Director – Stephen Biro (A Serbian Documentary, American Guinea Pig: A Bouquet of Guts and Gore)
Starring – Jessica Cameron (Red Eye, Zombiewood), Scott Gabbey (Jesus, American Guinea Pig: A Bouquet of Guts and Gore), and David E. McMahon (Nightmare: Return to Elm St., Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No)
Release Date – 2018
Rating – 3/5
Very few films have caused a stir in the extreme horror community, aka underground horror, like the Japanese horror Guinea Pig series. These films are notorious among horror fans for blurring the lines between horror and snuff. The series is extremely popular in the U.S. with out of print copies of the box set going for ridiculous amounts of prices.
Several years back Unearthed Films founder Stephen Biro set in play to make an American series of films that rivaled the extremity of the Japanese releases. His American Guinea Pig series released the first installment in 2015. A Bouquet of Guts and Gore was received well among fans but it was not one that I enjoyed. The film has amazing practical effects but was just too long for what we were given. The follow up, Bloodshock, was a better film with great effects and a solid story. The third in the series is once again directed by Biro and titled Song of Solomon. The film recently received a blu release and I was lucky enough to have received a review copy thanks to MVD.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a young woman (Cameron) who is acting strange and at time hostile to her mother and stepfather. She has been telling people that she is abused by him resulting in him taking his own life in front of her. A counselor visits to speak with them and realizes that something has taken over her body and suggests getting the church involved. The church senses something more is going on than just a typical exorcism. They notify a priest to perform the exorcism but know he will not survive the ordeal so they prepare another priest to finish. The church is keeping something a secret and proceed to prepare a third priest to perform the exorcism but know that he will not complete it either but their endgame will still be met.**Spoiler Alert**
I was curious to see how this one played out. This is one of those films that has divided the horror community. Some praise it to the highest while others bash it for its weak story and lack of acting. Honestly, I just wanted to be entertained and Song of Solomon did just that. I disagree with those that say it’s a better exorcism film than The Exorcist. No, I’m not sucking The Exorcists’ dick. Its not a better film but it was worth my time and my favorite in the series so far.
The acting in this one is not consistent. We get several scenes where the cast is just insanely talented and deliver unforgettable performance and then we get scenes that was extremely awkward to watch. We start with some solid acting from cult icon Jim van Bebber. In some of his scenes he is fantastic but in others he is just going through his lines. His performance is not consistent but it is great seeing him in the film and I hope we have more in the future.
Next performance comes from Jessica Cameron. This is a name I’ve seen pop up in horror circles but I don’t recall seeing her in a movie I previously reviewed. Her role is very demanding so I will give her that. She really got into character and worked her way through some rough scenes. With that being said, her performance was a little lackluster to say the least. In some scenes she is extremely overshadowed by her cast mates. My favorite performance belonged to David McMahon. He was really convincing as a man of the cloth but he was a little unenthusiastic during his sex scene which is understandable.
The story for this one is fairly simply but Biro is able to put it together in a way that it holds the viewer’s attention. It is a bit of a slow burner until the halfway point in the film but when the ball gets rolling it hits hard. This is a slow build that is well worth it.
Finally, this one is full of great blood and gore. The gags we get are great and really stand out much like the previous installment. The effects are outrageous and amazing most of the time but there is a few instances where they did look cheap. Overall, The Song of Solomon is the hardest hitting in the series and easily my favorite. I can see why fans love it so much but comparing it to The Exorcist is like comparing apples to anal. Check it out.
