Twisted Issues

Twisted Issues
Blu-ray cover
Directed byCharles Pinion
Written bySteve Antczak and James C. Bassett
StarringStephen L. Antczak and Charles Pinion
Distributed byInferential Pictures
Release date
  • 1988 (1988)
Running time
84 minutes

Twisted Issues is a 1988 splatter film billed as a 'psycho-punk splatter-comedy'. It featured Gainesville, Florida punk bands such as Psychic Violents, Young Pioneers, Mutley Chix, Doldrums, Just Demigods, Cindy Brady's Lisp, Officer Friendly, and the Smegmas, as well as local speed metal band Hellwitch and avantgarde incidental music by The Bill Perry Orchestra.

Twisted Issues has been release multiple times on home media. Including a VHS version made by The Video Pharmacy in 2013, and a Blu-ray version made by Vinegar Syndrome in 2025. The reception for Twisted Issues has been positive, with it being covered in multiple books about underground punk films.

Synopsis

Twisted Issues follows a murdered punk that is resurrected by a mad scientist, nails his skateboard to his foot and heads out on a killing spree.[1]

Production

Twisted Issues was originally intended to be a punk rockumentary about bands in Gainesville, but It ended up as an anthology with segments being written by different people, including Chuck Speta, Jennifer Canal and Andrew Entner. The special effects where done by David Peck.[2] The inclusion of writers Steve Antczak and Hawk (James C. Bassett) to the mix added the horror, element to the story, featuring a so-called Death Skater who kills characters played by members of the aforementioned bands after they inadvertently kill him. The director, Charles Pinion went on to make several other underground movies. Including: Red Spirit Lake (1993), We Await (1996) and American Mummy (2014).[3]

Releases

The VHS version of Twisted Issues has been long unavailable. A limited edition DVD (313 copies made) of Twisted Issues is sold from the filmmaker's website. In 2013, Don Abendroth of The Video Pharmacy released a limited edition (25 copies) of Twisted Issues on VHS. It includes a tiny blood spattered skateboard and TV set, as well as the soundtrack on cassette, and a new printing of the original booklet.[4] In 2025 a Blu-ray release was made with Vinegar Syndrome.[5]

Reception and legacy

Film Threat Video Guide called Twisted Issues one of the 25 Must-See Underground Movies of the 1980s.[6] In 2011, the book Destroy All Movies, had a section on Twisted Issues and its director, Charles Pinion.[7] In 2013, the book Bleeding Skull!: A 1980s Trash-Horror Odyssey, covered Twisted Issues and other shot-on-video films.[8] Dazed called it technically impressive and a "fevered, crusty masterpiece."[1] SOVHorror stated that is "original, inventive, funny horror flick that wears its punk DIY aesthetic proudly."[9]

The Wikipedia article for Twisted Issues was attempted to be deleted due to it "failing the Google test". But then other users found that it had been mentioned on IMDB and in books, resulting in the article staying up. This was later used by Jimmy Wales as an example on how Wikipedia's Articles for deletion works, in his 2005 TedTalk.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Dazed (2015-08-17). "You need to hunt down these rare VHS masterpieces now". Dazed. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  2. ^ "TWISTED ISSUES | The Bedlam Files". thebedlamfiles.com. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  3. ^ Pirri, Chris (2017-06-28). "Interview with Charles Pinion director of "American Mummy" out now on DVD/Blu-Ray". TheGWW.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  4. ^ "Charles Pinon video era gem TWISTED ISSUES is prescribed via VHS for digital relief! WARNING: The Video Pharmacy May Cause Analog Dependence!". Lunchmeat. 2013-02-24. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  5. ^ "Blu-ray News and Reviews | High Def Digest". bluray.highdefdigest.com. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  6. ^ "OVERREACHING IMAGINATION: THE TWISTED FILMS OF CHARLES PINION – Spectacle Theater". 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  7. ^ Carlson, Zack; Connolly, Bryan, eds. (2010). Destroy all movies !!! The complete guide to punks on film. Washington: Fantagraphics Books. ISBN 978-1-60699-363-7.
  8. ^ Ziemba, Joseph A.; Choi, Annie; Carlson, Zack (2021). Bleeding skull! a 1990s trash-horror odyssey (1st ed.). Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books. ISBN 978-1-68396-186-4.
  9. ^ "Review - Twisted Issues (1988)". Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  10. ^ Wales, Jimmy (2006-08-21). The birth of Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-11-07 – via www.ted.com.
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