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Absurd

Original title: Rosso sangue
  • 1981
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
4K
YOUR RATING
Absurd (1981)
A priest-doctor chasing a man with supernatural regenerative abilities, who has recently escaped from a medical lab, reaches a small town where the mutant goes on a killing spree.
Play trailer2:19
1 Video
64 Photos
B-HorrorSlasher HorrorHorror

A priest-doctor chasing a man with supernatural regenerative abilities, who has recently escaped from a medical lab, reaches a small town where the mutant goes on a killing spree.A priest-doctor chasing a man with supernatural regenerative abilities, who has recently escaped from a medical lab, reaches a small town where the mutant goes on a killing spree.A priest-doctor chasing a man with supernatural regenerative abilities, who has recently escaped from a medical lab, reaches a small town where the mutant goes on a killing spree.

  • Director
    • Joe D'Amato
  • Writer
    • George Eastman
  • Stars
    • George Eastman
    • Annie Belle
    • Charles Borromel
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Joe D'Amato
    • Writer
      • George Eastman
    • Stars
      • George Eastman
      • Annie Belle
      • Charles Borromel
    • 78User reviews
    • 64Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:19
    Trailer

    Photos64

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    Top cast17

    Edit
    George Eastman
    George Eastman
    • Mikos Stenopolis
    Annie Belle
    Annie Belle
    • Emily
    Charles Borromel
    Charles Borromel
    • Sgt. Ben Engleman
    Katya Berger
    Katya Berger
    • Katia Bennett
    Kasimir Berger
    • Willy Bennett
    Hanja Kochansky
    • Carol Bennett
    Ian Danby
    • Ian Bennett
    Ted Rusoff
    Ted Rusoff
    • Dr. Kramer
    Edmund Purdom
    Edmund Purdom
    • Father
    Nat Bush
    • Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    Cindy Leadbetter
    Cindy Leadbetter
    • Peggy
    • (uncredited)
    Lucia Ramirez
    • Angela - Woman on TV
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    James Edward Sampson
    James Edward Sampson
    • Cop at the station
    • (uncredited)
    Mark Shannon
    • Man on TV
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Michele Soavi
    Michele Soavi
    • Lenny Herbert - Biker
    • (uncredited)
    Martin Sorrentino
    • Deputy
    • (uncredited)
    Goffredo Unger
    Goffredo Unger
    • Machine Shop Worker
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Joe D'Amato
    • Writer
      • George Eastman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews78

    5.33.9K
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    Featured reviews

    7coldwaterpdh

    Joe D'Amato can do no wrong in horror.

    Luigi Montefiori aka George Eastman is definitely one of the scariest movie villains I've ever seen. His sheer size alone just makes him creepy. He obviously doesn't mind being violent; it seems to come naturally to him. If you've ever seen Bava's "Rabid Dogs," you should know what I mean. His role in "Rosso Sangue" is no exception. He delivers the goods here.

    Transformed into an unstoppable machine by an experiment gone awry, the bad guy makes his way through the countryside in search of his next victim. His next victim is basically anyone who gets in his way. He eventually lands at the home of a family and stalks them down.

    For the gorehounds, there will be a lot to love here. The scene with the band saw was sweet. For the lovers of Italian shock, there will be little we haven't seen before, but it is still worth a viewing.

    Ultimiately, this one could have been as triumphant as "Buio Omega" if there had been a few added killings. There are really only a handful. I wish there had been twice as many. I would have given this one at least a nine.

    Aficionados of Italian horror soundtracks will recognize a few of the tunes from other flicks.

    Worthy of a viewing for fans of D'Amato. Also recommend, if you like this one: "Tenebre," "Anthropophagus: The Grim Reaper," and of course "Beyond the Darkness." 7 out of 10, kids.
    7abduktionsphanomen471

    Good kills, poor script.

    Absurd - 1981 ( This Film Rates a C ) A man with an unusual cerebral mass has the power to regenerate dead cells. He is virtually immortal, insane and a "blood thirsty beast". Of course there is that one and only secret way to stop him. The gore and effects are fake looking but several of the kills are brutal and intense. The script is poor, the transition between scenes is poor, highlighted with terrible and unconvincing acting through out the entire film. The officer in this film has a cigarette in every sequence he is in, hell, everyone in this film smokes. The soundtrack has some really spectacular moments, a good example is at the 44:16 mark. Sadly the scare tactic during this scene completely deflated with the randomness of the bearded guy. There are several other scare tactics that were hokey and just didn't work. Overall there is enough "absurd" to keep this fairly entertaining, but ultimately it cannot overcome its consistent failings.
    8HumanoidOfFlesh

    Very brutal horror film.

    A priest is pursuing a madman who,the victim of a genetic experiment,has become a homicidal killer with blood that coagulates very quickly,making him virtually indestructible.The killer goes on the rampage in a small town.This ultra-gory sequel to Joe D'Amato's "Antropophagus" is very slow and boring at times but has also some creepy moments plus plenty of very strong violence and gore.The bandsaw killing is ten times nastier than the similar drill scene in Lucio Fulci's "City of the Living Dead".The gore flows freely resulting in a film that is simultaneously repellent and extremely funny.Highly recommended.
    JohnnyOldSoul

    A brutal and disturbing second half.

    While I've seen over a dozen of Joe D'Amato's films, this was my first foray into his horror films (unless you count Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, and his Caribbean Horror/Porns, which I have seen.)

    For the first half of the movie I wasn't that impressed. But, the second half was relentless, suspenseful, brutal and agonizing. I've seen hundreds of horror/gore/splatter/slasher films, but the infamous 'oven scene' (which I won't spoil) had me literally covering my mouth to keep from making too much noise.

    The rampage of the second act works well because the horror comes from the THOUGHT of what is happening, rather than the more visceral deaths of the first half. There is blood and gore, to be sure, but Joe D'Amato shows a modicum of restraint, letting the suspense build in a way it was unable to in the first act.

    So, if you decide to give this film a try, and I hope you will, stick with it. Not only does the film really get going in the second half, the final shot of the film has to be one of the most unexpected, shocking and unexpected moments I've ever seen.
    7The_Void

    Violent and nasty follow-up to Antropophagus

    This cult film is both the follow-up to Joe D'Amato's notorious shocker 'Antropophagus', and one of the nastier films on the DPP 'Video Nasty' list. Those two facts alone will give many fans of cult horror reason enough to see it, and I'm pleased to say that the rest of the film isn't bad either; and while it's not quite as great as D'Amato's earlier film, Absurd plays out well as an overly gory slasher flick. Of course, you can't expect things like great acting and a plausible story line going into a film like this, and rather unsurprisingly; this film has neither. However, what it does have is a great gritty atmosphere, which is bathed in a scintillating soundtrack that succeeds in making the thrill scenes more exciting. The plot is silly in the extreme, but is somehow easy to buy as we follow a priest who travels to a small town on the trail of a supposed monster, who is currently lying on a hospital bed. The doctors are baffled to learn that his blood clots far faster than normal and this somehow makes him immortal. It's not long before the monster awakes and, naturally, goes on a killing spree.

    George Eastman takes the lead role again and just as it did in Antropophagus; his imposing presence provides the film's main standout, despite him basically marauding around rather than actually acting. Obviously, the most important thing about this film for many will be the gore; and overall I'd say it just about tops Antropophagus. It was only two scenes that made the earlier film such a notorious shocker, and while there aren't a great number of highly nasty scenes here; they're more common and the film is more violent on the whole. Sequences involving a drill, a table saw and a severed head are among the best scenes in the movie. Director Joe D'Amato receives a lot of criticism, and while some of it is deserved; it has to be said that he has elevated this film over and above what you would expect of a grisly slasher. The atmosphere is superb, while the locations are well used and selected - and best of all, the director clearly knows how to build suspense; as the last twenty minutes of this film are truly gripping...and that's not bad at all considering that the characters are impossible to care for. Overall, anyone seeing this film will know not to expect great things - but its well worth seeing for the Video Nasty fan, and overall I'd say it's almost on par with the first film.

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    Related interests

    Bridget Hoffman in The Evil Dead (1981)
    B-Horror
    Roger Jackson in Scream (1996)
    Slasher Horror
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was one of the original 74 UK video nasties and banned by the BBFC in 1984. It was released uncut on Bluray in the UK in 2017.
    • Goofs
      When Mr and Mrs Bennett drive away in Mrs Bennett's car, as they leave the driveway two members of the film crew can be seen reflected in the window of the car.
    • Quotes

      Willy Bennett: I want to watch the game!

    • Alternate versions
      Before its inclusion on the video nasty list the film received a brief theatrical release in the UK in 1983. Unlike its pre-certificated video counterpart however the cinema version was cut by 2 mins 32 secs by the BBFC with heavy edits to the murder of the nurse with a drill, a man's forehead being sliced with a band saw, and a woman's face being burnt off in an oven.
    • Connections
      Featured in Porno Holocaust - Die Filme des Joe D'Amato (2001)

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    FAQ14

    • How long is Absurd?Powered by Alexa
    • What are the differences between the Original Version and the so-called Extended Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 1981 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • Italy
    • Language
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Horrible
    • Filming locations
      • Lazio, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Cinema 80
      • Filmirage
      • Metaxa Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 30m(90 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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