KILLING SPREE (1987)
Directed by Tim Ritter
Camp Motion Pictures DVD
THE FILM
"I'm always ready for some hot action -- on the job or off."
After sharing that bit of insight with us (and bedding a housewife), the TV Repairman proceeds to establish his expertise in the art of the Roundhouse Kick.
HOT ACTION. Let's have it!
After the surprise home video success of Truth Or Dare? — A Critical Madness in 1986, eighteen-year-old director Tim Ritter was ready for round two. But how do you follow up a hit? The pressure. The legacy. The fans. It's enough to quell the aspirations of any self-styled trash maverick. As if by fate, inspiration from the Gods arrived. Truth Or Dare made some waves. People liked it. Logic prevailed; just make the same movie again.
Killing Spree follows the precedent set by Tony Malanowski (Night Of Horror, Curse Of The Screaming Dead) and his terrific, irrational diptych: Take the plot of your last film (in this case, wife cheats on husband, husband kills everyone), add some more crazy stuff, and make history. Therefore, Truth Or Dare's revolvers -- adultery, death, goofy faces -- are recycled for Ritter's 16mm follow-up. And multiplied. Meaning that sometime in 1986, Tim may have spent a splendid evening with an episode of Three's Company and Microwave Massacre. Which, quite naturally, incited voluminous inspiration in the form of "The Misunderstanding" and "The Blowjob Gag."
HOT ACTION. Here it comes!
The dirt-cheap gore is ridiculously excessive. The visuals are uniformly gray. The tempo is a mess. The camera sits still while people read magazines and/or stand in a foyer. So far, so good; Ritter's films are on the same page. But then, Killing Spree asserts itself. Nihilism is exchanged for Le Hi-Comedy. Colored lights! Bug-eyed shouting from very interesting people! Bizarre sexual yuks! An incomparable leading man, who happens to be named Asbestos Felt in real life! Cheaper, yet more ambitious, than Truth Or Dare, this is a surreal, living room gore-comedy about male insecurities and the extreme manifestation of said insecurities. Incredibly, things get boring from time to time. But there is a plot-summarizing rap-metal song over the end credits.
And I just got a Roundhouse to the teeth.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Considering that this DVD looks just like a VHS (but better), I'd say that everyone involved has earned a "Job well done, friend!" or a "Now that's the idea!" in terms of presentation. Grainy, muted, fluctuating audio, and no evidence of compression -- they nailed it.
EXTRAS
Ritterville is a nice place to be. Throughout "The Making Of Killing Spree" (60 minutes), the "Promo Film For Funding" (3 minutes), the "Video Test Footage" (15 minutes), and his own commentary track, Tim Ritter does it up right. Through the vintage TV spots, audition tapes, news footage, and general scrapbook feel of the extras themselves, covering both Truth Or Dare and Killing Spree, we gain an insight into Ritter's life circa 1986. The ups 'n' downs, the struggles, the seeming invincibility of a youth with a camera; it's all quite captivating. Like Todd Sheets, Jon McBride, et all, it really boils down to this: Tim Ritter was (and is) a nice-guy horror addict who just happened to make his own films. His personable, honest approach to filmmaking carries over to the supplements.
Then, I flipped on the second commentary. Actor Asbestos Felt, actor/producer Joel Wynkoop (the TV Repairman), and sound guy R.M. Hoopes don't give a damn about Roundhouse Kicks, but they sure like small talk, boob talk, and reciting people's names. I jumped ship after ten minutes.
Lastly, the "Camp Video Trailer Vault" returns, featuring trailers for each Camp DVD release as of 2007.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The comically violent Killing Spree isn't quite as engaging as Tim Ritter's previous (and similar) Truth Or Dare, but it's still an easy, uneven watch. On the job or off. Plus, if you queue up Ritter's films and Las Vegas Bloodbath all in a row, it's an instant adultery-gore marathon. Do it! Tonight!
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 12.02.10 |
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