Killing Spree

I know that many people will/have automatically given this film a rating of 1, just because it doesn't have the huge budget and top-of-the-line special effects that they are used to. I, however, knew what I was getting myself into when I popped this into the VCR.

I don't think we get much more low-budget that this, unless we are filming a family reunion. The lighting is awful, sound quality is at times incomprehensible, and the acting is ultra-bad by almost all involved. BUT, this is still a fun movie and the plot is interesting enough. It centers around a fellow named Tom Russo (Asbestos Felt), who has been down on his luck with his job. He is very protective of his wife and does not allow her to work, putting even more pressure on himself. As he begins working more hours, we see him slowly transcend into madness and obsession and he becomes suspicious that his wife cheating on him and begins to brutally murder the various men (most repair guys) that he feels are responsible.

I must say that the gore effects are extremely cheap, but fit with the overall tone of the film.. The brutal ways that Tom Russo comes up with to murder these men gives us an idea of just has mad he has become. The pacing of the film is also very good and there is rarely a boring moment. The ending really doesn't follow the rest of the plot of the film, as it seems to want to go from a psycho-slasher film, to a "Dawn of the Dead" wannabe, but it is entertaining nonetheless and I must give Tim Ritter credit for wanting to use an unconventional ending.

I can honestly say that I enjoyed this film, but it is by no means a good film, if that makes sense. It's budget is its main stumbling block and the consequences are almost too much to overlook. I DO NOT recommend this to people who are totally spoiled by the big-budget movies and who can't have an open-mind to ultra-low budget films. You simply won't enjoy it. For others, and fans of gore--I say give it a shot. You will find at least SOMETHING redeeming in it!

My Grade: D

This is so far from the mainstream that I can understand that not many people will like it. I,however, like this sort of flick. And as far, as no-budget indie horror flicks go, Tim Ritter is THE MAN. And this is definitely, my favorite of his movies. If you did not like this you will definitely hate his other movies, but if you saw 'Truth or Dare' or one of his other movies and thought it was cool then check this one for sure. It's got great gore effects, a rather cool plot twist and, like most of Ritter's flicks, as the goriness surmounts, the plot thins in almost a surreal manner which still today has me wondering if it was meant to or it just turns out that way....

If Killing Spree has one thing going for it, it would have to be the ingenious killing methods used throughout the movie. Where else can you find machete ceiling fans? Definitely for fans of low-budget 80's horror films that were really cheesy, yet very enjoyable. Utterly hilarious dialogue and over-the-top characters make this movie memorable. Interesting choices of camera angles and lighting effects.

Not everyone will "get" Killing Spree. I could see why someone would think this was a waste of a movie. It is not for everyone however, it is obviously for a small niche audience.

Fans should be aware that there are two DVD versions for Killing Spree on the market. The first one is a bare-bones unauthorized bootleg (the cheapo). The quality on it is okay, but there is no menu, scene selection, or anything else for that matter. The other version that recently came out from Sub Rosa is the official authorized DVD edition. It has a much nicer transfer and includes a great 90-minutes documentary/behind-the-scenes with an introduction from scream queen Debbie Rochon. Also included are two feature-length audio commentaries with director Tim Ritter on the first one. The second audio commentary is with Asbetos Felt, Joel D. Wynkoop and R.M. Hoopes.

This is a film about a guy who thinks his wife is cheating on him, so he kills off a bunch of people while having flashbacks of his wife doing these awful things. The main character cuts a girl's head off and tosses it from a really tall height, and it lands on a guy and kills the guy. She must have had a REALLY hard head. Also, check out hilarious deaths involving chainsaws and lawnmowers and splattered entrails and the like.

For whatever reason, all the characters come back to life as ZOMBIES at the end... uh, yeah. If you're into serious horror films, you'll probably hate this. The movie is surprisingly NOT played for laughs, though it's way too ridiculous to take seriously most of the time... But, anyway, I liked this film a lot, and I think you will too.

This is a classic 80's horror flick. Cool gore from Joel Harlow, who is now a big time FX artist. The DVD looks great and I am happy to see it availible for a new generation of gore fans. It has everything a fan wants from a Tim Ritter movie: good story(humorous) and good gore.