Chicago-based Director Daniel DelPurgatorio’s 2012 SXSW entry, Other, is a wickedly foreboding fusion of Michael Crichton’s surgical precision, David Cronenberg’s visceral, grotesque imagination, and Stuart Gordon at his most meditative. It’s an intelligent science-fiction horror fantasy equal parts contemplative and dangerous, holistic and horrifying.

I suspect one could extrapolate a formidable amount of substantive meaning and subtext beyond the meticulously crafted gore and ominous atmospherics. Other’s true function supersedes horror; it’s actually a renegade piece of sharp, calculating social commentary.  Though don’t get me wrong, it’s profound positions are still oozing puss and dripping blood with the efficiency and ingenuity of American medicine. But that’s not up for debate; our incredible technological advances in medical science are admired by the world over.  It’s our welfare policy and our fractured, out-of-fucking-control health care system that has come under the microscope of contemporary political analysis. The American position that health care is a business gestates at the nucleus of this short film which articulates its attitudes  with the tactical accuracy of the most careful and discerning clinician. America is one of only three developed countries in the world that does not provide Universal health care (aka/single-payer or gasp! socialized medicine) for all its citizens. Our infant mortality rate lags behind over 25 other developed countries and now that the ACA (Obamacare – yes, they are the same fucking thing) is under fire from establishment Republicans, this film is even more pertinent. Other takes these constructs and deposits them within the heart of its genius gonzo scientist-protagonist, who represents both the everyday citizen under constant political duress from the military-industrial-health care complex and the endgame for our decaying, obsolete system.

This brilliant, rogue Omega Man literally goes mad from constant invention, and his inevitable collapse is the result of a system that is so fractured, so lacking empathy, so incredibly capitalistic, one has no other choice but to embrace aberration both to psyche and the physical form. The question here is how far are we from back-alley research where Brundlefly is leading the charge, so perverted from years of reckless ingenuity because cancer treatment is far more profitable than a cure?

– Ben Lewandowski

World of Death is the web series that fans of independent horror have been waiting for.  Featuring short horror films from all over the globe created by the largest variety of talent that a collection has ever been able to boast, WOD provides plenty of blood, guts, screams and laughs for all fans of the macabre.  And with episodes averaging around eight minutes in length, WOD is the perfect entertainment for a fan base constantly on the go.  Watch it anywhere, at any time, for FREE! New episodes premiere every Monday and Thursday at 10am CST.

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