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Reviews
Hate Little Rabbit (2022)
Hate Little Rabbit Review
Twisted Minds Hate Little Rabbit
Hate Little Rabbit Review
2021
Bazz Hancher
White Raven Films, U. K.
Bazz Hancher is an indie filmmaker from the U. K. and if you've never heard of him it's ok. Now you have the opportunity to discover his films and projects and redeem yourself. Hancher is a stand up guy, all around nice fella to deal with. His films however are not so nice and expose the darker, grimy and disgusting side of humanity.
I have watched a lot of his work and its impressive. A no holds barred passion for independent exploitation/horror cinema usually highly controversial, some tasteless and always scathingly accurate and lined with dark humour. Hate Little Rabbit is a fitting notch in the U. K. filmmakers belt and a departure from his efforts in the past.
Hancher's work includes The Kidderminster Killer, Leon's Broken Mind, Blast From The Past, White Goods and more, I even remember a pseudo documentary he did about people eating human babies as a delicacy in particular countries.
Hate Little Rabbit is Hancher's take on a story driven Giallo throwback. We get the black gloved killer, the brutal mysterious kills, the whodunnit element and the themed music. It's all here and delivered in an entertaining fashion.
The intro to the film is quite disturbing, an overweight, black masked bdsm nude and uncut madman lurching his way into a young girls room as her screams permeate through the air and the title credits role.
The plot has a girl named Lacey whose adoptive parents have died. She feels regret and tries to establish a relationship with her estranged biological mother (who obviously appears to have a grudge and be very unstable). Her mother talks of Lacey's uncle and his psychotic tendencies. Meanwhile a bunch of brutal murders are happening at the hands of a black masked/gloved killer.
Soon, Lacey's mother is kidnapped. Lacey is then approached by an obsessed detective who is familiar with her families dark past and vows to help Lacey find her mother. Lots of murders and wacky characters later everything leads to an unspiralling conclusion.
Hancher has succeeded in his British Giallo with hitting lots of the right notes here. Plenty of unsavoury characters in this one too. Lots of gory deaths and practical effects throughout and even a node to Fulci. Its definitely story oriented and goes for more of a mystery to unravelling the killer. I believe he's done well here and paid homage to the material very well.
Check out White Raven Films online to purchase films in their catalogue including Hate Little Rabbit. Support indie cinema as it's a dying art and those that do it are making it out of passion for the craft.
Twisted Minds.
Cibo Di Violenza aka Food Of Violence (2015)
Cibo di Violenza
CIBO DI VIOLENZA (A SHORT SHOCKUMENTARY- 2016)
Midi's Horror Reviews PAGE·Saturday, 14 January 2017
Translated as "Food Of Violence", this BSH Entertainment short packs a powerful punch with its strong use of imagery and grotesque details of possible acts of cannibalism in the supposedly civilized modern world.
The scenes and images are blended together impressively, and the general flow of this eleven and a half minute short is easy to follow as well as being quite harrowing.
Bazz Hancher creates this provocative piece on the practices of reusing aborted fetuses for human testing and consumption.
Obviously we are shocked and disgusted by some of the images provided. That is basic humanity at its best. However, this film isn't purely guided by its imagery. The concept of cannibalism isn't new and we have been subjected to media related cannibalism tales from the real life hardships of the Volga Famine, the actions of an isolated rugby team in the Andes, or even the oddly humane act of Armin Mewes. However most recall cannibalism as the acts of Serial Killers like Jeffrey Dahmer, Andrei Chikatilo or even the horrific incident on an overpass involving Rudy Eugene (who ate a man's face while he was alive- the victim did survive but Eugene was shot and killed on the scene).
However this short aims its sights at the possibly lesser known practices, of cannibalism involving aborted fetuses.
As blogger Mike Lima narrates to us soothingly with his voice, amidst the eclectic collection of graphic and sometimes curious mixture of pictures and videos, we hear the thoughts behind the film.
First we are introduced to two men willing to tell their stories about the Black Market of eating aborted babies. Both agree to discuss this barbaric practice and their own involvement in it, as long as their identities remain concealed.
The first reveals his trip to Asia and being in a reputable restaurant, in which people pay around $800USD to eat a soup that included a cooked fetus within it. We notice he is somewhat disturbed whilst telling his own story and the interview is cut short.
The second man seems less repulsed and openly discusses how fetuses are smuggled for consumption and that people will pay as much as £7000 (which is approximately $8500USD)to taste one. He then proceeds with a flair like some macabre Wolfgang Puck and begins to demonstrate how one prepares a fetus for a meal. I questioned the legitimacy of this entire scene when he remarked "It's gone white, like chicken" and sits with his wine and prepared meal leaving me bemused by what I had seen.
We are subjected to the involvement of myths being told of acts of cannibalism, and this is compared to the graphically horrific genre films Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Ferox and Anthropophagus. Asking us if these tales were created as mere fiction or whether perhaps there is a realism involved.
We are introduced to a company called Senomyx and more information about Pepsi, Campbells and Kraft all using fetuses within their food testing. Through some digging I can say that the product outlined in the foods and beverages as being Fetal remnants, is in fact referencing the HEK293. HEK293 is a substance made from Human Embryonic Kidney cells and is commonly known as a food tester for sweet or savoury tastes. I couldn't get further information on Campbells or Kraft but in 2012 Pepsi Co announced they would no longer use the cells known as HEK293 (as specified in the link and quote that follows).
PepsiCo's VP of Global Public Policy, Paul Boykas stated that "Senomyx will not use HEK cells or any other tissues or cell lines derived from human embryos or fetuses for research performed on behalf of PepsiCo." (April 2012)
HEK293 was developed from cells tested in the 1970s in the Netherlands, and since April 2013 Senomyx had begun a 'Sweet Taste Program' to run until July 2016, which would find other ways to improve their practices.
Claims that Senomyx was purchasing new fetal matter for their experiments seems unfounded and can be argued, but I will invite you all to research further than I could and if you like we can compare thoughts.
It is in that, that this film retains its ultimate power. Its ability to make us think and feel personally on this matter and consider what is fact and what is fiction?
This is a true show of Hancher's abilities as a storyteller.
Rogue Filmmaker (2012)
A documentary about the mad film director Bazz Hancher
Review By Sex gore mutants: This is a 23-minute mockumentary about Hancher, intended for use as a featurette on any DVD that White Raven Films may produce in the future.
In it, a host of Hancher's associates speak candidly to the camera about their experiences while working with him. His brother Ross is weary and droll, while his friend's wife and rival filmmaker Tom Rutter are flat-out insulting about the director's social skills.
Hancher is painted as a bully and a psycho by almost all of his acquaintances, barring only those actors who appear to be as off their tits as much as he apparently is. An unfussy, QED-style approach lends the film an agreeably authentic vibe while the performances are pleasingly naturalistic. Even the faux American narration doesn't hamper the feel of this piece, which feels like something The Comic Strip Presents ... team would've done.
It helps that the cast is free from youngsters (hope I'm not being unkind, but I'd guess the youngest person in this is in their late 30s?), which - alongside the smart script and assured deliveries - helps lend proceedings a definite, professional result.
Chock-full of splatterific clips from Hancher's earlier shorts (JOEY'S GARAGE, LEON'S BROKEN MIND, THE KIDDERMINSTER KILLER etc), and culminating with a tongue-in-cheek cameo from Hancher himself (as himself), THE ROGUE FILMMAKER
Darkest Secrets Aka the Life of Ray Korvax (2013)
A gangster thriller with a twist
Review by Strangers in a Cinema: An ambitious crime thriller from White Raven Films, Darkest Secrets is a dark thriller that pulls no punches with violence and language. Whilst the narrative isn't always clear and the film could undoubtedly benefit from some more exposition it's still an entertaining piece. The villain is entertainingly played and there are some nice visuals moments throughout. One of the stand out points is Hancher's sparing use of extreme violence that adds to its impact. Also laudably, the film ends with a decent twist that you won't see coming. Whilst it's not perfect, it shows potential in future projects from the guys at White Raven.
Leon's Broken Mind (2011)
This is the story of Leon,and what happens to him after the death of his mother
Here is a review of Leon's Broken Mind courtesy of Strangers In A Cinema
Leon's Broken Mind is an intriguing horror short from director Bazz Hancher and White Raven Films that is in no way intended for the faint of heart or easily offended, oh wait maybe it is
The film follows the character of Leon, who grieving for his deceased mother appears to have some kind of mental breakdown and starts to see visions of his abusive father, after watching a "video nasty" he happens across in the local video store he cracks and the resulting killing spree is graphic to say the least.
Whilst the films opening text appears to insinuate that the film carries with it a message, it's difficult to take something seriously (or for that matter take offence) when the violence is this overblown and extreme. In this case that's not a negative, for this reviewer Leon's Broken Mind is less challenging horror and more straight up exploitation. It's meant to offend people and it's intentionally controversial, if the scenes on display here upset you then that's want Hancher wants. What is intriguing, is the premise of the film essentially being a "video nasty" about the supposed effects of "video nasties", it's a great post modern twist and does give the film a little more depth than is initially obvious.
Credit to the film as well for the way it looks, it would have been all too easy to go for shock value above all else but visually the film looks fairly decent throughout. It's well shot and this is enhances the horror elements to give the film a genuinely creepy atmosphere in places. The performances are more of a mixed bag though but kudos to Richard Rowbotham who puts himself through some pretty horrendous scenes and does deliver a disturbing killer in Leon.
Overall fans of exploitation need only apply, anyone else is unlikely to find much to like about this film but ultimately that's the point. Whilst its certainly not a classic it succeeds on this level and that should be applauded.