Necrophagia: Through Eyes of the Dead Review!

Just after the five-year anniversary of the death of Killjoy aka Frank Pucci we should remember and celebrate the legacy of music, passion, and love for horror he possessed. Killjoy was known for Necrophagia but also dabbled in acting. He had a role in Fred Vogel’s cult underground classic August Underground’s Mordum which was original supposed to be a video for Killjoy but was turned into the feature film we know today. Mordum was a film that pushed boundaries at the time of its release. It remains one of the most controversial and raw films ever made. Toe Tag also worked on other Necrophagia videos.

Killjoy worked on Ryan Nicholson’s Torched as music supervisor. In turn Nicholson made Necrophagia’s video for Blaspheme the Body in another video titled Nightmare Scenarios. Killjoy maintained relationships with Jim Van Bebber, Nicholson, Coffin Joe, and Vogel, among others.

Necrophagia are one of the first original horror metal bands alongside Possessed and Death forming in 1983 and releasing the demo Death Is Fun. In 1987 the original band broke up. Killjoy worked on several musical projects such as The Ravenous (featuring members of Autopsy and Nuclear Assault) who released a sick ass album titled Blood Delirium. The album cover features a scene from August Underground’s Mordum.

Killjoy also performed in a raw black metal band called Viking Crown with Phil Anselmo. With the help of Anselmo on guitar (going by the name Anton Crowley) they reformed Necrophagia with bassist Dustin Havnen and drummer Wayne Fabra and released Holocaust De La Morte in 1998. Holocaust of the Dead is probably some of Necrophagia’s most memorable and raw sounding material to date.

To accompany Holocaust of the Dead, Necrophagia did a video titled Through Eyes of the Dead which would feature material off Holocaust of the Dead put to various music videos and clips of band members sharing their love of horror films. The band members would be featured in the videos and Jim Van Bebber would direct. Controversial and talented director Van Bebber was at the time just about to release The Manson Family feature film. Van Bebber’s talent made some great films such as the seminal Deadbeat at Dawn and a collection of short films including My Sweet Satan, The Last Days of John Martin, and Doper.

Van Bebber would make an amazing looking product in retro horror style. The videos to the songs are extremely graphic, perverted, filled with nudity, and gore. The beginning features a host known as Dr. Creep played by Barry Lee Hobart, a local celebrity in Ohio who introduces the movie. There is also an intro showing Van Bebber walking around as we hear a sound clip from infamous film The Last House on Dead End Street from its character Terry Hawkins.

The first video titled Bloodfreak features drummer Wayne Fabra as an obese creep stalking and killing an incestuous father and daughter in the woods. He guns them down and sexually mutilates the daughter by cutting off chunks of her face and breasts among other grisly activities. Burning Moon Sickness features Van Bebber’s brutal cult short film The Last Days of John Martin. A short I personally love, it’s a look into a disturbed serial killers mind and his grisly deeds. Embalmed Yet I Breath takes place in a cemetery where Anselmo and his wife at the time and keyboardist for the band Stephanie Opal Weinstein unearth a zombie. The two smoke pot, huff spray paint fumes, and get attacked by an undead corpse. Deep Inside I Plant the Devils Seed has a young nun getting sexually molested and mutilated by a cult of satanic cretins. Finally, And You Will Live in Terror basically has footage from Lucio Fulci’s Italian horror classic The Beyond. The extras on the DVD also feature the song Cannibal Holocaust.

Van Bebber does a wonderful job here creating the right look and vibe. Through Eyes of the Dead comes highly recommended for horror freaks. The videos are filled with nudity and gore plus they have this bizarre quick cut quirkiness to them I see utilized throughout the duration of the movie. Stylish, gory, and tasteless carnage in the videos with scenes spliced in of the band members recommending old school horror movies.

In memory R.I.P. Frank Pucci aka Killjoy 1969-2018

Directed by: Jim Van Bebber
Produced by: Pat McChan
Cinematography by: Jim Van Bebber
Editing by: Jim Van Bebber
Music by: Necrophagia
Special Effects by: Terry Hawkins
Cast: Killjoy, Phil Anselmo, Wayne Fabra, Dustin Havnen, Barry Hobart
Year: 1999
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 29min

Studio: Today Productions
Distributor: MVD, Massacre Video