The independent horror film has changed a lot over the years. When I first got into indie horror, J.R. Bookwalter was the main man, Draculina magazine was the bible, and many of the movies were filled with nods to films we grew up with. The main reason for this was that the filmmakers were all fans who idolized George Romero and John Carpenter just like the rest of us. Things seemed to change in the late 90's and early 00's and when a movie called August Underground came along it seemed to jumpstart a new trend in independent horror filmmaking where the script didn't seem to matter as much and many filmmakers just wanted to top each other with scenes of rape and torture. Similar to how mainstream films have replaced plot and character development with CGI, some of the indies had opted for excessive gore that would make Peter Jackson blush. Thankfully, director Eric Thornett has opted not to go this route and instead deliver and original and entertaining hybrid of genres that is full of surprises and carries you on a journey filled with suspense and intrigue with quirky and odd characters popping up along the ride.

Jason Wauer stars a Noble, a guy with cool hair and a trench coat who reminded me a lot of Clive Owen in Sin City. He is a chain-smokin', mickey-drinkin' loner who is tossed into a mystery when a strange dude who looks like the main creepy guy from Carnival Of Souls enlists him to find a missing woman. This portion of the movie plays like a film noir with Noble encountering a variety of shady characters in the world of underground porn as he tries to unravel the mystery of what happened to the missing woman and why everyone is looking for her. By the time we get to the last act, the film changes from a meandering mystery into more of an action movie with a lot of gunplay and a big fight featuring a samurai sword thrown in for good measure.

It is nice to see some originality in the genre again. Thornett has made an effort to write some life into his characters and make them interesting to watch. I thought that Wauer's character moved the film forward with little effort and I was always looking forward to what was going to happen next. Almost everyone that he ran into throughout the film had some degree of oddness that added to both the tone of the film and the entertainment value. Thornett himself played one of the weirdest characters in a sword-wielding smut peddler named Normal who delivered his lines like a schizophrenic cartoon character who forgot to take his meds. We also have an oversexed woman named Liz, an Asian henchman, a pair of shady cops, and more. I am so tired of watching indie movies that either make no sense or are filled with scenes of torture. These types of movies are extremely frustrating and unsatisfying and I always wish that I had never wasted my time in the first place. Thankfully, Shockheaded is not one of them.

Debbie Rochon makes an appearance as the missing woman. Gore fans get some action with an exploding head, some chopped-off fingers, and a few more surprises. There was even a sequence that felt like a homage to the finale of Taxi Driver.

Director/writer/cinematographer/editor Thornett has made one other feature called 23 Hours and I really hope that this guy continues to make films because I think he could be one of the better indie filmmakers working today. I watched the trailer before I watched this film and I thought it was going to be a mess as it looked like it was going to be filled with bad acting and endless 'trippy' scenes. Although we are not dealing with Oscar-caliber performances here, Thornett is clearly using professionally trained actors for his key roles. The trailer does not do the film justice, as Shockheaded is an original and well-crafted mystery that is much better than much of the stuff that has been splattering across the screen lately. (Josh Pasnak, 7/4/06)

Directed By: Eric Thornett.
Written By: Eric Thornett.

Starring: Jason Wauer, Eric Thornett, Christi Etcher, Debbie Rochon.

Picture Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: Pretty good image overall although there was some intentional and unintentional grain at times. Could have been better but could have been way worse.

Extras: First up we have a commentary from Thornett, Jason Wauer, and composer Jason Russler. This was a lot of fun thanks to the high energy of Thornett and the fact that all three participants have interesting things to say which keeps things going at a steady pace. You also get a feel for how assured Thornett is in what he wants on the screen. Next, we have a short horror comedy from Thornett called Spider Ghost that features Jason Russler as a guy who moves into a new house that is occupied by a giant smart-ass spider. This short includes a pointless commentary by said spider. Rounding out the extras we have a comedic promo interview from Rochon, some deleted/extended scenes, and an assortment of trailers for other DVD's from Heretic Films.

More info at Heretic Films and Piranha Pictures.