Dat axe.
Absurd (1981) (also known as Rosso Sangue, Anthropophagus 2, Horrible, The Grim Reaper 2 and Zombie 6: Monster Hunter) is an Italian horror film considered to be an unofficial sequel to The Anthropophagus Beast. It was directed by Joe D'Amato, was written by George Eastman, and was on the Video Nasties list in the early 1980s.
The plot concerns a nearly invincible man named Mikos Stanopolous whose blood coagulates incredibly fast. The rapid coagulation is a gift that has made him insanely homicidal. A priest pursues Mikos to try to destroy him, knowing that the only way to do so is to destroy the brain. Naturally, given the movie's reputation, things are pretty much required to get worse before they get better.
This movie inspired the name of German black metal band Absurd, a national socialist band who committed murder in 1993.
This film contains examples of the following tropes:
- As Long as It Sounds Foreign: "Mikos Stanopolous" has to be the most awkward-sounding attempt at a Greek name in the history of film.
- Barrier-Busting Blow
- Big Bad: Mikos Stanopolous, the maniacal Implacable Man killing everybody.
- Big Damn Heroes: Zig-zagged. The priest shows up, gun in hand, but is quickly strangled by Mikos. However, Mikos’ killing of the priest distracts him long enough for Katya to chop his head off.
- Car Fu: Mikos is accidentally run over by Mr. Bennett.
- Chekhov's Gun: The drafting compass which is eventually used to blind Mikos.
- Decapitation Presentation: Katya holds up Mikos’ decapitated head to Willy and the others, but not before saying: "Look, Willy, you don't need to be afraid anymore."
- Dolled-Up Installment: Anthropophagus 2, The Grim Reaper 2 and Zombie 6: Monster Hunter.
- Eagleland: You can tell the setting is America and totally not Italy because of how awesome everyone is always saying football is.
- Expy: This is a very obvious ripoff of Halloween, so Mikos is Michael, the priest is Loomis, Annie is Laurie until she dies, Willy is Tommy Doyle, Engleman is Sheriff Brackett, and Katya is Lindsay Wallace until she becomes the Final Girl.
- Eye Scream: Mikos getting a drafting compass in the eyes.
- Facial Horror: Emily gets her face burnt off in an oven.
- Gorn: As in Anthropophagus, the murder scenes in this film are quite visceral and explicit.
- Gross-Up Close-Up: In addition, said death scenes are often prone to lingering on the gruesome details. This is especially the case with Emily's death by burning and the circular saw murder.
- Healing Factor: Though it evidently isn't very quick acting.
- Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday: It appears to be Super Bowl Sunday.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Nurse Thelma gets drilled through one side of the head and out the other.
- Impromptu Tracheotomy: Emily's death.
- Improvised Weapon: Emily grabs some scissors to use as a weapon (and is killed with them) while Katia stabs Mikos in the hand and eyes with a drafting compass.
- My Car Hates Me: The motorcycle of the biker victim breaks down near Mikos.
- Never Found the Body: After Nikos was riddled with bullets in Europe, and fell into the sea.
- No Name Given: Most of the characters, including the priest.
- Noodle Incident: Whatever it was that gave Mikos his Healing Factor.
- Off with His Head!: Mikos's death.
- One-Word Title: Absurd.
- Peek-a-Boo Corpse: Emily turns on the light in a room, revealing Peggy's body.
- Powerful Pick: Peggy gets stabbed in the head with one.
- Rag Tag Bunch Of Misfits: "So this is the team, eh? A priest, a detective near retirement, and a young moron rookie of a cop. Terrific, just terrific."
- Reaction Shot: We get several shots of Willy's bizarre facial contortions.
- Red Shirt: Most of the victims are incidental and unnamed people, like the machine shop owner, and the biker.
- Removing the Head or Destroying the Brain: The only way to destroy Mikos.
- Shirtless Scene: Mikos gets one while drilling Nurse Thelma to death.
- Slasher Smile: Mikos pulls off
◊ an epic one while dispatching his victims. - Stealth Hi/Bye: Shawnessy.
- The Stoic: Mr. Bennett is a pretty apathetic guy, not really caring that he ran over a man, and showing little interest when his wife tells him about Mikos being disemboweled on their fence.
- Things That Go "Bump" in the Night: Lots of comparisons to the boogeyman.
- Throwing Off the Disability: Katya spends most of the film bedridden due to a spinal problem. Then out of nowhere she suddenly manages to free herself from her restraints and dispatch Mikos, showing no apparent signs of any physical struggle.
- This Is a Drill: Nurse Thelma's death.
- Title Drop: "It's absurd, completely absurd."
- Token Minority: Jim, and the deputy.
- Video Nasties
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: "I would say that he does not regenerate cells perfectly, that he is... insane."
- Zombie Gait: What Mikos is reduced to after losing his eyes.
