Bloody Knuckles

Made in the gonzo-gore spirit of Toxic Avenger Troma titles of yesteryear—which reveled in ludicrous ethnic and gender stereotypes—Canadian filmmaker Matt O's (Matt O'Mahoney) Bloody Knuckles revisits the disembodied crawling-hand subgenre, serving up a garish tale of transgressive comix creator Travis (Adam Boys), whose tasteless panels lampoon a Chinatown crime boss. In response, the untouchable gangster has his hordes (all four of them, reflecting the budget) cut off the writer-artist's hand. Coming to mischievous life, the severed member tries to drag an unwilling Travis along on a revenge rampage. Cult horror fans will appreciate this over-the-top flick that even includes a shoehorned-in anti-censorship message. Also featuring Matt O's early short "Electric Fence" (which has a penis-severing scene that could be a dealbreaker for some), this is recommended for more adventurous collections. (C. Cassady)