Body Parts (1994) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Cult	Introduction-Lloyd Kaufman More…-Peta2: Free Me - public service announcement More…-Advertisements for Troma merchandice x 2 Featurette-Making a visual effects shot for another Troma movie Trailer-Other Troma releases x 3 (but not for this film) Credits-DVD credits
Rating
Year Of Production	1994
Running Time	85:17
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Michael Paul Girard Jan Marlyn Reesman
Studio Distributor	Troma Team Gryphon Entertainment	Starring	Teri Marlow Dick Monda Clement von Franckenstein Steven B. McMillin Johnny Gidcomb Jonathan Mandell Rick Bartz Barry Hansen Pee Wee Philip Grossman Richard Arvey
Case	Amaray-Opaque
RPI	$14.95	Music	Miriam Cutler

Video (NTSC)		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Full Frame	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	None
16x9 Enhancement	No
Video Format	480i (NTSC)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.33:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     In one night someone has murdered a number of the strippers at the Club Body Parts, the previous club owner and two hookers in a motel across the road. Police Lieutenant Frank Otello (Dick Monda) and his associate Detective Harris (Steven B. McMillan) in the motel find a video showing some of the murders in the club, but are baffled as to the connection. They question a range of suspects, receiving conflicting stories as each has things to hide: the recently fired bartender Price (Johnny Mandell), visiting college boy with a video camera Marty (John Gidcomb), new club owner and sleaze Poco (Rick Bartz) and stripper and sex obsessed Marilyn Monroe look-a-like Norma Jean (Teri Marlow). If their different stories were not confusing enough, psychic Christopher Jacoby (Clement von Franckenstein - a real name by the way) tells the police the murders may be linked to an Egyptian sorcerer who was put to death in the reign of Pharaoh Ramses III (1187-1156 BC) but not before he put a curse upon the prostitutes of the Pharaoh’s court. Not surprisingly, Otello dismisses this as ludicrous and instead falls in love with Norma-Jean, which may or may not be a safe move as the killings have not stopped.

    Body Parts, written and directed by Michael Paul Girard who also provides eight, quite good, rock songs for the score, is an uneven film released under the Troma banner. It is not really a horror film; by Troma standards the blood and gore are minimal and the murders take place off camera although it does have the standard Troma cheap sets and poor acting. However, the plot is rather more involved than in most Troma titles, with nods to Rashomon (four different witnesses provide four different perspectives) plus Hammer Horror films of the 1930s and 40s, although the uneven pacing with some slow sections certainly halts the flow of the mystery.

    The good news is that Body Parts, subtitled “a dead hookers guide to the galaxy”, has some deliciously deadpan dialogue, great music plus a generous helping of nudity and sex that makes for an entertaining, if silly, mixture. For example, a sex scene shot in shadow is complete with music sounding like Ravel’s Bolero (a nod in itself to the scene with Dudley Moore and Bo Derek in 10 - in the credits the music is titled Baldero, a reflection also on the baldness of the character in the sex scene). The film’s opening, which sets the plot in motion during an intercut extended credit sequence, shows the film’s assets very well. In the space of 8 minutes, you get tongue in cheek humour, raunchy strip acts artistically shot, driving rock music and diverse, bloody, dead bodies. And a small dog. What’s not to like?

    Body Parts is good fun. It is a film with deadpan humour, a helping of nudity and sex, rock music, dead bodies, a mystery and a small dog. If you like Troma films, you should enjoy Body Parts unless you crave excessive blood and gore. For others not so attuned to the Troma sense of off kilter fun, Body Parts with its combination of sex and nudity, driving music and good humour is a great place to get acquainted.

Video

     Body Parts is presented in an NTSC format in an aspect ratio of 1.33.1 and is not16x9 enhanced. The original theatrical ratio is not listed in IMDb but the DVD does not look cropped.

     For a Troma title this is a good print. It is soft looking and lacking in detail in exterior shots with flat colours. In contrast, the strip scenes are artistically shot, detailed and sharp with good colours. Blacks and shadow detail in these scenes were good, less so in other scenes. There are artefacts, such as dirt marks, but they are not frequent or obtrusive, a mike appears in the top right hand corner (36:35) and there are a couple of tape tracking errors during the title sequence. Nothing to hinder the enjoyment here.

     There are no subtitles.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is a Dolby Digital 2.0 track at 224 Kbps, surround encoded, that was quite good. Dialogue was easy to understand and there is no hiss or distortion. Effects are limited as the music tended to dominate (deliberately) in both front and surround speakers. Indeed, the music is excellent, a combination of original score by Miriam Cutler plus rock songs written by writer / director Michael Paul Girard and even a couple by star Dick Monda that effectively add to the enjoyment of the film. There was no sub woofer use.

     I did not notice any lip synchronisation issues.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Lloyd Kaufman Intro

     Kaufman does not really give an introduction to this film but instead gives an advertisement for the coming Troma title Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (1:48).

Peta2: Free Me

     A Troma anti cruelty to animals Public Service Message - a disturbing and horrifying set of images of cruelty and experimentation against animals, set to a song Free Me (2:27).

Make Your Own D*** Movie

     Advertisement for Lloyd Kaufman’s book and 5 DVD set (1:02).

Web Monkey’s Bananas

     Advertisement for Troma’s on-line shop (1:08).

Make Your Own D*** Movie Lesson

     A look at a visual effect – blowing up a building on camera with no budget to blow up a building. Solution – blow up a picture. Nothing to do with Body Parts but quite entertaining (2:22).

Trailers

     Trailers for other Troma releases Pure Blood (2:33), Beg (3:37) and Parts of the Family (1:15).

Radiation March

     Anti-pollution message in the Troma style (0:56).

Troma Parts

     One silent text page of DVD credits.

     This NTSC release is “all region” coded and seems to be identical to the US version, except that one US review mentions a theatrical trailer. If it is on this DVD, I cannot find it.

     Body Parts is a film with deadpan humour, a generous helping of nudity and sex, dead bodies, a mystery and a small dog. The video and audio are good, an improvement on other Troma titles I have reviewed recently. The extras, in contrast, are limited by Troma standards and there is nothing related to Body Parts. If you like Troma films, you should enjoy Body Parts.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall