BLOODLETTING
PLOT-A woman tracks down a notorious serial killer and blackmails him into showing her the ABC's of murder.
VIOLENCE-Several gory stabbings, slashings, fingers are cut off, a penis is bitten off, and a baby explodes.
SEX/NUDITY-One clothed sex scene between the two main actors.
WHY I WATCHED IT-My trusted pal Kristy, who has seen just about every horror film in history, cites this one as her all-time favorite. If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.
THE DOPE-The easiest movie to compare this to is NATURAL BORN KILLERS, but that's only because it features a pair of lovers who kill people. Aside from that, I saw no similarities. However, BLOODLETTING is still drenched in Quentin Tarantino influence, beginning with the obscenity-laden hip speak of Butch the serial killer (played very well by James L. Edwards). Butch comes across as part Brian O'Halloran ("Dante" from CLERKS), Mark Linn-Baker ("Larry Appleton" from 80's sitcom PERFECT STRANGERS), and good ol' Tarantino himself. At one point, his partner Serena (the dynamic Ariauna Albright) even mentions the fact that Butch speaks as though he was in a QT film! Her fascination with Butch reminded me of the Tarantino-produced film CURDLED, in which a death-obsessed woman follows around the "Blue Blood" serial killer. In another tense scene, a man's fingers are laid on a table, threatened with a butcher's knife, and ultimately chopped off, similar to events in Tarantino's segment of the film FOUR ROOMS. And last but not least, a shotgun accidentally goes off and blows up a baby in a crib...a surprise not unlike the unintentional death of "Marvin" in PULP FICTION. But this is not to say that BLOODLETTING is unoriginal, because this dialogue-heavy black comedy is full of many funny and original scenarios. I enjoyed the hilarity of the two killers arguing while trying to bludgeon a drunk redneck girl to death, and the ultimate twist ending that was quite clever indeed. Writer/Director Matthew Walsh's influence is clear (seeing Butch and Serena looking down into the crib just like Jules and Vincent looking down into the car trunk), but his talent and sensibility are vast. This movie runs circles around most shot-on-video fare, and triumphs in key areas where I've seen countless others fail. I dug it.
MEMORABLE SCENES-Butch discusses death with some stoner video clerks (before offing them all, of course). Seduction Cinema regular Tina Krause is hilariously goofy in this scene, as is veteran indie director Scooter McCrae (who manages to channel Bud Cort's immortal character from HAROLD AND MAUDE) in his performance as a slow-witted geek.
DVD NOTES-Visit the TEMPE VIDEO website for details on the specs for this fully-loaded disc! And special thanks to Kristy at GATES OF GORE for driving this movie into my skull.
(July 2003)
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