A bloodied woman runs down a street, fleeing from who knows what. Gore-streaked bodies lie in an immobile heap.  In a cartoon world, a young boy and girl seek sanctuary in a movie theatre (aptly named ‘Cinema Hell’), disturbingly perky having escaped a shooting at their school, and find themselves in the dubious company of owner Mr. Red.

By way of explanation for the insanity witnessed by the children, Mr. Red claims the answers lie (as most apparently do these days) within the film anthology Debbie and the Devil, beginning with (he states with disdain) ‘stupid teen slasher’ Gore Garage 6. Both children cheer, and this first of three grim interconnecting tales commences.

Four stereotypical teenage boys, reluctantly hanging onto their virginity and desperate to rid themselves of such, decide to throw all their funds into a collective pot and engage the services of a lady of the night. Unfortunately for them, they are presented instead with Debbie (the villainess at the centre of all three films, played superbly by actor and producer Franziska Schissler), who turns out to be a Demoness Enforcing Beelzebub’s Blasphemy, Insensitivity and Evil, informs them that she is an agent of Satan (from whom she receives her orders via text message), and is most certainly not a hooker after all.

The wry, satirical humour seen from the start of the film springs energetically to the fore in Schissler’s presence. Just as the persona of the teens is an amusingly exaggerated parody of almost every adolescent group of males in nearly every teen movie ever made, so Debbie is the epitome of the ultra-evil temptress, alluring to the hapless youngsters right up until she announces her true purpose, which she does with a dancing, maniacal glee; lunatic merriment positively radiating from her.

A cartoon segment separates each of the three tales; a testament to the dedication of Naz Red, who not only wrote and directed the film (his first feature length effort) but also created all the animations, another of which leads us into Tears of a Bloody Rose. Here, as with the rest of the movie, aspects of Naz’s own persona are reflected in the character; a young, enthusiastic filmmaker pursues her work with passion, even in a big city tainted by a string of unsolved murders. She’s looking optimistically to the future when she happens across Debbie, and invites her home for what she naively assumes will be a fun evening.

Finally, Debbie Flesh and Bone introduces us to Patricia, a rebellious teen hiding loss and uncertainty beneath her tough exterior. Wandering alone in the big city, she discovers Hell Inc., where she encounters many strange people (some of whom are oddly familiar..) and which leads her on a surreal journey, leaving her more unsettled than ever.

Naz Red’s self-proclaimed passion for his work and offbeat sense of humour shine through in all aspects of this production, as does his fearless attitude to risk-taking. Something I enjoy about independent productions; anything can happen. Daring to be different and gamble where the reception of the movie is at stake is a bold move, and one here that in my view was worth it.

I was drawn to the dark madness of Debbie and the Devil; a wild, freaky, gory poke in the eye that delivers comedy and carnage in one hit. It also offers a startlingly frank look at the ways society and the world in general tend to behave, whether we choose to admit it or not. For those willing to seek there’s thought provoking stuff here.

8.5 Out of 10 Cartoon Chainsaws