sometimes I watch a movie and feel bad for not liking it. It happened earlier this year with rob zombies lords of salem and now again with night of the tentacles. The reason I say I feel bad is because I know the filmmakers have potential and I wish them success but in these cases they in my opinion flop. This is the second movie I have seen by Dustin Mills Productions. Its a micro budget, campy, practical, gory, comedic labour of love. My kind of movie. I love the effort put into these types of movies and I find them to be very inspiring. That being said, night of the tentacles just didn't do it for me. The actual tentacles were a cheap cgi that made for very uninteresting kills and kind of make the story drag on, if im not getting good kills in a low budget movie then the characters and dialogue better make up for it. In this movie they almost do, The main character is really the only notable actor, he does a great job emulating an early Bruce Campbell or Jim carrey type of over acting rub face. Hes great and id give him a role in my movie any day. Everyone else unfortunately is a throw away. The dialogue is all pretty much forgettable except for his neighbors dirty sex talk which add the only real laughs in what should be a balls to the wall cheese fest. What should have been an entertaining sleeze fest turned out to be more of a boring chore to watch unlike dustin mills "Zombie a-hole" which was flawed yet still much better than "tentacles". I still feel dustin mills has a few aces up his sleave and I look forward to watching "bath salt zombies" but for now I would recommend watching "Mold! the movie", "Father's Day (troma)", or "Cadaver Christmas" for your fill of low budget indie goodness!
9 Reviews
I'M A TRUCK AND MY NAME IS MAC
nogodnomasters22 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Dustin Mills wrote, directed, played Satan, provided the special effects, produced, provided the music and edited the film which he shot entirely in his Ohio apartment. Dave (Brandon Salkil) who draws dirty pictures for a living, has a heart attack while choking his chicken...a man's worse fear. He makes a deal with the devil to survive. Dave keeps his heart in a box as this Faustian tale takes on aspects of "Little Shop of Horrors."
The dialogue ranged from bad to campy fair. Unfortunately the acting was really sad with fake voices. The special effects were cheap. There is a scene of blood explosion. The "boobs" bragged about on the DVD cover aren't worth watching attached to pot bellied actresses.
The funniest scenes are the sex scenes where the guy screws up the dirty talk. The film is designed to be campy, but misses the entertaining aspect.
Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, and nudity...it opens that way.
The dialogue ranged from bad to campy fair. Unfortunately the acting was really sad with fake voices. The special effects were cheap. There is a scene of blood explosion. The "boobs" bragged about on the DVD cover aren't worth watching attached to pot bellied actresses.
The funniest scenes are the sex scenes where the guy screws up the dirty talk. The film is designed to be campy, but misses the entertaining aspect.
Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, and nudity...it opens that way.
Ed Woods is rolling over in his Grave !
dadatuuexx8 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I gave this "movie" a 1 ,because there was no -0 !. I have sat thru some turds,but this cheese-ball no-pus was RANCID !. So bad in fact,that i graded papers while it ran.Now,don't get me wrong,i do like some bad films,but this one was bad on too many levels.Bad story,bad acting ,REAL bad looking people,and even worse "fx" . The "monster" looked like a toaster/breadbox thing,covered in that sand foam stuff you see on t.v. ads for kids.It looked like maybe some 2 nd graders whipped it up for a class project,while at recess ! I waited for something cool,or some action , to happen.The most horrifying thing to happen was when they showed the lead "actor"s dog taking a dump,and i would imagine it came out better than this turd.Should have been called "Night of the Testicles" ,cause it took some balls to release this fart-blower!.
Fun, trashy, low-budget comedy horror.
BA_Harrison20 April 2015
Dave (Brandon Salkil) is a 24-year-old loser who scrapes a living painting digital erotica for sci-fi geeks. When he's not creating his 'art' (oh, the agony and the ecstasy of painting alien semen in zero gravity), he's busy masturbating while eavesdropping on his sexually frustrated, pregnant neighbour Esther (Nicole Gerity), who lives in the apartment below. It is while he is knocking one out to the sounds of Esther's self-gratification that he suffers an unexpected heart attack.
After surgery, Dave is informed that he has poor circulation and desperately needs a replacement heart if he wants to go on living. His solution: sell his soul to the devil in exchange for a new organ, one that, if he looks after it properly, can give him eternal life. The only problem is that, according to the small print in the contract he hurriedly signs, he must now feed his new heart two humans a week in order to keep it pumping.
Of the three films I have seen by low-budget horror director Dustin Mills (the others being Kill That Bitch and Bath Salt Zombies), this is easily my favourite. It offers up the same sort of lurid content to be found in the other two films—bargain basement gore and gratuitous nudity from a selection of tattooed women—but it also has a wickedly dark (and often very silly) sense of humour that makes it all the more irresistible.
Taking his cues from such low-budget classics as Roger Corman's The Little Shop of Horrors and Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case, Mills has crafted a delightfully warped tale that—in addition to a chatty tentacled heart with one eye—features such demented delights as a chubby tattooed bird being pulled down the loo while taking a leak, a couple interrupted by the heart's killer tentacles while having sex, a perverted demon called Belial who offers to fart on Dave while he cranks one out, and an Evil Dead-style splat-stick finale that sees Dave attacking the monstrous heart with a carving knife.
Even though this is utterly deranged, lowbrow nonsense, all shot on a micro budget, Mills' script is surprisingly well written, his cast put in reasonable performances, and the director displays a keen knowledge of his craft, employing an impressive range of film-making techniques.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for having the nerve to make the monster so laughable when we finally get to see it (a nod to the shonky nature of Henenlotter's creature in Basket Case, perhaps).
After surgery, Dave is informed that he has poor circulation and desperately needs a replacement heart if he wants to go on living. His solution: sell his soul to the devil in exchange for a new organ, one that, if he looks after it properly, can give him eternal life. The only problem is that, according to the small print in the contract he hurriedly signs, he must now feed his new heart two humans a week in order to keep it pumping.
Of the three films I have seen by low-budget horror director Dustin Mills (the others being Kill That Bitch and Bath Salt Zombies), this is easily my favourite. It offers up the same sort of lurid content to be found in the other two films—bargain basement gore and gratuitous nudity from a selection of tattooed women—but it also has a wickedly dark (and often very silly) sense of humour that makes it all the more irresistible.
Taking his cues from such low-budget classics as Roger Corman's The Little Shop of Horrors and Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case, Mills has crafted a delightfully warped tale that—in addition to a chatty tentacled heart with one eye—features such demented delights as a chubby tattooed bird being pulled down the loo while taking a leak, a couple interrupted by the heart's killer tentacles while having sex, a perverted demon called Belial who offers to fart on Dave while he cranks one out, and an Evil Dead-style splat-stick finale that sees Dave attacking the monstrous heart with a carving knife.
Even though this is utterly deranged, lowbrow nonsense, all shot on a micro budget, Mills' script is surprisingly well written, his cast put in reasonable performances, and the director displays a keen knowledge of his craft, employing an impressive range of film-making techniques.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for having the nerve to make the monster so laughable when we finally get to see it (a nod to the shonky nature of Henenlotter's creature in Basket Case, perhaps).
Entertaining little watch
steviehyper8 February 2013
I put this on with very little expectations, the story sounded potentially entertaining but I've seen these sort of films go horribly wrong and I did almost switch it off after 5 mins. But then I was glad I left it on because I rather enjoyed it, I also recommended it to a like minded friend who also enjoyed it. Yeah it looks like it cost £50 to make and the monster a little rubbish, and yeah no Oscar winning performances (tho I felt the acting suited the film) or groundbreaking originality but I felt it worked for me and did make me laugh. The camera work wasn't the worst I've seen either for a low budget film. If you like your indie horror films like me I'd give this a go. I'd score it 6.5 but gave it a 9 to deservedly bump it up a little.
A well oiled machine
andyunderhill7217 February 2014
This isn't the first film I'm reviewing from Dustin Mills and I doubt it will be my last. I finally got to check this out recently and felt the need to share my thoughts.
It's not as high quality as Easter Casket, being more grounded and intimate by comparison. A down on his luck loser has major heart troubles and can't afford treatment. Instead of exploring better medical options based on insurance, Medicaid, or even Canada, he instead makes a deal with the devil. He gets himself a brand new, awful, Lovecraftian, monster heart! The only downside is that the heart needs to feel on humans for him to survive.
It sounds like b-schlock and it is in the best way. Performances are interesting and usually hit home runs, the effects are fine, the monster is a bit cheap but works for the film. The story seems straight forward but really does everything that it wants to, and does it well. I felt for the lead character at several points and I really felt his struggle to cope with his choice. There's some absolutely fantastic character moments that seems to be a great example of Dustin's writing. Shots were also pretty solid, especially given that almost the entire movie is in one apartment.
The biggest downside in the film is a lot of low-brow humor from the devil's "assistant" or whatever he was. This sort of stuff is hit or miss and to me, it was a big miss. I was glad whenever he left the screen.
I'd definitely recommend this film to fans of indie movies. Dustin is definitely one of those directors that continues to impress.
It's not as high quality as Easter Casket, being more grounded and intimate by comparison. A down on his luck loser has major heart troubles and can't afford treatment. Instead of exploring better medical options based on insurance, Medicaid, or even Canada, he instead makes a deal with the devil. He gets himself a brand new, awful, Lovecraftian, monster heart! The only downside is that the heart needs to feel on humans for him to survive.
It sounds like b-schlock and it is in the best way. Performances are interesting and usually hit home runs, the effects are fine, the monster is a bit cheap but works for the film. The story seems straight forward but really does everything that it wants to, and does it well. I felt for the lead character at several points and I really felt his struggle to cope with his choice. There's some absolutely fantastic character moments that seems to be a great example of Dustin's writing. Shots were also pretty solid, especially given that almost the entire movie is in one apartment.
The biggest downside in the film is a lot of low-brow humor from the devil's "assistant" or whatever he was. This sort of stuff is hit or miss and to me, it was a big miss. I was glad whenever he left the screen.
I'd definitely recommend this film to fans of indie movies. Dustin is definitely one of those directors that continues to impress.
Night of the Tentacles is a well-constructed, well-lit, well-composed low budget film intent on entertaining.
jeremy-funk2 August 2013
The Dustin Mills machine is at it again. His first feature, Puppet Monster Massacre, is an exercise in sock puppet hilarity. Night of the Tentacles ups the ante another notch, introducing us to real actors, on real sets, with very little green screen action. The whole show takes place in one apartment, with a few exterior shots that look like Akron, Ohio. I met Dustin and his wife at the HorrorHound weekend in Columbus, and they are great people. What goes on the screen however
Brandon Salkil delivers an outstanding performance as Dave; he alternates between a haunted James Woods and Bruce Campbell's Ash. Tentacles fly, Satan raps. Demon delivery boys ask to fart on Dave while masturbating. Mills cameos as a PBR swilling maintenance man intent on "screwing everything". Jackie McKown as Delilah delivers a 5 minute whiz only to be tentacle-impaled at the end of it. Throw in copious amounts of semen, more masturbation (the only IMDb keyword is "masturbation"), and a monster-in-a-box that sounds like Elmer from Brain Damage. There you go, an homage best categorized as Slime City meets Basket Case with a dollop of Brain Damage thrown in. By no means is this a copy of those films, but a well-constructed, well-lit, well-composed low budget film intent on entertaining.
And entertain it does!
Some nudity, and a ton of masturbating. In retrospect, this movie had a lot of self-flagellation going on. Four gallons of blood, mostly CGI, a rapping Satan (brilliant), and a Reservior Dogs suited demon named Belial who delivers lines like "Are you sure you don't want to masturbate? I can break wind on you while you do it. It's fun." Mills, you're nuts, and I love it.
Synopsis: Night of the Tentacles is a great companion piece to Brain Damage. Roll in some Frankenhooker, a six-pack of PBR, and your favorite deranged-flick watching buddy and it'll be a great night. Enjoy.
Brandon Salkil delivers an outstanding performance as Dave; he alternates between a haunted James Woods and Bruce Campbell's Ash. Tentacles fly, Satan raps. Demon delivery boys ask to fart on Dave while masturbating. Mills cameos as a PBR swilling maintenance man intent on "screwing everything". Jackie McKown as Delilah delivers a 5 minute whiz only to be tentacle-impaled at the end of it. Throw in copious amounts of semen, more masturbation (the only IMDb keyword is "masturbation"), and a monster-in-a-box that sounds like Elmer from Brain Damage. There you go, an homage best categorized as Slime City meets Basket Case with a dollop of Brain Damage thrown in. By no means is this a copy of those films, but a well-constructed, well-lit, well-composed low budget film intent on entertaining.
And entertain it does!
Some nudity, and a ton of masturbating. In retrospect, this movie had a lot of self-flagellation going on. Four gallons of blood, mostly CGI, a rapping Satan (brilliant), and a Reservior Dogs suited demon named Belial who delivers lines like "Are you sure you don't want to masturbate? I can break wind on you while you do it. It's fun." Mills, you're nuts, and I love it.
Synopsis: Night of the Tentacles is a great companion piece to Brain Damage. Roll in some Frankenhooker, a six-pack of PBR, and your favorite deranged-flick watching buddy and it'll be a great night. Enjoy.
Entertaining, '80s style horror with a good heart
DVD_Connoisseur20 April 2014
Night of the Tentacles (aka Heart Attack) is the second movie I've viewed from Dustin Mills and it's another class slice of modern shoe-string budget horror. Rather than go for the "found footage" or all out shocker, Mills' original movies have a warm-hearted '80s vibe. They're underground, but in a soft and fluffy way (at least, for a short while, Mills is planning to explore darker themes in his movies from 2014 onwards).
For me, Dustin Mills is today's Frank Henenlotter. In fact, this movie has a few passing nods to Henenlotter's Basket Case (1982) with its principal antagonist hidden in a small chest for a large proportion of the proceedings.
Mills' always leaves me gobsmacked. His scripts are a rare beast; full of terrific lines, genuinely funny moments, pure gold. The written word is beautifully captured on video with solid performances from the cast. Brandon Salkil (Mills' regular actor) is a revelation, a modern Bruce Campbell with sprinklings of Matt Smith.
The icing on the bloody cake is the effects, both practical and computer generated. Low budget, yes. Creative, definitely.
I give this movie 8 starts. It's a good 'un.
For me, Dustin Mills is today's Frank Henenlotter. In fact, this movie has a few passing nods to Henenlotter's Basket Case (1982) with its principal antagonist hidden in a small chest for a large proportion of the proceedings.
Mills' always leaves me gobsmacked. His scripts are a rare beast; full of terrific lines, genuinely funny moments, pure gold. The written word is beautifully captured on video with solid performances from the cast. Brandon Salkil (Mills' regular actor) is a revelation, a modern Bruce Campbell with sprinklings of Matt Smith.
The icing on the bloody cake is the effects, both practical and computer generated. Low budget, yes. Creative, definitely.
I give this movie 8 starts. It's a good 'un.
A quirky and enjoyable indie horror oddity
Woodyanders15 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Sadsack loser artist Dave (a solid and likable performance by Brandon Salkil) sells his soul to the devil in order to obtain the new healthy heart he desperately needs to remain alive. However, said heart turns out to be a grotesque tentacled monster in a box with a taste for human flesh. Writer/director Dustin Mills relates the offbeat and imaginative story at a steady pace, milks the wickedly funny sense of inspired black humor for maximum belly laughs (the arguments between David and the monster are simply priceless, plus one annoying female victim gets yanked down a toilet!), takes time to develop main characters that are genuinely engaging, and delivers a pleasing amount of juicy gore and tasty female nudity. Moreover, this picture further benefits from the sheer loopiness of the Lovecraftian premise; Mills fortunately doesn't take said premise seriously and instead wisely plays the whole thing for amusingly absurd dark comedy. It's also acted with zest by a game no-name cast: Salkil makes for a sympathetic protagonist, Nicole Gerity contributes a charming turn as sweet pregnant neighbor Esther, and Jackie McKown bitches it up nicely as the supremely irritating Delilah. The raw sexuality on display provides an extra sizzling kinky edge. Mills' cinematography boasts lots of askew camera angles and funky freeze frames. The tacky CGI effects possess a certain cheesy appeal. Recommended viewing for fans of outré fright fare.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
