Society starts off as a teen angst film. Bill has a great family, he is rich and popular, has a good looking girlfriend and a Jeep. Yet he feels a lot of alienation in his life - like things just aren't what they appeared to be. His friend Blanchard gives him a recording of what appears to be Bill's family engaged in a crazy orgy. He gives the recording to Dr Cleveland - his shrink. When he comes back to collect it, the recording merely plays his sister's debutante party. He tries to obtain a further copy from Blanchard but when he arrives at the meeting place a body is being whisked away in an ambulance but its identity is unknown. Bill goes to a party held by his uppercrust friend Ferguson who taunts him about the tape. Annoyed, Bill leaves with a girl called Clarissa and has energetic sex with her. The next day he returns home and goes to Blanchard's funeral but isn't convinced it is a real corpse because Blanchard got messed up pretty badly. Martin, Bill's high school rival arranges to meet with Bill in secret to tell him of something important. When Bill gets to the meeting place, he finds Martin with his throat cut. He runs off to get the police but when come back the body is gone. Back at home, Bill is initiated into the secret of his family. They are a different species to Bill and they are all upperclass people who shapeshift into a giant obscene mount of seething flesh whilst feeding on the poor. Bill is adopted and does not have this wonderful ability. They demonstrate their powers by doing a number on Blanchard and now they want to feast on Bill. Can Bill escape this depraved orgy? A supposedly 'minor' entry into the genre of body horror (much beloved of Cronenberg), Society has never really been given the praise it is due. It deftly moves from Teen angst, to dodgy shenanigans right through to the final grotesque denouement which would gross out even the staunchest horror movie fan. It is genre director Brian Yuzna's directorial debut and it is a very auspicious start to his career and remains possibly his best ever film, if truth be told. Society has always had more success in the European market rather than the American market. It is funny, disturbing and engrossing. We know that something is afoot in the film due to the uneasiness of what is going on in Bill's life and the mystery keeps building up, layer upon layer, to its repulsive climax. The rich literally eat the poor! One to snap up if you have not enjoyed its charms.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
