By BREANNA WHIPPLE
Starring Holly Bonney, Tiffany Christy and Vincent Stalba
Directed by Joe Badon
Written by Joe Badon and Jason Kruppa
Two Headed Venus
Horror is a genre that knows no boundaries. That’s a bonus for both purveyors and consumers of the craft. The subgenres herein are seemingly endless, allowing for creative inspiration to be plucked quite literally from anywhere and beyond. THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS is aware of this fact and has incorporated the unthinkable in terms of creating a standout horror-infused art film. Director Joe Badon and co-writer Jason Kruppa capitalize on the nostalgia attached to all those wholesome public access television shows of yesteryear that were made exclusively for children.
Described as “an episode of Mr. Rogers from hell” by critics early in its rounds on the festival circuit, THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS not only lives up to that disturbing sobriquet but somehow manages to surpass it. Following the general format of shows like Mr. Rogers and Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Uncle Bobbo’s (Vincent Stalba) program seems to be both fun and informative on the surface. Following several bite-sized sequences that can only be described as ASMR for psychopaths, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to Uncle Bobbo than meets the eye; The gleeful host is carrying around the oppressive weight of childhood trauma, and it’s beginning to severely poison his mind and his behavior.
This extreme juxtaposition of joy and gloom is key to understanding the most powerful aspect of THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS. Cheerfulness is consistently contrasted by dread and horror which are used as catalysts to fabricate an overwhelmingly negative atmosphere. Much in the way that films like They Live call out the often ignored aspects of society and human nature, bringing light to these dark secrets is a throughline throughout the chaotic imagery featured in the film. In a stroke of genius, THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS successfully masks a heavy, depressing message behind the guise of typically wholesome entertainment. Regardless of the disturbing images on screen, one is left to ponder the undertones of how humans have cyclically caused an incomprehensible amount of damage to both the planet and one another. THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS discusses the morbidity of our reliance on oil and how it is essentially vampirism on a grander scale. Regardless of whether we as a whole can recognize the harm we’ve caused or not, we’re doomed to repeat the cycle.
Musings on the history and the possibility of repeating problematic patterns aside, THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS both entertains and informs. Though the subject matter is considerably darker than those cherished children’s shows it’s replicating, it’s thoroughly striking in themes and imagery – as all art films are apt to be. THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS is not only a morbid feast for the eyes but also the mind.
