Mémés cannibales, Les (1988)

User Rating:

4.2/10   

Director:

Emmanuel Kervyn

Writer:

Emmanuel Kervyn (writer)

Release Date:

1988 (Belgium)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Grandma, What a Big Mouth You Have!

Plot:

When given a demonic present by their black sheep nephew two kindly old grannies are transformed into...

Plot Keywords:

Impalement | Bloody Body Of Child | Young Girl | Young Boy | Heir

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Catherine Aymerie	...	Helen
Caroline Braeckman	...	Suzie
Richard Cotica	...	Gilbert
Danielle Daven	...	Elisabeth Remington (as Dany Daven)
Patricia Davia	...	Alice
Robert Du Bois	...	Father Percival
Florine Elslande	...	Bertha
Anne-Marie Fox	...	Victoria Remington
Franklin Steward Granvel	...	Publicity executive
Paule Herreman	...	Miss Barnstable
Bobette Jouret	...	Erika
Françoise Lamoureux	...	Jessica
Le Pepe	...	Taxi-driver
Raymond Lescot	...	Reverend Father
Elie Lison	...	John

Also Known As:

Rabid Grannies (France) (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

Argentina:90 min | Germany:90 min | USA:89 min

Country:

Belgium | France | Netherlands

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Argentina:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Germany:(Banned) (2001) | Australia:M (cut) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 (video premiere) | Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia) | Australia:MA (DVD rating)

Company:

Stardust Pictures Nr.1

Trivia:

Despite the title, this movie is about demonic possession and does not involve the rabies virus.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Gorgon Video Magazine, Vol. 1 (1989) (V)

They're not grannies, they're not rabid, and this isn't a Troma film.

Just because this film bears a typically Troma-like title, and features the Troma logo on the packaging, don't make the mistake of thinking it is a Troma production—because it isn't.

It is, in fact, a low-budget Belgian film that was simply picked up for distribution by the studio, and, as far as I am concerned, it is much more enjoyable than the majority of Lloyd Kaufman's own B-movie output.

In this delightfully silly and very gory romp, a group of greedy relatives gather together at the mansion of their two elderly aunts, in order to attend their birthday celebrations (and hopefully worm their way into their aunts' wills). However, when the old women open a surprise birthday present (sent by the black sheep of the family—a practitioner of the black arts), they become possessed, transform into vicious, drooling, bloodthirsty monsters, and proceed to tear their party guests limb from limb.

If you're a fan of visceral OTT slapstick horror—particularly Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy (which this film is obviously heavily influenced by) or the early work of Peter Jackson (whose similarly daft Bad Taste came out the same year)—then Rabid Grannies should be right up your alley. Director Emmanuel Kervyn spends the first thirty minutes introducing us to his raft of absurdly unlikeable characters (none of whom really deserve to survive 'til the end credits), and the next sixty dismembering them in as many inventive and silly ways as possible. It might not be Oscar winning material, but it's a whole heap of fun!

Considering the limited budget, the juicy effects on display are pretty damn good, and the film sure doesn't hold back with the nastiness: one man has his limbs hacked off, before being impaled (between the legs) on a pike; a fat guy gets stuck trying to escape, and has his ass eaten; and even a little girl gets reduced to spare parts by the demonic old dears!

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.