cult appeal through affordable cassette circulation. Subsequent uncut restorations emerged in the 2000s, including a DVD release as Horrible from Mya Communications and Blu-ray editions from Severin Films, which sourced superior prints to rectify prior bootleg degradation. West Germany's market saw a truncated 83-minute version submitted for rating approval, with significant excisions to and gore, yet authorities confiscated copies and imposed a nationwide ban that endures without reversal. In Spain, an 88-minute cut circulated via limited video channels, reflecting adaptive strategies to local decency standards while retaining core narrative elements. Pre-digital bootlegs amplified Absurd's reach across borders in the , often sourced from Italian or U.S. VHS masters, enabling underground trading among horror collectors where official imports faced regulatory hurdles. This informal dissemination, independent of theatrical viability, sustained interest in the film's unexpurgated excesses until legal uncut variants proliferated post-2000.

Censorship controversies

Bans and moral panic

Absurd was classified as one of the 72 "Video Nasties" by the UK's in the early 1980s, subjecting it to widespread seizures and police raids on video retailers amid fears of youth corruption through graphic content. The film's extreme violence, including scenes of mutilation and threats to infants, exemplified the gore that fueled public outcry, with the (BBFC) formally banning it in 1984 at the height of prosecutions under the Video Recordings Act. This led to over 100 convictions for distributing unclassified tapes by mid-decade, as authorities targeted as a gateway to societal decay. The , amplified by tabloid sensationalism in outlets like the , portrayed "video violence" as directly inciting real-world aggression among children, with campaigners such as linking films like Absurd to rising . Proponents argued that depictions of and infanticide threats eroded moral boundaries, prompting parliamentary debates and the Act's passage to enforce classification. However, these assertions lacked empirical backing; subsequent analyses of media effects, including reviews of 1980s violence claims, found no causal connection between horror video exposure and increased crime rates, with post-ban statistics showing no decline in youth offenses attributable to restrictions. Critics framed the episode as overreach by state , prioritizing anecdotal fears over evidence of individual agency and . Filmmakers and distributors defended Absurd as exaggerated pulp horror, not instructional manuals for violence, countering panic narratives with appeals to First Amendment-like principles amid the prosecution peak. The controversy highlighted tensions between protecting minors and censoring adult expression, with no verified instances of the film inspiring crimes despite hyperbolic press rhetoric. Similar restrictions occurred in other European markets, though the UK's response was the most aggressive, reflecting broader anxieties over unregulated media amid economic unrest. In the , Absurd was prosecuted under the as part of the "video nasties" campaign, with courts deeming it obscene alongside 38 other titles, leading to widespread seizures of video copies and fines imposed on distributors for possession with intent to supply. These legal actions stemmed from the , which criminalized unclassified videos, resulting in over 100 convictions nationwide for nasties-related offenses by the mid-1980s, though specific fine amounts for Absurd distributors were not publicly detailed beyond standard penalties of up to £1,000 per offense or . Appeals against such convictions often failed due to the era's stringent interpretation of as tending to "deprave and corrupt," with Absurd remaining banned in its uncut form until partial re-submissions to the in the late , reflecting broader liberalization under amended regulations that prioritized contextual harm over presumed moral impact. Parliamentary discussions in the early 1980s amplified these prosecutions, with debates framing the graphic violence in films like Absurd—an Italian import—as symptomatic of unchecked foreign depravity eroding British values, as noted in exchanges on obscenity laws where MPs argued that such content absurdly evaded cinema cuts yet proliferated via . These proceedings, influenced by campaigns from figures like [Mary Whitehouse](/page/Mary Whitehouse), equated video nasties with societal moral decay without citing empirical correlations to real-world , a stance later critiqued for overlooking the absence of detectable spikes in crime rates attributable to horror video exposure during the 1980s. Culturally, Absurd symbolized the video nasties panic in retrospective documentaries, such as those exploring the era's raids and moral fervor, which portrayed conservative anxieties over imported gore as rooted in fears of unregulated media fostering deviance rather than evidenced causal harm. This backlash extended to public protests and media editorials decrying the films' availability, yet post-hoc analyses revealed no substantive data linking such content to increased aggression, underscoring the reactions as precautionary overreaches that chilled artistic distribution without proportional public safety gains. While some contemporary coverage minimized the free speech implications of these suppressions, the lack of violence escalation— homicide rates remained stable at around 1.0-1.5 per 100,000 from 1980-1990—highlights the disconnect between perceived threats and measurable outcomes.

Reception

Contemporary reviews

Upon its UK theatrical release in 1983, Absurd was subjected to 2 minutes and 32 seconds of cuts to secure a certificate, yet the uncut home video edition faced prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act and was listed among the 72 video nasties by the Department of Public Prosecutions. British tabloids amplified condemnations of the film as emblematic of depraved Italian exploitation cinema, portraying its graphic disembowelments, table-saw decapitation, and regenerative killer as tasteless incitements to moral corruption amid the era's video violence panic. The Monthly Film Bulletin documented the release in its November 1984 issue, providing credits and a review in line with the publication's routine coverage of imported genre fare. In contrast, niche horror circles valued the practical effects and shock sequences, rating the film's visceral appeal middling overall due to plotting deficiencies, though formal critiques from outlets like remain undocumented for this title. Italian reception, upon the 1981 premiere of Rosso sangue, balanced recognition of D'Amato's raw stylistic intensity against dismissals of its sloppy scripting as unartistic gore indulgence.

Modern reassessments

In the 2010s and 2020s, reassessments of Absurd have emphasized its niche among horror aficionados, often highlighting the film's practical gore effects and George Eastman's imposing physicality as the regenerative killer Mikos, which compensates for narrative inconsistencies and issues. User ratings on average 5.3/10 from approximately 3,988 votes, reflecting polarized views where enthusiasts praise the second half's brutal intensity and suspenseful chases, while detractors cite lethargic pacing and amateurish acting. These evaluations mark a departure from earlier outright dismissal, with ironic appreciation emerging for the film's unpretentious exploitation of slasher tropes, as seen in analyses noting Eastman's "scary" screen presence due to his 6-foot-9 stature and minimal dialogue. Podcasts and blogs have contributed to this revival, framing Absurd as a quintessential artifact from the video nasty period, valued for its low-budget resourcefulness in depicting an unstoppable antagonist amid budgetary constraints. Episodes like Stuff to Blow Your Mind's Weirdhouse Cinema discussion portray it as a "notorious low-budget Italian slasher," appreciating the gore's visceral impact despite tonal lifelessness in quieter scenes. A Cool Ass Cinema review deems the plot "wild" and "surprisingly entertaining," crediting Eastman's scripting for elevating it slightly above similar Italian rip-offs, while a 2022 Cinema Crazed post calls it the reviewer's "favorite" D'Amato work for its dry adherence to genre conventions without excessive pretension. High-definition restorations, including 88 Films' 2024 4K edition, have prompted technical-focused reevaluations, with AVForums lauding the remaster's clarity in showcasing practical effects like Mikos's regenerative wounds, though underscoring persistent flaws in performances and editing. In Italian contexts, outlets like Nocturno have retrospectively hailed it as the "best ever Italian slasher" for its raw energy, indicating sustained scholarly interest in D'Amato's output without broader mainstream resurgence. This era's commentary balances accolades for the film's unpolished ingenuity—such as Carlo Maria Cordio's tense score cues—with acknowledgments of dated elements, fostering appreciation among dedicated fans rather than widespread acclaim.

Legacy and influence

Cult status in horror

Absurd developed a dedicated cult following among horror enthusiasts, particularly through VHS collecting in the 1990s and 2000s, fueled by its inclusion on the UK's Video Nasty list and its reputation for extreme gore as a loose sequel to D'Amato's Anthropophagus. Collectors prized uncut bootlegs and rare tapes for scenes of visceral dismemberment and regenerative violence, which showcased practical effects emphasizing the monster's near-indestructible physiology. This era's underground tape trading preserved the film's notoriety despite initial censorship, establishing it as a staple in extreme Italian horror subcultures. Revivals via physical media releases, such as ' 2018 Blu-ray, catered to fans seeking restored uncut versions, highlighting iconic kill sequences like gut-spewing attacks that reinforced Joe D'Amato's legacy as a purveyor of boundary-pushing exploitation. However, the film's repetitive structure—centered on a slasher pursuing victims in a confined with minimal progression—has confined its appeal to niche gore aficionados rather than broader horror audiences. Online discussions in horror communities, including threads post-2010, reflect sustained fan engagement, with users praising its absurd premise and effects while debating its pacing. By the 2020s, increased accessibility on niche streaming services like and Troma NOW has broadened exposure within digital horror circles, enabling new viewers to discover its raw, unpolished charms without relying on hunts. This shift correlates with episodic forum revivals, where empirical spikes in mentions tie to restorations, underscoring the film's endurance as a for those valuing visceral shocks over plot coherence.

Broader cultural impact

The German band Absurd, formed in in 1992 by teenagers Hendrik Möbus, Steffen , and Malte Hess, derived its name from the 1981 film, reflecting the group's early fascination with extreme horror cinema. In 1993, Möbus and Necrobutcher murdered a 15-year-old boy, leading to convictions for ; while the band cited aesthetic influences including the film in interviews, forensic psychological assessments and court records attributed the acts primarily to neo-Nazi ideology and juvenile impulsivity rather than direct emulation of on-screen violence, underscoring the absence of deterministic causation from media consumption. analyses of the case, such as those in German investigative reports, emphasize contextual factors like radical subcultural networks over isolated film viewing, rejecting simplistic "copycat" narratives lacking empirical correlation to broader audience behavior. As a Section 3 Video Nasty under the UK's 1984 Video Recordings Act, Absurd featured prominently in retrospective documentaries like Jake West's Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape (2010) and its 2014 sequel, where it exemplifies the era's regulatory overreach driven by anecdotal fears rather than data on juvenile delinquency rates, which showed no spike attributable to home video imports. These works cite official inquiries, including the 1984 Williams Committee report, revealing zero substantiated links between "nasty" films and real-world violence, thus debunking hypodermic media effects theories through longitudinal crime statistics from the 1970s-1990s that contradicted panic-driven claims. Within Italian exploitation cinema, Absurd's unpolished gore and low-budget pragmatism—shot in 16mm and dubbed —mirrored the genre's shift toward distribution in the 1980s, prioritizing visceral shocks over coherence and influencing international B-horror producers seeking cost-effective alternatives to Hollywood's effects-driven model. This raw , evident in Joe D'Amato's rapid production cycle, contributed to the proliferation of unregulated titles that bypassed theatrical gatekeeping, fostering a DIY ethos in global underground horror without evidence of elevated societal harm beyond moralistic backlash.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084028/
  2. https://moviesandmania.com/2020/07/02/absurd-reviews-movie-film-horror-1981-overview/
  3. https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Absurd
  4. https://meathookcinema.com/2025/07/02/the-video-nasties-reviewed-section-1-day-1-absurd-1981/
  5. https://bandsaboutmovies.com/2021/12/17/joe-damato-week-absurd-1981/
  6. http://www.coolasscinema.com/2018/10/absurd-1981-review.html
  7. https://absolutehorror.fandom.com/wiki/Absurd_%281981%29
  8. http://sinsofcinema.com/Reviews/Horrible-Absurd-Review.php
  9. https://retroslashers.net/rosso-sangue-a-k-a-anthropophagus-ii-1981/
  10. http://mcbastardsmausoleum.blogspot.com/2018/11/absurd-1981-severin-films-blu-ray-review.html
  11. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JoeDAmato
  12. https://www.screamhorrormag.com/eurohorror-week-absurd-1981/
  13. https://cinepugno.home.blog/2020/04/06/interview-with-aristide-massaccesi-aka-joe-damato-1991/
  14. https://donshorrorworld.blogspot.com/2024/11/absurd-1981-by-joe-damato.html
  15. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082479/
  16. https://thedarksidemagazine.com/absurd-1981-review-by-steve-kirkham/
  17. https://the-end-of-summer.blogspot.com/2019/04/blu-ray-reviews-anthropophagous-absurd.html
  18. https://dailydead.com/blu-ray-reviews-anthropophagous-1980-absurd-1981/
  19. https://www.moriareviews.com/horror/anthropophagus-1980.htm
  20. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9043650/
  21. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084028/fullcredits/
  22. https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/5421-rosso-sangue/cast?language=en-US
  23. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/horrible/cast-and-crew
  24. https://thefilmscorer.com/musical-nasties-absurd-by-carlo-maria-cordio-1981/
  25. https://filmmusic.com/album/absurd/
  26. https://horror.fandom.com/wiki/Absurd_%281981%29
  27. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084028/releaseinfo/
  28. https://ui.eidr.org/view/content?id=10.5240%252F8FF4-8BAE-3E1F-8A08-33DA-V
  29. http://boxofficebenful.blogspot.com/2009/02/box-office-italia-1981-82.html
  30. https://pure.qub.ac.uk/files/87449294/Chapter_3_Stefano_Baschiera_FINAL.pdf
  31. https://meathookcinema.com/2024/10/04/31-days-of-halloween-2024-day-4-absurd-1981/
  32. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls020822170/
  33. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls053538696/
  34. https://www.mondo-digital.com/absurd.html
  35. https://www.movie-censorship.com/news.php?ID=11020
  36. https://www.facebook.com/OnThisDayInHorror/posts/on-october-8-1986-absurd-was-released-on-video-in-the-united-states-directed-and/1137509795140014/
  37. https://dvdcompare.net/review.php?rid=7993
  38. https://severinfilms.com/products/absurd-bluray
  39. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084028/alternateversions/
  40. https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=3484448
  41. https://www.hysteria-lives.co.uk/hysterialives/Hysteria/absurd.html
  42. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58246426
  43. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/video-nasties-era-ultra-violent-films-rattled-nation/
  44. https://journals.openedition.org/rsa/839?lang=en
  45. https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1981-06-26/debates/799761e0-ced8-4efe-af46-e47095f94dd1/ObscenityAndFilmCensorship
  46. https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/1980-01-16/debates/febb4f0d-52d3-4ff0-b272-626303ebc30f/ObscenityAndFilmCensorship
  47. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/history-british-video-nasties
  48. https://desperate-living.com/2021/04/10/the-video-nasties-documentaries/
  49. http://www.hysteria-lives.co.uk/The-A-Z-of-Video-Nasties.html
  50. https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/video-nasty-true-story-behind-1980s-set-banned-horror-movie-series/
  51. https://eofftv.com/rosso-sangue-1981/
  52. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084028/reviews/
  53. https://morbidlybeautiful.com/absurd/
  54. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-to-blow-your-mind-21123915/episode/weirdhouse-cinema-rewind-absurd-301400543/
  55. https://www.cinema-crazed.com/blog/2022/10/24/bad-movie-monday-absurd-1981/
  56. https://www.avforums.com/reviews/absurd-4k-blu-ray-review.21937/
  57. https://www.facebook.com/varietydistribution/videos/806800123841012/
  58. https://tomfogarty.com/blog/confessions-of-a-video-nasty-hoarder-a-horror-fans-delightfully-morbid-dvd-quest/
  59. https://archive.org/details/Absurd_201801
  60. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDkrvtFT5fU
  61. https://lastroadreviews.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/absurd-1981-review/
  62. https://www.reddit.com/r/Halloweenmovies/comments/1fyxnle/has_anyone_else_seen_absurd_1981_possibly_the/
  63. https://tubitv.com/movies/526450/absurd
  64. https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/monster-hunter
  65. https://www.avforums.com/threads/discussion-of-our-review-of-absurd-4k-blu-ray.2502469/
  66. https://80sslasher.fandom.com/wiki/Absurd_%281981%29
  67. https://tropedia.fandom.com/wiki/Absurd
  68. https://www.genregrinder.com/post/italian-grinders-joe-d-amato-horror-retrospective-part-2-video-nasties
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