Who
knew the Singularity would strike such a blow against the so-called “patriarchy?”
Yet, you would think humanity would be better off in the long-run if we were
not beholden to artificial intelligence and the machines they control. A couple
of old school scavenger dudes still think are on top of the intelligence
pyramid, but they will learn differently in Seth Ickerman (a.k.a. Raphael
Hernandez & Savitri Joly-Gonfard)’s Blood Machines, “a Shudder
original experience in three chapters,” which premieres today on the streaming
service.
Vascan
and his older, more human co-pilot Lago have been chasing a rogue ship to
salvage for parts, but Mima, its damaged AI unit, has been frustratingly
elusive. Just when Vascan thinks he has it cornered, a shamanistic tribe of
women who commune with artificial intelligences helps her escape as a naked
ghost. Despite Lago’s reservations and the buggy behavior of their own AI
system, Vascan refuses to back down. He even takes Corey, the mysterious tribal
leader as his prisoner. He might even have more contemptible motives, which further
stokes Lago’s mounting unease.
Or
something like that. Blood Machines is definitely a case of style and
visuals prioritized far above narrative and characterization. It makes sense
that the project started off as a proof-of-concept music video for Carpenter
Brut’s “Turbo Killer” and it still has that kind of razzle-dazzle look and
fire-and-fury vibe. If you love the old school Heavy Metal film and
magazine, Blood Machines will probably appeal to your sensibilities.
Frankly,
the inverted cross motif is more than a little baffling. Obviously, it brings
to mind all sorts of satanic horror tropes, but some cult film fans might also
get Evangelion flashbacks. Regardless, the way Ickerman freely
intermixes it with naked female bodies gets a bit creepy.
Although
most of the characters are really stock figures, Christian Erickson admirably
humanizes Lago. In fact, it is a tragically human performance that happens amid
a micro-series-experience that largely discounts the value of humanity.
Blood
Machines is
not great science fiction, but its energy is quite potent and the maelstrom of
imagery is definitely over-powering. The bite-sized 15-20-minute episodes also
make it a handy time-filler in-between longer programs (but Shudder’s Dead
Wax is even more fun). Recommended for sf and cult cinema fans who always
want to see something crazy, Blood Machines is now streaming on Shudder.
