“Rot” (1999)

Studio: Undead Entertainment
Starring: Joel D. Wynkoop, Billy Scam, Tiffany Stinky
Directed by: Marcus Koch
Rated: Unrated
Running Time: 80 min.

Synopsis: A woman has sex with a corpse and gets a disease that makes her start rotting.

REVIEW

Chris Woods

If you are looking for a film that is disgusting and will gross you the hell out, then Rot is the film for you. I know they are plenty of gross films out there and I have seen a lot of them. Rot may not be one of the all time grossest films, but it is up there. Director Marcus Koch, best known for special make-up effects, made this film in the mid 1990’s and cast cult actor Joel D. Wynkoop to play an evil scientist who makes a virus that will make humans rot in a matter of days. Rot will truly make you want to puke after watching the first moments of the film.

The movie opens with one of the lead characters, Sarah (Tiffany Stinky), who likes to have sex with corpses in her spare time. She is in a morgue after hours and is having sex with one of the dead bodies. It then cuts to Sarah back at her apartment puking in the toilet. This is a great way to gross out your audience right off the bat and this opening sets the tone for the rest of the film. Sarah’s boyfriend, Muzzy (Billy Scam) comes home after a bad day and sees that his girl is not feeling well. He tries to cheer her up by having sex with her. This does cheer her up, but then she tells him that she had sex with a corpse and believes she caught something from it. Muzzy freaks out and realizes what ever she’s got he has now.

Muzzy and Sarah are a couple of punks who wander the city looking for drugs and money and often find trouble. Now with this disease they got it doesn’t make things any better. Sarah goes back to the morgue to get some formaldehyde thinking it would help their condition and she finds Dr. Robert Olsen (Joel D. Wynkoop) who is an ex-military scientist that developed a virus called the Robert Olsen Transmultination virus (R.O.T.). Olsen injected the corpses in the morgue with the virus and now Sarah and Muzzy have been infected with the disease.

The movie was shot in 1996 in the Tampa Bay area, but not released until 1999. Wynkoop just finished shooting Creep where he played serial killer Angus Lynch and now, by playing Dr. Robert Olsen, he has created another memorable character. Wynkoop does an excellent job playing this insane doctor. Most of his scenes are done with him just talking to himself, which come off very demented and really great. His character often hears voices and talks to the dead bodies at the morgue and he even talks to his toilet. Wynkoop is very animated when he is speaking his dialogue and his scenes are the highlights of the film. Also, look for a great scene at the end where the doctor fights off a bunch of punk rockers.

Scam and Stinky do a good job as well playing the punks with the rot. The couple looks like they should be hanging out at CBGB’s in New York City in 1977 instead of hanging out in Tampa Bay in the 90’s. They are very disgusting, violent, and gross characters that drive the film and they couldn’t care less for anyone or anything. We witness them transform into these rotting beings and through it all they are trying to find a way to stop it, but at times they don’t really seem to care that they are rotting, until the very end that is. You can tell the two love each other at times and seem to be a perfect match, but at other times they can’t stand each other and try to piss the other off. One totally gross scene is when the two are making out and Sarah throws up in Muzzy’s mouth while they are kissing.

There are some parts where the film drags a bit. After the opening of the film they follow Muzzy and Sarah going around town and eventually robbing and torching a mansion. These scenes tend to slow down the pace of the film, which draws the viewer’s attention away. The movie doesn’t pick up again until the Dr. Olsen character is introduced. I also have mixed feelings about the way the film is made. It is shot on video and is a little rough around the edges in the editing, sound, and camera shots. Not sure if it would have been a better film if it was shot on 16mm or even Super 8. Then I also feel that this shot on video rough around the edges look gives the film it’s identify and it fits the movie’s tone more. It also has a documentary feel to it as well, like were following around these weirdo punks and seeing a day in the life of their crazy world.

As I mentioned before the director, Marcus Koch is most famous for being a special effects artist for many independent horror films. Rot was done early in his career and you see some of his early make-up effects work in the film. He does an effect where someone with the rot virus rots away to the bone and it is an excellent special make-up effect. If you are looking for a really gross film then check out Marcus Koch’s Rot and make sure you are not eating while you watch it.