As a fan of Carpenter Brut that made the soundtrack, I had to watch this. The music video for Turbo Killer was the first result of the collaboration between Carpenter Brut and director Seth Ickerman. Blood Machines was the second and was often referred to as Turbo Killer 2 during the crowdfunding. Because of Turbo Killer, I had high expectations for this movie. Sadly, Blood Machines can really give you the perception that it was never meant to be a movie at all but rather music video that was streched to 50 minutes by adding a bad script performed by mediocre actors accompanied by cheap props, makeup and VFX.
I'm not sure what I just watched but I do know that it was colorful and the music was awesome.
This was recommended to me via a podcast (thanks Schröck, if you ever read this) and while I do agree with the commenters here that it lacks in world building and has some bad acting with bad dialogue, it still is very enjoyable to watch. The visuals and music help a lot and I'd say that it's worth watching just for that.
The whole ship design and atmosphere remind me of Lexx the dark zone (that trash sci-fi show from the 90s) and I loved that trash when I was younger and still seem to like it now 25 years later.
I think this movie is visually very striking. It's special to watch, it looks good. The story, acting and dialogue could be improved upon. Overall I liked the idea and the visuals.
I love the visuals, I love the soundtrack. A little bit more story would have been nice.
Well, I can't say I was misled by the poster art. Blood Machines is everything it promised to be: a deep, dark splash of tripped-out outer-space mayhem, bold and loud and dirty like an after-hours Cinemax special with a huge, dedicated VFX team. It's a total sensory delight, no matter how poorly-acted and incomprehensible the story might be.
Music is a huge part of what makes this whole show operate, which is no surprise since it's a spiritual (if not literal) sequel to a music video from the same artist, director and production house. Carpenter Brut isn't a household name, but his particular brand of darkwave synth caught my ear a few years ago and that's what ultimately drew me to this film. The entire visual approach hinges on that style, adapting his grungy, sinister, 80s-influenced sound into a perfectly-paired series of distressed, threatening, neon-hued scenes and settings. Occasionally, it overexerts in the pursuit of deliberately edgy material (tons of T&A and blasphemous imagery in this one), but as it's already a pastiche of styles from an era where such envelope-pushing was common, if not actively encouraged, that seems appropriate. Distracting and snicker-inducing, sure, but also fitting.
I couldn't tell you much about the plot. It seems intentionally ambiguous, merely a vehicle to shift our perspective from one complex piece of shifting, shining, shaking computer-generated havoc to the next. The dialogue and acting are also afterthoughts, and overlooking those can be a bit trickier. Those seeking a thick dose of pure indulgence need look no further: Blood Machines is a conceptual marvel, an overfilled cup of fresh ideas and dramatic execution. Maybe if you're high enough, the other stuff won't matter.
Actually pretty awesome visuals, could be a music film for world star edm artist or artist like Janelle Monae
"2001 A Space Odyssey" meets "Blade Runner", meets "Event Horizon". More style over substance, with little if any attempt at cohesive storytelling, a plot, or even a point. But, when all else fails, throw in a malfunctioning "pregnant" A.I. unit, several attractive "butt nekkid" female "beings" of undetermined origins, complete with illuminated inverted crucifixes to cover the really naughty bits, a homicidal pseudo religious fem cult, and a misogynistic male protagonist who is easily tricked into thing with the wrong head, and, you might be able to look past the first year film school SFX, to actually find some enjoyable bits here and there.
As others have said, the visuals are interesting, but it's disappointing that they couldn't find a cogent story to go along with them. Still, if you've got a blunt of Ayahuasca Purple Indica laying around, this might make for an interesting 50 minutes of social isolation....
super enjoyable super cool super awesome.. what more do you need? not everything has to have meaning, some shit can just be badass!
Super fun short. Definitely a lot more style over substance, but I don’t consider that a negative.
Amazing visuals combined with an amazing soundtrack and a minimalist plot to bring us along for the ride? Yes! And it works so well!
Shout by Luigi RavagliaVIP 9BlockedParent2020-05-22T20:48:20Z
Yeah the storytelling is really lackluster, dialogue is uninspired, worldbuilding is half-baked and acting can be improved upon.
But this is just fun. Great imagery with enjoyable product design paired with predictably amazing Carpenter Brut soundtrack makes it for an entertaining and different 50 minutes. You gotta hand it to Ickerman, he didn't hold back.
It's the kind of thing teenager me would find amazing. And fuck it, I miss teenager me.