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The Bunny Game


Director: Adam Rehmeier (2010)
Starring: Rodleen Getsic, Jeff Renfro, Norwood Fisher
Find it: IMDB

This is the film that The Human Centipede 2 wishes it was. Hearing that it was denied a UK release by the BBFC immediately put it on my radar. Like that other infamous film, August Underground, I wish I hadn't bothered. When the film opened with a sloppy blowjob scene, I knew it wouldn't be my cup of tea. I prefer my tea without spermatozoon, thanks.

Like The Human Centipede 2, the film is entirely black and white and features characters performing bizarre sexual acts on one another. There's shit in The Bunny Game that they'd even balk at on Fetlife. Prostitute Bunny (the aptly named Rodleen Getsic) accepts a lift from a deranged trucker. You don't need to be Jeremy Clarkson to know that this is a bad idea, but hey, Bunny is desperate. The trucker spends the next few days torturing Bunny and making her play his sick, depraved games. He's a terrible antagonist, crying and screaming, huffing plastic bags like a low-rent Dennis Hopper. She meanwhile, gets by far the worse end of the bargain, all ball gags, crappy haircuts and ridiculous masks. To criticise is unfair though: don't hate the playa, as they say, hate the game.

As I watch more and more of this nonsense, it becomes increasingly difficult to review films like The Bunny Game. I mean, there are only so many ways to write "she gets tied up and tortured". Occasionally I have to say things like "newborn porn" or "the centipede goes up his arse" or "he puts a stupid rabbit gimp mask on her head" but mostly it's like reviewing the same film over and over again. It's a sad state of affairs when the edgiest thing a horror movie can do these days is have a happy ending. Just for once, I'd like to be able to write something along the lines of "and then the bad man realised that he was acting like a bit of a dickhead. He let the nice prostitute go and sought psychiatric help. Then he apologised to the S&M community for perpetuating negative stereotypes."


Like so many other controversial slash banned movies, The Bunny Game is perfectly competent. It's well acted, looks good (in a surrealist sort of way) and has a properly unsettling vibe. Had it the bravery to tell a story about something other than rape, I would probably have enjoyed it. It's a great film wasted on a shitty story. There are only so many stories one can tell about perverted men acting out their fantasies upon unwilling victims. And I don't want to see any of them. Dude, she's a prostitute. If you were to just pay her, I'm sure she'd let you tie her up and do whatever anyway.

It's easy to see why the BBFC wanted none of this. Since almost every moment of the film features some variety of sexual violence or other, there's literally nothing that could have been cut, save for ten seconds in the middle where our dirty trucker leans against a wall for a bit. There's a time and a place for pieces like The Bunny Game. Maybe an art gallery or Chris Brown's dressing room. These aren't films to be enjoyed; they're here to be endured. I have a friend who loves rollercoasters but hates horror movies. I hate rollercoasters but love horror movies. She asked me how I can bear to watch the gory bollocks I do. To me, horror movies are like mental rollercoasters. You have nice log flume rollercoasters (like Scream or A Nightmare On Elm Street), fast rollercoasters (Saw, Hostel) and then you have the fucking horrible ones (The Bunny Game, August Underground). Just as you don't ride a mental rollercoaster to look at the scenery, you don't watch The Bunny Game if you like films. I watch this shit to see if I can. And The Bunny Game beats Hostel in horror Top Trumps any day.

I doubt The Bunny Game is going to corrupt anyone. It won't damage anyone's mind (unless you happen to be epileptic. There's some pretty crazy flashing imagery) nor will it inspire any copycat killings. It sure damaged my liver though, for all the drinking I had to do to make it less boring. The only interesting part of the film was The Bunny Game itself, whereupon both characters wear stupid gimp masks and run around in the desert like it's a really gross episode of Star Trek.

As games go, The Bunny Game is not a particularly fun one. It's like playing Twister with the smelly weird guy who invited himself to the party. This is an intelligent, thoroughly artistic movie with far more attitude than your average torture flick. But fuck it, if this is the game, I don't want to play anymore.

11 comments:

  1. You just don't get it really do you.

    This is no Horror Movie.

    Scratchy Pete
    Downunder

    ReplyDelete
  2. OH NO, don't be That Guy. Just because it's black and white doesn't make it hard to understand or 'get'.

    I realise that there's a distinction between torture/arthouse films and horror films. Although you might want to tell the lead actress that this isn't a horror film: "I think people do know that the scenes in this horror film are real and based on true events." (Source - http://www.horrorphilia.com/2011/01/06/horrorphilia-hot-seat-w-the-bunny-game-actress-rodleen-getsic/)

    It's a piece of performance art. And I respect it for that. It's really a fantastic piece of art. My enjoying it and 'getting' it are two different things.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You have just given it the accolade it so rightfully deserves - well done on your change of heart.

    "It's a really fantastic piece of art" - I believe thats all it ever tried to be - "a true character portrayal of catastrophic proportions."

    Trouble is my friend, I think I would have thought more of you sticking to your guns - controversy sells and you brought into it when looking at the movies "outer facade"....

    "Scratchy" Pete

    ReplyDelete
  4. No, I've always maintained that it was a great piece of art. The review wasn't even as negative as you seem to be reading it. My criticisms are more with the torture subgenre as a whole than this particular torture flick.

    It's very well directed, I don't dispute it. I merely outlined why I didn't enjoy it as a film (or more accurately, piece of entertainment). Beneath the tics and impressive directorial tricks, it's just another stupid story about depraved torture & sexual perversion. Nothing has changed in my opinion there.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  5. ....That Guy, Scratchy Pete signing off....


    ....Jonas....do you copy....?

    ....He's all yours.....

    ....Out.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dude, where'd you seen it? Is it already out?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep its out and selling like hotcakes! Sold out at Diabolik within hours and Subdvd. You can still order it through them and I have seen some guy seeling them on eBay too.

      Such is the class of the movie, it's already reached 1100 ranking on IMDb.

      The public has spoken - this one is destined for "cult" status.

      Enjoy.

      Scratchy Pete

      Delete
  7. Selling like hotcakes? destined for cult status? who the fuck are you? the director? the producer? or just some annoying fanboy?

    ReplyDelete
  8. i rather watch max hardcore shoving his cock down some sluts face than this. that's true bdsm horror. For me this was a waste of my life. not the least bit entertaining. I do not see how it is art either. we all know that truckers, prostitutes, and bunny games go on all over the place. there are shitloads of REAL videos online that display this kinda shit. I think it was just Ms getsic filming her fantasies. lousy blowjob too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Max hardcore is disgusting

      Delete
  9. ok, I finally seen it... and I loved it!

    ReplyDelete