Twisted Fiction is mind-blowing in a sexual context. First, I give a standing ovation to the filmmakers for ditching the tradition of a framing story that bookends all the stories. It isn’t needed, as they’re usually dinky in substance. One of the greatest anthology horrors of all time, Nightmares, was utterly devoid of a framework. Now it has company, as this is also one of the greatest horror anthologies of all time. I don’t state that lightly, as this holds its own against the giants of the subgenre, namely all the Amicus Productions anthologies from England that were written by Robert Bloch, author of Psycho.
First off, Fratto uses his bloody claws to carve out a nasty little niche. The material is as adult as you can get without any nudity, as that is no longer a marketable commodity. It also makes me that guy who is warning you to keep the kiddies away from this one, as this gets seamy even by my sickie standards. How lovely is that? All this sinister seediness takes place under some excellent candy-colored lighting, Italian style. The practical makeup effects are deliciously revolting, while the digital effects are surreal. This provides double shock value in too many places to count, as much of the imagery lingers in your brain like scar tissue.
“…sticks out from the crowd…”
What truly impresses most about Twisted Fiction is the brilliance of the superior script that Fratto and Menghi brought to the table. The first story has so much development and delivers surprise after surprise, with each step being more bizarre than the last. It’s extreme enough to make any gorehound drool like a Pavlov dog. “The Witch’s Brew” is a swift kick, with both how sickening the serial rapes are and how satisfying the occult comeuppance is. That both of these segments pack feature-length thrills is impressive. The middle tale is the shortest and is a little more predictable. However, there is genius dialogue about what Hell is like that is unique. We are talking Neil Gaiman-level cleverness for the Netherworld.
I don’t want to make it seem like we don’t see smart scripting often in the horror field, but the truth is we don’t. Twisted Fiction sticks out from the crowd like a sore thumb with blood geysering from its nail. If your horror tolerance is so high that most flicks make you feel nothing, wait until you introduce this anthology to your bloodstream. Trust me, you will truly enjoy your new addiction.
"…one of the greatest horror anthologies of all time."
