Won Ton Baby! (2009)

                With a tagline like "Abort Your Conceptions," few individuals would likely argue Won Ton Baby! as being a tasteful film. Yet taste alone rarely guarantees a film's success as being entertaining or provocative, and regardless of public opinion, Won Ton Baby! manages to deliver on both fronts.

                Conceived by Director James Morgart and Scream Queen Suzi Lorraine, the film starts off in the 1970's when Elvis decides to visit Madame Won Ton's high-profile brothel. Fast-forward 30 or so years and Madame Won Ton's fatherless daughter, "Little Wing," begins to complain of internal pains. A quick trip to the doctor's office reveals that "Little Wing" was born with a twin brother whom she enveloped while in the womb. After an operation to remove the 30-year old fetus,  the Won Ton Baby emerges alive and kicking. From there on the film gestates into a slasher flick centering around the titular abomination.

                With intentionally bad accents, politically incorrect humor and cheesy effects, Won Ton Baby! is definitely a film that doesn't take itself too seriously. In the tradition of Herschell Gordon Lewis's  Blood Feast, Won Ton Baby! doesn't aim to for cinematic excellence or critical respect but rather to evoke an extreme response from the audience. One scene in particular, while not necessarily gory, will undoubtedly drop the jaws of all who watch it.

                Despite the shock and disgust approach of the film, Won Ton Baby! is not devoid of actual heart or meaning. By having Madame Won Ton's children without a father figure, the film delves into the topics of identity, race and ancestral pride. While these themes are undoubtedly eclipsed by the film's more graphic and immediate elements, it's nice to know the film's plot isn't merely a loose outline for its over-the-top moments.

                Every once in a while a film is released that strictly divides its viewers into "love-it" or "hate-it" responses. Won Ton Baby! is unquestionably such a film thanks to its low production values and outlandish gore. But, like any great piece of controversial art, the film has a chance to descend into cinematic history as a topic of discussion amongst those who have experienced it. Hopefully with enough exposure in the years to come, Morgart and Lorraine's Won Ton Baby! will join American Werewolf in London and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 on the cult classic pedestal.