In just a few short years, writer/director Ryan Nicholson has made a name for himself in the area of extreme horror films.  Starting with 2004's film short Torched, and continuing with this film, his first full-length feature, Nicholson proves that he can make films just as demented as Fulci, D'Amato, and Franco, and has the intestinal fortitude to do so with exceptional explicitness.  The question is, does the viewer possess the intestinal fortitude to watch his films?

Five beautiful young people (two men and three women) decide to shack up in a seedy porno emporium for a break from their travels and some kinky sex.  Little do they know that the bordello is run by the Yakuza, or Japanese mafia.  These Yakuza redefine the terms "ruthless" and "bloodthirsty," and have fixed it so that once people enter a room for sex, they are locked in until the Yakuza's personal executioner can torture and kill them while the mafia boss and his women enjoy the snuff show via a "live feed."

Along the way, the viewer is treated to several large doses of graphic and sometimes clinical nudity, kinky sex, and plenty of over-the-top gore.  Similar to Nicholson's 2008 outing, Gutterballs (also reviewed this issue), the sex and gore certainly pushes the boundary of good taste, and would most likely garner the film an NC-17 rating if submitted to the MPAA; however, the nudity is most likely clinical enough that the film pushes--and might even cross--the boundary of mainstream film and move into pornography.  But it is obvious that Nicholson is in his element and has no intention of ever submitting his films to the MPAA.  And since he makes them through his own production company, he isn't restricted as he would be if he was making a film for someone else's studio.

Nicholson's films are not for everyone.  They are filled with hateful, sexist, racist, unsympathetic characters, extremely graphic and fairly realistic gore shot in loving close-up, and a complete lack of political correctness.  But there is also a certain undeniable amount of glee used in filming these slices of bad taste cinema that comes through just enough to know that Nicholson isn't playing these fiilms seriously.  If one knows where to look, one can find just enough (admittedly, black) humor to know that Nicholson has his tongue in his cheek.  Of course, many viewers may be so put off by all of the onscreen antics that they may miss the intended humor and dismiss this film as a particularly lurid piece of torture porn.

And make no mistake, this film defines the term "torture porn" in a way that Roth and Tarantino only dreamt when brainstorming their flat entry called Hostel.  Aside from the extreme material, what sets this film apart from other independent films of an extreme nature (particularly the terrible-looking shot on video Japanese films like Red Room, Meatball Machine, and Splatter:  Naked Blood) is the relatively high production value.  It is clear that Nicholson has a love for horror and exploitation films and has the skill to pull off his own versions.  And while the acting isn't great, it isn't so bad that it detracts from the film.  In fact, some of the actors are actually very good.

Overall, I enjoyed Live Feed, but my recommendation certainly comes with a warning that if you aren't interested in extreme cinema, or if you have a hard time with viewing these types of films with a certain sense of black humor, you may want to stay away.