Mardi Gras Massacre 
 ( Gold Star VHS PAL)
(1980)
review by Krug Stillo

Anyone who has read my past reviews here at Horrorview can tell you I’m curious about the whole Video Nasties phenomenon. Most of the titles that were so deprecated by conservatives in the early eighties, considered for a
long period of time hazardous to contemporary society, are now available legally in the UK. Some of those titles remain in oblivion to this day, notoriety surrounding a few too ‘unsettling’ for British consumption (The Last House on the Left, Island of Death…etc.) and others have found comfort in oblivion and might never return (Forest of Fear, Unhinged…etc.) One of those ‘seek and you shall find’ obscurities is the Harshall Gorden Lewis wannabe, Mardi Gras Massacre.

Please forgive me for not reviewing this film too seriously, if you’ve seen it you’ll find that that is a true impossibility because this film is just too abysmal. A very suspicious, deep-voiced ‘gentleman’ searches thorough the seediest clubs in town, picking up the local untraceable prostitutes,
referred to here as ‘evil women’, this is definitely not a film for feminist groups. He takes the first victim back to his hotel room and ties her up on a formidable altar-like table. Meanwhile this creepy fellow ventures off to slip on some suitable sacrificing wardrobe. The aforementioned ‘evil woman’ enjoys it when he returns to massage oils into her naked body and as you begin to ponder that this film should’ve belonged in the porn section the bloke, who remains nameless throughout, whips out a huge knife and
eviscerates her. This is quite a huge blow to the viewer’s system at this early point in the film: very nasty, graphic and gruesome.

The film plods along for another eighty minutes and the routine loses its impact by the fifth time. Unfortunately a boring subplot concerning a blossoming relationship between the intellectually challenged cop in charge of the case and a middle-aged prostitute can’t save this tripe. One even guesses that the lady-friend will soon turn up on the ‘suspicious fellow’s’ ‘evil women’ list for the torture chamber. Will the inept cop get to her in time? I won’t
spill the beans as I’d hate for you to fall asleep during this mess. If you make you’re bed, you should sleep in it.

If you’re interested in Mardi Grass Massacre and are a Video Nasties completist then you should see it as it still remains banned here in the UK, but I’ll warn you this might be more of a blessing than a bad thing. I’ve seen it more than once, but why I put myself through such torture I have no idea.