Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Final Flesh Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 24, 2022

PFFR is a production company that counts Vernon Chatman as one of its founders. Chatman is best known to alt-comedy geeks as the co-creator of “Wonder Showzen” and “The Heart, She Holler,” and he’s recently worked as a producer on “South Park,” helping to guide the show’s transition into a streaming event series for Paramount+. In 2003, Chatman had a dream, looking to scratch a particular absurdist comedy itch with a vision for dramatic chaos few could match. Recognizing the growing industry of made-to-order pornography, Chatman sent screenplays to four companies specializing in fetish moviemaking, paying them to execute his bizarre take on the impending apocalypse. No hardcore footage was included, just concentration on the wild visuals and bodily commitment required to bring these loosely connected stories to life. “Final Flesh” stitches the short films together in one big mess of non sequiturs and amateur acting, offering those with amazing patience for Chatman’s sense of humor a full display of his lunacy, captured with a shot-on-video budget.

“Final Flesh” doesn’t have a story, just four tales of panic as the end of the world becomes a reality. Each segment presents three characters learning of an atomic bomb coming their way, sending these “families” into survival mode that clears the way to many issues concerning the pressures of existential and spiritual thought. Of course, “Final Flesh” is a big joke as well, with Chatman working hard to generate as much eye-crossing moments as possible to best challenge the DIY porn producers, who happily commit to the experiment, following the material wherever it chooses to go.

One gets the point of “Final Flesh” fairly quickly, and the opening segment is the highlight of the film, slowly revealing the ludicrousness of the project as three performers try to sell apartment-based interactions that involve armpit sniffing, a human giving birth to a cantaloupe and steak, and the procurement of an empty chili can to catch vomit. Part of the fun here is watching the performers attempt to serve Chatman’s screenplay, which asks them to commit to wild ideas way beyond their professional abilities. And that’s the idea driving the movie, which carries on for three more segments and even more demented concepts for surrealism and absurdity.

Final Flesh Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Final Flesh" is a shot-on-video production. The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation does what it can with the video source, offering a decent viewing experience that involves differences in camera quality and operator use. A basic understanding of frame elements is provided, and color is acceptable for this type of production, helped along by costuming and bright decorative additions.

Final Flesh Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix also manages four different technical approaches. Dialogue exchanges are clear, securing the amateur performances. More volatile highs test the limits of sound equipment. Scoring is simple, supporting the strange tales comfortably.

Final Flesh Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (2:35, SD) features Gregg Turkington, who offers his "Final Flesh" recommendation while sitting in front of a shelf filled with old VHS tapes.

• "Lay and Love" (3:52, SD) is a music video from Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

• Alternate Music Score by Ben Chasny is included.

• Outtakes (8:43, SD) provide some sense of production participant awareness as the actors wrestle with the strangeness of the material, trying to keep a straight face while dealing with all sorts of oddity and, for one guy, underwear filled with spaghetti sauce.

• Commercial (:33, SD) is an ad for a PFFR event.

• And a Trailer (1:30, SD) is included.

Final Flesh Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Final Flesh" has its one idea, with different interpretations fueling the viewing experience. The final segment is the most polished, and unsurprisingly, the least effective part of the film, finding an earnest take on bizarre relationships, dreamscape visits, and body horror exposing the limits of Chatman's idea. "Final Flesh" loses appeal as it goes, quickly slamming into repetitiveness, but it starts strong enough to carry the viewing experience, identifying a unique experiment in on-demand moviemaking and thespian dedication, watching these teams of porn actors do their best to bring nonsense to life.