Murder a la Mod

This review is only for peeps who love their DePalma. Everyone else can drop a star or two. Or three. However, if you are a "Sisters" fanatic like I am, this early DePalma horror film is rediscovered genius. It reminds me of Dementia 13, the black and white horror debut of another of the great directors of the 70s, Fracis Coppola. This is better. Much better. Though Dementia 13 has great atmosphere, Murder A La Mod is fast paced, funny, weird, sexy, experimental, brutal, bloody, and much more modern. And the title song (by future Phantom of the Paradise, William Finley)is stuck in my head fo' reez. I'm 'bout it like Otto is 'bout his icepick.

Brian De Palma would go on to become the number one Hitchcock imitator with the release of films such as Sisters, Body Double and Dressed to Kill. It's his style that he is most famous for; so as you would expect, his first feature is absolutely full of style and various experiments...the result is a mixed bag really. First of all, the stylish flourishes and experiments are all at the expense of the story, although some of it is interesting to watch. The plot itself focuses on a maker of very strange films and a girl who falls in love with him. The plot is clearly not the most important thing about the film, however, and really nothing in it makes a great deal of sense. The picture is a stark black and white and this gives the film a distinctive look which is to its credit. The majority of the movie is taken up by sequences that see the film's pivotal event (an ice pick murder) from the perspective of several different characters. I would not really say that this film is entertaining or even fun to watch really; but it is interesting to see the film that De Palma made before he got famous and the film is worth seeing for that reason.

Isn't it strangely fascinating how a talented and visionary filmmaker will always distinguish him/herself from the others, regardless of how ridiculously little financial means he/she has to work with? "Murder à la Mod" got released on the Something Weird label in America and on similar Grindhouse-type of DVD label here in the Dutch speaking countries, but it's almost too good to get associated with the usual stuff these labels throw on the market. Numerous of the Something Weird films were made by young and aspiring directors with lots of ambition and occasionally even some good ideas, but without any money or professional cast and crew members, and that is why they usually look poor and sleazy instead of good. But with his debut Brian De Palma proves that blaming the lack of budget is all too easy. With an intriguing narrative structure, eccentric character drawings and ingenious visual gimmicks, De Palma neatly camouflages the lack of funds and even the complete absence of story! Also, the director's later obsession with the work of Alfred Hitchcock is already noticeable here, through a variation of subtle references and downright open homages. The plot, revolving on a young girl falling for an amateur filmmaker with dubious and questionable intentions, is actually of minor importance. The slightly psychedelic atmosphere, the irresistible title song and the crazed characters (William Finley is superb as Otto) keep the film entertaining even if the screenplay ceases to make sense. Particularly the extended sub plot where one event is shown from three different perspectives is very accurately done and undeniably far ahead of its time. Obviously, De Palma's first born also suffers from copious defects, like dreadfully boring padding scenes (the conversation between Tracey and her bank manager…oh my God!) and a confusingly abrupt ending.

I bought this expecting nothing because I knew nothing of it, I had always thought Greetings was De Palma's first feature but I was wrong I guess. I thought this movie would have the feel of a student produced documentary or something small like that, but this film is somewhat wide in scope and pleases for a movie of it's age. I can't believe this unseen gem has aged so well while mainstream crap from the 60's just chatters on. This movie is the wave of the future that was to come. If you've ever seen Quentin Taretino's Jackie Brown and remember the sequence where all the characters go to the mall and it's told from three different points of view and you liked that then you'll love this movie. It's 80 minutes of that and I can't believe for this to have been so early in De Palma's career that he was able to pull it off so well. William Finnely does another great turn at acting in this movie as Otto a somewhat retarded stage hand and actor who goes beyond his means in this movie. It is from this where I can see why Brian De Palma would later hire him for 1974's The Phantom of the Paridise. He plays a character a little like that. Watch this movie, especially if you love De Palma and Finnley.

Margo Norton wants boyfriend Jared Martin to divorce his wife and marry her. Meanwhile, he's trying to raise $10,000 to finish his movie. For quick cash, he works on a pornographic movie, while practical joker William Finley runs around.

Brian de Palma's first feature shows how cheaply it's produced, not only in the poorly recorded soud track, but the occasional attempts at sped-up silent comedy. I found the movie to be unfocused, roaming from one subplot to the next without any sense of pacing in the editing, and the characters dull, one-note, whiny, and not too bright.