Absolute Evil

What a pathetic excuse for a film. Ulli Lommel is infamous for his zero-budget slasher flicks, so incompetently made that even Aunt Martha's home movies look like Kurosawa, but with this abomination Lommel really hit rock bottom. The script and dialog is nonsensical and ridiculous and the "photography" doesn't deserve to be called that (just put the camera in a corner on auto setting, push record and pray for the best). Seeing other "reviewers" compare it to Fassbinder is a joke. It is obvious that the persons responsible for this laughable excuse for a movie have absolutely zero clue about film-making, framing, acting, writing, structure or taste. To be avoided at all cost.

"I only want you to love me" is the title of a Fassbinder movie. Ulli Lommel, who once was Fassbinder's partner in many movies, seems to have adapted this slogan for his main characters.

Whether it's his cult hit "Tenderness of the Wolves" (1973) or his bizarre serial killer series with Lionsgate in the U.S., all his main characters seem to scream the same desire.

In "Absolute Evil" David Carradine, who plays the angry leader of the 17th Street gang, yearns for love, but doesn't know how to give it. The film is an homage to all film noires, all suspense thrillers, especially from the 1940s. The story moves along like a cool spider web, slowly but steadily grabbing you by the tail and sucking you up in its horrific universe of revenge, torture, redemption and murder.

It's one of the best indie low-budget films I have seen in years. How the hell can I get my hands on a DVD? Who's releasing this gem?

I saw "Absolute Evil' at Berlin International Film Festival in Zoo Palast theater. The premiere and the next screening of the movie were sold out and it's one of the biggest theaters - if not the biggest - in Berlin. It had a great review on a German magazine so I wanted to see it and I was lucky enough to get the ticket.

"Absolute Evil' is simply the best film Ulli Lommel has made since 1980s. And the important thing is that it proofs that the director still has his talent after all these serial killer movies and everything.

The movie tells a story about Savannah (Carolyn Neff) who's boyfriend Cooper (Rusty Joiner) gets killed after she finds out who Cooper really is. She wants to find out the killer of Cooper, and things leads to the old leader of 17th street gang, Raf (David Carradine). I don't want to tell too much about the movie, so that's all I say about the story.

There is some great performances by the actors. Neff is beautiful, believable and good in her first big film role, Joiner gives a touching performance and the "old stars" Christopher Kriesa, Ulli Lommel and David Carradine are as good as always. It's nice to see that Carradine has made at least one good movie after "Kill Bill" films.

It's a must see and it was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l on the big screen in a theater with 1,000 people.

The film played at Berlinale film festival in Berlin and the premiere was on February 8th. I got the ticket to the premiere the day before and later I heard that the screening was sold out!

It's a nice movie about love, hate, forgiveness and murder. The main roles are played by new talents like Carolyn Neff and Rusty Joiner, but there is also 'veteran actors' like Ulli Lommel, Chris Kriesa and David Carradine. I think Lommel makes his best performance in years plus Kriesa and Carradine were great choices to their roles such as Neff and Joiner.

I hope it will be released on DVD soon, so I can buy it!

It was a great surprise to see ABSOLUTE EVIL at the Berlin Film Festival. At first I had reservations, because I did not like Lommel's recent horror flicks. But with this thrilling and inspiring film noir he returns to the formidable strength of his earlier works like BOOGEYMAN and TENDERNESS OF THE WOLVES. I overheard people at the festival in Berlin comparing it to Quentin Tarentino's work, some even suggested it was a rip-off, but I totally disagree. ABSOLUTE EVIL is one of the most entertaining films I have seen in a long time, but you need to have brains and be able to speak English fluently in order to enjoy this film. It is not a dumb horror flick. The story is about love, forgiveness, redemption and revenge. And David Carradine as aging gang leader is a special treat. When the film is released, try to watch the original version. Highly recommendable!