MAD GOD Blu Ray review

MAD GOD, a film title almost close to the words I uttered a few times watching it, Maah Goddd!

This is one of those films that has to be seen to be believed, then rewatched as you don’t believe what you’ve just seen.

Starting off in what feels like a Gilliam’s animations for Monty Python fashion then quickly swerving into a frantic, gunk soaked hellscape straight from the paintings of Bosch.

The film, void of any dialogue, makes you really soak in the detail in every frame. This sumptuous stop motion animation is stunningly beautiful and gut wrenchingly hideous in equal measure.

Phil Tippett (Star Wars, Jurassic Park) began making this in the 1980’s and you can see the varying recording methods have been used, which adds to the queasy unease this film makes you feel.

Descending into a rugged, World War trench like hellscape in a diving bell, the humanoid “Assassin” (think Action Man on a bad day) wearing a thick coat and an almost torture device like gas mask is on a mission armed with a map, and a suitcase.

Immediately you feel uneasy as the size difference between this character and the world he’s descended into seem great, and then we see creatures the same size as him, and bigger which adds to the strange feeling this film evokes

The Assassin travels through this horror strewn landscape seeing many of the inhabitants, humanoid creatures, seemingly made of pocket lint and cat turd, in a constant loop of often comical death. Preyed on by larger monsters or taken out by huge floating monoliths.

Eventually the mission seems at an end, in a giant pile of suitcases just like his own, he opens his case to reveal a bomb…

Then things get really weird, with some scenes that are actually quite a hard watch they are so grotesque (and the lack of dialogue adds to the effect of otherworldliness) .

The film makes you think about War, and its futility. The endless churning of innocent citizens in a never ending machine.

Life eh?!

MAD GOD was the most watched Shudder premiere of 2022 and has earned plaudits around the world for it’s creative genius and cinematic originality. It’s won multiple awards and at long last this Shudder Exclusive is now (almost) available on Blu-Ray, DVD and digital courtesy of Acorn Media International with a host of special features which include

• Commentary with Phil Tippett and Guillermo del Toro
• Cast & Crew Commentary
• Interview with Mad God Writer/Director Phil Tippett
• Mad God Influences & Inspirations
• Maya Tippett’s “The Making of Mad God”
• Maya Tippett’s “Worse Than the Demon”
• Academy of Art University & Mad God
• Behind-the-Scenes Montage
• Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery

The Special features of this disc are worth the price of admission alone.

The first commentary with Phil Tippett and Guillermo del Toro is fascinating, not only giving you an insight into this movie, but generally the mind of Phil and his influences etc. It feels like an episode of a podcast such as “Best Movies Never Made” Where film makers discuss projects candidly. A highlight of the disc for me

The second commentary with cast and crew really gives you an idea of the skill and though that goes into making a film of this magnitude. The simplest things such as lighting that can play a big part and make or break a scene.To think this film was 30 years in the making is just mind blowing.

The short interview with Phil is unsettling in itself, with strange audio quirks and the visual choices made. Interesting

Mad God influences and Inspirations again discusses Phil’s influences such as Harryhausen and Bosch.

Maya Tippet’s 2 short (roughly 10 mins each) documentary style segments are a good quick watch although they don’t really add anything to the overall information contained on the disc. They do showcase Maya’s filmmaking skills in themselves though.

The Academy, BTS montage and photo gallery are nice things to have but the two commentary tracks are what makes this disc special.

If you’ve seen the film then they really will add something, maybe even helping you decide what the Hell the film was all about.

If you haven’t seen the film, then you’ll have three watches to decide what the Hell the film was all about 🙂

Whatever, you’re in for one Hell of a ride.

MAD GOD is released on 5th December on Bluray RRP £19.99 and DVD RRP £15.99 it is currently available on Amazon for the bargain price of £12.99