To some the most ominous thing about a pair of used gym socks is the rank stench, but to Director Andrew Shearer and his Gonzoriffic filmmaking collective, dirty old gym socks hold far more sinister powers. This sequel to Gonzoriffic’s 2004 short Disaster for Christmas follows the further adventures of Rodney (Monica Puller) and her lesbian lover- cum-demon Lemora (Mitsu Bitchi). Lemora is the human embodiment of Blitzen, Santa’s thirteenth reindeer who after glimpsing a mass of cleavage from above left the merry fold to pursue the wanton lust of buxom beauties. It is the spirit of Blitzen that first possessed Rodney’s worn-thru socks and later the flesh and blood of Lemora.
In this latest installment, Rodney and Lemora are having trouble acclimating to life as a couple. It seems that Lemora is fed up with lazing around the house while Rodney shows no interest in introducing her demon-reindeer-lover to friends and co-workers. If that weren’t enough, their bizarre domestic bliss is about to be impacted by the arrival of Cupid (Melisa Cardona), rogue reindeer spirit and minion of Satan, whose only goal is to return Lemora/Blitzen back to the flames of eternal damnation. What will Rodney do? How can she ever stop the supernaturally evil Cupid? Who cares!!! It’s all the guns, girls, socks and violence you can possibly stand…and then some!
The hallmark of Gonzoriffic films anarchic pursuit of celluloid infamy is always grounded in the bust-a-gut performances of the cast. In Socks & Violence, Gonzoriffic leading ladies Monica Puller and Mitsu Bitchi save little side splitting for the gag reel as their brilliant embodiments of Rodney and Lemora are so organic and effortless, it looks like they have been at this gig for 20 years. Puller plays straight (no pun intended) to Bitchi’s ADD inspired Anime interpretations, which in and of itself is no easy task. In fact, Bitchi’s eye movement alone is enough to cause the casual viewer unexpected attacks of motion sickness. In addition, Puller’s perfectly timed bouts of sarcasm and stonefaced expressionism exact as much laughter as empathy. Melisa Cardona plays her vampy Cupid with a maniacal aplomb that’s so outrageously camp it borders on obscene. Cara Lott rounds out the cast as both Alison, the unsuspecting friend that Rodney brings over to sate Lemora’s whining, and Satan. With two winning portrayals under her belt, Lott very nearly steals the show with the best beat of dialogue delivery I’ve seen in forever.
Director Andrew Shearer has had quite a few films to get his formula of cinematic chaos right, but with the gunplay, special effects shots and computer-generated pyrotechnics, Socks & Violence stands up proud as an epic tour de force of no-budget filmmaking.
The DVD edition of the film includes the aforementioned gag reel along with the three original shorts, which introduce the legend of Blitzen and the psychosexual socks. The cast and crew provide audio commentary for all four films and the DVD boasts two Easter eggs, the first featuring a kick a*s trailer and the second, just features some random a*s kicking as Mitsu and Monica spar in the woods outside an apartment complex – serving as just another prime example of casual randomness that makes Gonzoriffic films unequaled in their sheer brilliance and lunacy.
