Killer!

I first heard about this movie from an article in Entertainment Weekly magazine. It was apparently shot using a regular home movie Super 8mm (film, not video) camera back in the late 80s, in just a few days and for a very, very low budget. I understand it had a video release, but was never able to find it in the stores. I eventually caught the movie on Cinemax or Showtime several years ago, and thought it was pretty good for what it was - a slasher film. The acting by some of the secondary characters is pretty lame, but there aren't too many slasher movies that are examples of great acting, anyway. Overall, I thought Tony Elwood's direction and Mark Kimray's screenplay were very good, and the actor that plays the killer, Duke Ernsberger, is really good and quite believable. I also saw another Elwood/Kimray collaboration "Road Kill USA" on video a while back, and thought it was even better, much slicker and with better acting. My only real complaints about "Killer" are the poor sound quality, and somewhat washed-out color in spots, probably due to the Super 8mm film stock.

This movie is "rough," in both senses of the word. I never heard of it before watching it on cable several years ago, and I haven't seen or read anything about it since. It must have been a student film and the director's influence is clearly Sam Raimi. It bears resemblance to the original Evil Dead in its rural setting and graphic violence. What is missing Raimi's skillful camerawork. Instead, the film presents an unstoppable killer, probably the devil himself (hey, wasn't that the killer in Halloween?) So in retrospect it is not unusual that the film is not widely available. A curio at best, but not a film you watch for entertainment.

Thats right, This film was made on a budget of 9,500 dollars. Shot on super 8mm film only adds to the realistic, gritty atmosphere shot in the Carolina backwoods. I originally saw this movie on late night cable television (Showtime I believe) and was highly impressed. Money ran tight and several locals were employed and a local actress was asked if she would still do a topless scene for half the pay she said she'd only show one breast instead of two. The special effects are crude but effective. Its style and atmosphere is somewhat similar to Last house on the Left (another classic)but it isn't as complex. The subsequent Elwood film Road Kill was a major disappointment. Someone on here said they liked it better than Killer and I bought it on ebay, that was a mistake. If you like simple, gritty, spooky horror movies with some black humor, excessive violence and a decent soundtrack check this out. If your into the new, commercial, high budget stuff you may not like this film. I surely liked it and give it the highest rating.

I saw this on cable over 10 years ago and wondered why I never heard of it. It was exactly my kind of horror flick, creepy and atmospheric. It had that same Evil Dead/Texas Chainsaw Massacre feel. One of those movies in which the low budget and the film stock that is used actually helps the atmosphere. The acting wasn't bad and there was a good amount of gore from what I remember. I have'nt been able to ever find this movie and when I would ask people they would have no idea what I was talking about. I almost started to question myself if I had even seen it,LOL. But now checking the IMDb I see I had. I would pick this up if it ever came out on DVD.

My review was written in April 1990 after watching the movie on Electro Video cassette.

In the same genre as the current cult hit "Henry" comes "Killer", an amateurish gore outing.

Duke Ernsberger takes the title role without subtlety, a guy whose traumatic childhood and subsequent use as a guinea pig for medical experiments, has turned him into a maniac. Pic depicts his rampage picking up hitchhikers and killing them.

Youngsters figure out who this serial killer is and go after him, rightfully realizing that in this genre the authorities are helpless.

Ernsberger kidnaps heroine Jeri Keith Liles, tortures her and threatens to eat her. This leads to a very silly tongue-in-cheek finish.

Acting is weak. Visual quality is cheesy; no camera credit is given.