Five teen employees of a local theater in a small, very Christian town, gather for their regular work night, unaware that their lives are about to change forever. Meeting with their pious boss, who holds a prayer circle before opening, we discover that each of these teens are facing their own unique struggles of faith, one being a Peeping Tom, another homosexual, the oldest teen struggling with addiction, one kid who is disfigured, and the lone girl suffering unrequited love. When the work night is through, as is tradition, the teens get to pick one of the movies the theater is showing to have an employees-only viewing, where the boss leaves, locking them in. Two problems occur, and they’re big ones. The first is that a vagrant old man has somehow slipped into the theater, and the teens have to chase him out. He vandalizes some of the place before smashing through a hidden and boarded entrance to another part of the theater, one they didn’t know existed. Back there, they discover problem number two: a film that turns out to be footage of some very weird and very perverted sex ritual. When they play the movie, they unwittingly unleash a sex demon, who then proceeds to prey on the trapped teens, who are fighting for both their lives and their souls.
Porno is a really fun film that is bloody as hell and full of some snazzy visuals and set-pieces. It does not shrink or shy away from the subject matter, going full nude very quickly, including boob, bush, and dong. And it’s violent. Gore fans will appreciate this one as it really does seek to mangle the body in various and unique ways. In other words, there is a lot of genital mutilation here, from ripped off dicks to exploded testicles. This sex demon, who is hot as Hell, doesn’t hold back. She promises pleasure but delivers only agony. They thing is, this movie would have been just fine if it had stuck to surface-level horror, but it instead decides to delve deeper, and what we discover is a raw, bleeding, beating heart and soul. The struggles of the teens are very real for many Christians, and while the film does poke a bit of fun at them, their turmoil is treated with the ultimate respect and sympathy. Not all of the character bits work perfectly, but those that do really strike with authenticity: the kid “struggling” with homosexuality (sent to a camp to be changed, told he can pray it away, told it was nothing more than another addiction) who wants to be accepted by God and his friends but cannot face who he truly is because of the pressure from God and his friends; the kid with the deformed hand; and the Peeping Tom, who really wants to indulge in his fetish of watching people fornicate (in real life or on film) but is constantly reminded how “truly” perverted he is. The sex demon uses their supposed weaknesses against them, but the film points out that their perceived salvation can only come from a God that uses these same “weaknesses” against them, as well. It truly is a struggle of faith, of what to believe in. Also, the supposedly pious boss turns out to be a real live perv, no questions about it (he also gets sodomized and his dick ripped off, so don’t worry, despite the heavy subject matter, there’s another gore gag waiting around every corner). The true moment of liberation comes when the older teen with a nicotine addiction, lights a cigarette and declares that he believes in nothing anymore. That’s when they go after the demon and attempt to save their skins.
Porno is a horror film with lots of broad comedy, tons of blood, and a healthy amount of ripped dongs and exploded testicles, but it also has a real soul and something to say. The unhealthy repression of sexual appetites and desires can be far more dangerous than a sex demon unleashed. It destroys friendships and tears people apart, whether this repression is of your own doing or placed on you from the outside, by society and religion. In the end, you have to embrace who you are and be yourself. It’s the only way to defeat the demons inside and out.
Four of our Four Buckets of Blood
Kelly is the author of dozens of stories and dozens of reviews. He likes to write, he likes to read, he likes going to the movies, and he loves to laugh. He hails from the wilds of Kentucky and if you'd like to see more of his work, check out his website: www.kellymhudson.comor on Amazon