Synopsis: Determined to make it as an actor, a young man risks it all in one desperate last grasp at stardom.

Don’t be fooled by the following brief encapsulation of the events that make up this film’s plot. In truth, no synopsis could fully explain what is going on in this film. The plot is a myriad of twists and WTF moments that are times confounding. And what the narrative lacks in cohesion, it more than makes up for with its break neck pacing that anchors the story at hand.

Content wise, The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol is Horror / Comedy hybrid that can be best summed up as a cautionary tale about the dangers of obsession.  To suggest that the protagonist’s rise and fall is a wild ride would be an understatement. Along the way he works as the lead in a snuff film, skins a famous celebrity and wears their skin as a disguise, and the entire cast and crew for a porno he directs are infected by a mysterious virus. Needless to say, things get more bizarre and out of control as the plot progresses.

Making a film is never an easy road to travel and making an independent feature film that is trying find an audience has become increasingly difficult. Making a Horror film just increases the odds of being lost in the shuffle since it is the one genre that the majority of independent filmmakers are most drawn to.

Thankfully, instead of playing it safe like countless other Horror films, The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol quickly establishes its willingness to go where very few Horror films have ventured before. And after an initial shaky setup, The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol finally finds its voice and it is smooth sailing from there on out.

The DVD:

The DVD-R sent for this review has a water mark that pops up intermittently throughout and it is most definitely not representative of the final product. So commenting on the audio / video presentation would be pointless. No extras or menu were included with the screener which I was sent. Extras that are supposed to be on the final release DVD for this film are as follows, a director’s audio commentary track, behind the scenes footage, a music video and a music video trailer, a segment titled ‘Amorea’ in which Aramis Sartorio sings, ‘Cheese Theatre’ – a look at the first sketch comedy troupe from Queens and interviews with actresses Mia Tyler and Kimberly Kane, actor Caleb Emerson and director Aramis Sartorio.