The Abomination (Cancerous Death Lump Splatter Horror)
I have been fascinated by Bret McCormick’s The Abomination ever since I first saw a truly hideous poster for it (see above) in John McCarty’s indispensable book The Sleaze Merchants. Something about the sly smile on the bloody teenager in the Izod and Ray Bans intrigued me and I knew I had to see this Super 8 slaughterthon sooner or later. Thanks to Visual Vengeance, we can see this regional bloodbath on its best behavior. Lensed around Texas in 1986 and released through Donna Michelle Productions in 1987, The Abomination concerns a family whose matriarch is entranced by the wily Reverend Fogg and his TV ministries. Things start strange and get weirder when Mama coughs up a tumor that moves around on its own. Once the tumor ends up taking over the mind of her young son, it goes completely over the scale from bizarre to outright nightmarish.
By combining tropes from Cronenberg, HG Lewis and the various slashers of the day, McCormick has fashioned a film that operates on a hazy sort of dream logic that works best when viewed in the middle of the night. There’s a sly sense of humor at work here and a sense of allegory in regards to the poisonous influence of televangelists. It’s a unique experience and one that is not easily forgotten. Thank you to Visual Vengeance for plucking this film out of obscurity and unleashing it back into the arms of the waiting weirdos. For starters, it looks as good as it possibly could – Super 8 was never known for being pretty. The sound retains that bass-heavy boom that only cheap ADR can provide. Extras are jam-packed on this release, with two commentary tracks and a slew of interviews including a extended interview with McCormick that is absolutely indispensable. In summation, The Abomination is easily one of the best releases of the year.
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Written by David, Comptroller of Your Last Scrap of Existence
The Abomination (2023, Blu-ray)
Director: Bret McCormick
Distributor: Visual Vengeance
4.3 / 5
