The Nostril Picker

The Nostril Picker is a low-budget 1993 horror movie, dripping with cult classic status, featuring a collection of obscure performances by actors such as Carl Zschering, Edward Tanner, and Laura Cummings. A grotesque amalgamation of horror, humor, and societal commentary, this film is both shocking and delightfully strange at the same time.

The central character, played brilliantly by Carl Zschering, is a downtrodden middle-aged man living on the fringes of society, caught in a dismal existence of marginalization and invisibility. His life takes a shocking turn when he encounters a mysterious vagrant, portrayed by Edward Tanner, who casts a strange spell on him. The magic enables him to transform into a beautiful young woman at will, by essentially entering into a ritualistic trance of picking his nostril.

This transformation is drastic and comprehensive - it is not merely a physical one, but it also involves a complete transformation of his voice and demeanor, which is brilliantly voiced by Laura Cummings. Our protagonist utilizes this strange power to infiltrate a group of high school girls, blending seamlessly into their world. The plot covers a period in his life where he is living a double existence - a middle-aged loner by day and a youthful, spirited woman by night.

The film offers a bizarre yet compelling narrative arc, seamlessly blending comedic moments with grotesque and shocking horror scenarios. The director has utilized the horror genre's conventions to expose and critique the hierarchy and structures present in high school social networks, their cliques, and exclusivity. These dichotomies of adolescent friendships, trust, and betrayal get a different, horrid perspective in this darkly humorous film.

The Nostril Picker skillfully employs horror and satire to address serious societal issues, particularly misogyny and classism. The film provokes audiences to question how we perceive gender, the depths of our biases, and the level of acceptance we show towards those who are different from us. The manner in which the protagonist exploits his ability to transform into a woman also offers a critique of gender dynamics and power.

But true to its genre, the playful facade of joy hiding something malevolent remains a consistent theme throughout the movie. Indeed, the horrific elements and the comedic sequences ingeniously intertwine, surprising the audience at every turn.

Edward Tanner's performance deserves a special mention. Playing a mysterious drifter who bestows the protagonist with his transformative abilities, Tanner delivers a superlative performance that brings an air of mystery and an ethereal quality to the film. The other pillar of the movie, Laura Cummings, also delivers an exceptional act as the voice of the transformed protagonist. Her voice modulations are spot-on and help establish the believability of the transformations.

The production quality might not be up to the standards of a big-budget Hollywood movie, but gives the movie an old-school, grainy charm, which nostalgically harks back to the era of VHS tapes and drive-in horror flicks. Director Mark Nowicki excels in creating an unsettling, eerie atmosphere that permeates the film, elevating it beyond just another classic horror movie with a laughable plot. Instead, it's a film that manages to make audiences squirm, laugh, and think.

In summary, if you are a connoisseur of cult classic horror and enjoy films that roam on the edge of obscurity, The Nostril Picker would make an interesting watch. While it sets out to shock and disgust, its dark humor and eccentric editing techniques are bound to captivate your attention. It's a movie that succeeds as an audacious mix-up of multiple genres, housed within the broad conventions of horror. A strange yet unforgettable cinematic experience awaits you in The Nostril Picker.