Killing Spree (1987)


REVIEWER RATING: 
5/10


One of the lost 1980s SOV (Shot on Video) horror flicks, this “gem” is written and directed by Tim Ritter.  Mr. Ritter has made a name for himself in the 80s with a slew of SOV gore films and more recently with straight to dvd underground horror films.  Killing Spree stars Asbestos Felt as Tom Russo, an airplane mechanic that suspects everyone around him is banging his wife while he’s stuck at work.  Everyone from Tom’s best friend, to the tv repair man, to his neighbor get caught up in this insanity and Tom has to dispatch each of them in unique and insane ways.

The synth soundtrack is hilarious though its repetition really gets dull by the end of the movie.  Other than the synth stuff, there a couple rock tracks played when our main character Tom goes insane and when the ultra violence is on display.  Most interestingly is the full version of the song that plays during the credits that includes a plot synopsis in rap form performed by the star himself!

Surreal dream sequences are in the film that revolve around Tom’s wife cheating on him and these tend to be the slowest part of the movie (other than the first one where his wife mutates into a giant pair of lips and proceeds to “give head” to his friend. Otherwise, they are semi erotic scenes with no nudity and even a surprising amount of camera flubs that show the clothing an actor is wearing when they’re supposed to be nude.  Strange that there were no second takes done.

Other than the occasional bad framing as mentioned above, the rest of the shots range from serviceable to damn impressive.  The lawnmower sequence comes to mind when thinking of some of the good camera work in the movie. Low shots, up close face shots, and for the most part decent framing.

Not everything is peaches and cream in this movie, the shit sound design changes volume levels from scene to scene.  It’s painfully obvious when the voices are ADRed in and when they are recorded live on set.  Background noise levels vary throughout and at times is even difficult to hear what’s going on.  Coupled with the synth soundtrack mentioned earlier and Killing Spree really ends up being an attack on your ears.

The acting is pretty much what you’d expect from such a low budget movie.  Probably the best “standout” performance is from Ray Carbone as Tom’s best friend though he has some of the weakest makeup and special effects work done to him.  Overall I’d describe the acting as bad but there are some hilarious moments like Tom punching random strangers out when he goes for a walk on the beach.

The kills are imaginative and juvenile.  The kind of stuff you and your friends would get together and come up with when you were 15.  Ceiling fan decapitation, lawnmower deaths, and even a claw hammer to the face are all done with glee in a tongue in cheek kind of way.  The effects themselves are about as good as you can expect from a zero budget SOV movie with the claw hammer being the standout moment. Even after Tom’s victims come back from the dead...oh did I forget to mention there are zombies in this?  Well there are.  The effects on the undead are hit and miss.  Some look no different than their live counterparts and others are downright ghastly.  The contrast is strange.

I’d say this movie is worth seeking out as it has a serviceable plot (even if it’s just about as cliched as an episode of your average 80s sitcom), fun special effects, and has some so-bad-it’s-good moments that you’re sure to get a chuckle out of.  SRS Cinema recently re-released the movie on bluray so give it a shot if you’re in the mood for some lesser known 80s cheese.
OVERALL: 
I’d say this movie is worth seeking out as it has a serviceable plot (even if it’s just about as cliched as an episode of your average 80s sitcom), fun special effects, and has some so-bad-it’s-good moments that you’re sure to get a chuckle out of. SRS Cinema recently re-released the movie on bluray so give it a shot if you’re in the mood for some lesser known 80s cheese.


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