Body horror, Springbok style: Erasmus' hybrid revolution

THE first time I came into contact with some form of body horror was most probably somewhere in the late 1990s while watching Akira as a teenager.

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That seminal anime has a larger footprint than you might imagine - especially if you're not familiar with the classic 1980s Japanese animated film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo.

It's probably impossible to list or record all the homages, mentions and influences that the 1988 flick has had on a generation of filmmakers, many of whom have inserted some sort of nod to the beloved work in their own creations.

It can get quite gruesome by its climax, but as far as film literature goes, few works have left such an indelible mark on the generations that have followed.

Much like how David Cronenberg defined body horror through works such as The Fly, and John Carpenter set the standard with The Thing, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is currently cooking up Frankensteinian hybrids amongst his think tank at the national setup.

That may sound a bit harsh...