The Voice Inside
(Biff Juggernaut Screener)
(2001)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

Growing up on Troma films in the late 80's and early 90's I developed a soft spot for goofy, over the top horror flicks. Unfortunately, as I've evolved (as has filmmaking) my fondness for such titles has dwindled faster than Cole Hauser's chances at winning an Oscar for his performance in "The Cave". However, for the sake of the Independent filmmaker, I've attempted to view submissions like the Voice Inside with a great deal of objectivity and to give credit where it's due.

Running approximately 15 minutes, the Voice Inside concerns one man's struggle with a split personality. Initially opening on a NYC subway car, the victim/antagonist struggles with a muffled voice that is determined to revolt against the man's ordinary lifestyle. Beginning with the control of the man's hands, the "voice" does away with the medication that has been suppressing this other half of the personality. Cut to the man's apartment, where we see his body begin to fall victim to the "voice" in a fashion similar to the windmill scene in Army of Darkness. Beginning with a bout of self induced vomiting, the voice quickly egresses to physical violence as the man repeatedly smashes his face against a wall, then beats himself senseless with a pair of stove burner grates. The apex of Biff Juggernaut's nugget of self-inflicted violence occurs when the victim/ antagonist repeatedly thrusts a hammer handle into his rectum while the "voice" screams "Fuck You!" repeatedly.

Although fluent with violence and the underlying theme of self suppression, the Voice Inside was a bit rushed to garner any true appreciation. I don't know if it was the copy that I received, but 75% of the dialogue between the man and the "voice" was garbled to a point of inaudibility. One can interpret the conversations held to a certain extent, but the short loses a great deal of appeal because the violence in the film becomes far more prevalent than the theme. I guess the lack of appreciation on my behalf can be attributed to my own evolution, or maybe because I had my own "voice inside" screaming "Don't you ever shove a hammer handle up your ass, you big stupid fuck!"