Sacrificio mortal

Sometimes I watch B-movies that are flat-out silly and ridiculous that I can't help but be entertained. That's the case with SACRIFICE, a TV movie made in 2000 and shot in Alabama which sees Tarantino regular Michael Madsen playing a bank robber who busts out of jail in order to get revenge on the serial killer who's just claimed his daughter as their next victim.

The plot is an unwieldy amalgamation of serial killer movie with a more predictable cops 'n' robbers flick. Michael Madsen spends the whole movie on the run from sweaty FBI man Bokeem Woodbine, although the FBI are so useless in this movie that I was regularly laughing at how bad they were. They need to be too - Madsen is flabby and past his prime in this one, and looks incredibly bored with the material too.

The other half of the film is a typical slasher movie, with some thrown-in nudity and a couple of half-gory murders inserted into the mix. A weird masked and ritualistic murderer is offing nubile women, and the writer desperately adds a whodunit angle in an attempt to grab the viewer's attention. Just who's responsible? Could it be THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT's Joshua Leonard, playing the boyfriend of Madsen's slain daughter?

It's all very silly and far-fetched, and it ends up in a set-piece that's both ridiculous and expected. I like the way the writers keep pushing their anti-abortion agenda with the presence of the protesters as well as the motive for the killer. SACRIFICE is far from a good film but it is a mildly entertaining one if you're in the right mood.

Except for Michael Madsen, who was great as always, the acting and the writing were awful. The motivation of the serial killer was somewhat novel, but the rest of the plot was full of holes and dead ends. I don't know if the genre is cops-and-robbers, or whodunit mystery, or cheesey slasher.

To be honest, I didn't expect much of this film, given that it was being shown at 1 o'clock in the morning when no one would be watching, and the trashy title but it's a good little film.

Michael Madsen is good as the main character, who you root for despite his unsavoury nature. The supporting cast are also good, especially his ex-wife and her new husband and Agent Gottfried.

The tension ratchets up well, and the film moves along in a logical progression. Also, unlike many thrillers, there is enough revealed for the audience to work out who the Sweetwater killer is, without it being obvious. There are no illogical twists and turns which is always nice to see. The scenes with the killer are suitably scary, especially when the killer attacks his third on-screen victim.

The ending is good and well done, as is the rest of the film. It's not a classic, obviously, but watching the film is not a bad way of spending a couple of hours.

"Sacrifice" is a gripping story of convict Tyler (Michael Madsen)who escapes from jail in order to find and punish the serial killer named "Sweetwater" because the killer murdered his daughter. With the help of a ex prostitute (Jamie Luner), Tyler pieces together the twisted mind of the killer. Although unrealistic, "Sacrifice" doesn't go on too long nor does it leave one bored.

This is a violent movie. We get to see bloody knife stabbings and throat slittings, grisly aftermath pictures of murder victims and some shootings with big, beautiful bloodsquibs spraying blood over the victims. I especially liked when the killer came running towards the victim, aggressively attacking with a knife. It is surprisingly violent especially considering that it is made for TV.

The pacing is high and you will never be bored. You will not marvel over the clever story, but it works even though the dialogue sometimes is unimpressive. The acting is nothing special and I was not so happy with Bokeem Woodbine as the black detective, but it is Michael Madsen who has the leading role, as usual as a tough guy, and he knows what he is doing. I will not reveal the identity of the killer but it is nice to see someone so demented and the portrayal of the killer is excellent. The acting is not deserving an Oscar but it will not ruin the movie.

This is not art, Sacrifice is made as entertainment, so the film snobs better stay away. If you like violent movies you can do a hell of a lot worse than watching Sacrifice.