BLUE MURDER (1985)
Directed by Charles Wiener
Video 2 Video VHS
THE FILM
A reporter named Dan. A cop named Rossi. A priest. A "businessman" named Markham. A screw of pornographers. (The collective noun used to define a group of pornographers.) Peter Bailey. (Just some guy.) A killer with a clown mask. A theme song. Blue Murder.
Well, that's my review. I hope you had a good time with it.
Video 2 Video...You made one hell of a preview for this one. I was all geared up for it. The Bounty Hunters was so superb. Commando Game: Etc. was bland but worth a viewing. Blue Murder has let me down hard, right on my coccyx and it hurts. In the film's defense, I realized, by the end, that this is not the usual type/genre of film I'll walk a long mile for (Joe had a copy). I'm not predisposed to enjoying this type of film. But, it's not all bad smells. And, it ain't all roses and lavender either. It's an over-complicated (to its credit), bland (not to its credit), wishy-washy (to no one's credit) film. (SOV to film, perhaps?)
Over-Complicated: This is just what the film needed. There are lots of characters. Lots of suspicious people creeping, or just standing, around. Lots of talking heads. For about half of the film, I was carried along by the fact that I didn't quite know where everything was going. It all felt like it would be a far more satisfying adventure than it turned out to be. But, as I was thinking these good thoughts, I somehow knew that it would let me down. Blue Murder! The biggest downfall here was that I picked out the killer immediately and all the narrative subterfuge is thrown in my face, presumably, to make me forget that. And, you know what? It worked...for a time.
Bland: It has that slightly ghosty-pasty look of a film that was shot on video and transferred to film. (I don't know for certain but that's how it looks.) That look is an automatic determent to a film being spectacular. So, it needs to do something incredible and make the look one of the many glorious elements it offers. The Last Slumber Party transcends its boring look to be brilliant. Fatal Exposure is another one. Blue Murder doesn't make it. It has a few moments, such as the reveal of the killer's fireplace/ mantelpiece, that work but most of it is just people sitting around in rooms or by pools. None of it is really that interesting and it's all just competent enough to make a series of sighs emanate from the viewer (i.e. Me). When we used to shoot home videos, we knew it immediately looked crappy. That's why we had to have quick editing, kickass music or really weird things going on. Blue Murder could have taken a cue from our "Looking for IHS 1990" Yearbook video. It's a classic.
Wishy-Washy: It's a film about a crazy in a clown mask who wants to stop all pornography. And, yes, he does include prostitutes. I know. He's nuts! What can I tell you? So, if this is the premise, why does the average episode of Law & Order: SVU have more sleaze in it? Bored-looking women in bikinis and gals in Granny Panties is not my idea of erotic. Maybe he wanted all the porno stopped because it was so incredibly boring. The end seems like it might go to a sleazy place but then it opts out and...ends.
This one is not for me. I get the distinct feeling that the films of Video 2 Video are not for me. I didn't like Bodycount and was happy when my tape crapped out before the end. I haven't seen Survival 1990. Why was The Bounty Hunters so great? I get the feeling that these moviemakers were like the Blood Cult folks. Wanting to make professional looking entertainment for the home video market. It's admirable, definitely. But, why not shoot for the stars and make something really wonderful, creative and moving? Why make the sort of thing that Kojak or McCloud used to do for free and with more resources on TV back in the mid-70s? Or was this just what they thought "Videophiles" wanted to watch? If so, then I'm a bit insulted.
Maybe they should have just made a really great porno instead?
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Smeary video that gets get more detailed or very ghosty depending upon...well, I don't know what it depends on. It just happens. The audio's fine. The music really gives you a Synth Squeeze.
EXTRAS
Nothing.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A low-key thriller. It's not without its moments. (There's a woman in it who, vaguely, reminded me of Chris!) But, I'm not sure it's worth hunting for. The Bounty Hunters is a better choice.
— Dan Budnik, 08.19.10 |
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