Pedaços da Morte

For some reason I can't explain, I keep thinking about this movie. Every time I see it while flipping channels, I have to stop and watch it. If I see it on the shelf in the video store, I have to stop and read the back of the box (even though I've read it before). I don't understand why I can't get this movie out of my head. All the elements of this film are quite ordinary. The acting, story, and direction are decent but unremarkable. Yet the total effect is something unique. It evokes a strange sensation. I don't know what it could be, but there is something about this film that makes you feel involved in a very personal way. Maybe it's the gruesome M.O. of the killer. Or maybe it's the sexy yet foreboding presence of Barbara Williams. Or maybe it's the rich and haunting imagery of Chicago's more gothic areas. It's hard to say. But something makes me think this elusive quality I'm talking about is an accident. I don't think the filmmakers did it intentionally. I could be wrong about that, but if so, why haven't the people involved in this movie achieved greater notoriety?

I didn't realise at the time I rented it that _Bone Daddy_ had no theatre release. It's certainly a cut above a lot of the direct-to-video dross, both in appearance and content, but overall it's only average. The premise is good, but it doesn't quite come off, which is something of a pity. However, there are some truly creepy and gruesome scenes that seem to come when you need them most; as others have noted, don't watch it if you're at all squeamish, particularly if you have a phobia for scalpels and other sharp instruments.

Rutger Hauer stars as Palmer, an ex-medical examiner / author who writes a fictional book about the real-life killer of the title. This infuriates the ingenious maniac, bringing him out of a years-long hiatus.

Soon, the mutilation murders resume.

BONE DADDY is a suspenseful thriller in line with contemporaries like THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and SE7EN. It's well worth watching, especially for Hauer, who puts in another great performance in his sleuthing role.

Gorehounds will love the gruesome scenes, and the manner in which the titular terror lives up to his name...

This movie is actually a pretty good little thriller. Rutger Hauer plays a former medical examiner who has now become a best selling mystery writer. When he writes a fictional account of an unsolved case, the murderer starts killing again, this time targeting people close the the writer.

Unlike so many action films, this movie focuses on the characters more than the violence. Hauer's character, William Palmer, is an arrogant egotistic man who is estranged from his adult son. His attempts to connect with his angry offspring and his grandchildren are quite interesting (and eventually become central to the plot). In addition, Barbara Williams is quite good as the detective assigned to investigate the latest crimes. I had never seen her before, but I was impressed with her performance.

The movie is set in Chicago. Since I live in a Chicago suburb and work in the Loop, a couple of things in the movie amused me. First, although there is some stock footage of the city, it could be obvious to anyone who lives here that none of the scenes were filmed in Chicago or the surrounding area. That impression was confirmed by the thanks to the Toronto Film Commission at the end of the credits. Second, the movie makes it seem that the Cook County Medical Examiner is a major public figure. To be honest, I doubt that 90% of the people in Chicago could tell you who the M.E. is. In addition, I don't think your average M.E gets paid enough to buy a huge mansion on the lakefront.

Those are minor quibbles, however. Really, the movie is pretty good.

"Bone Daddy" is an interesting movie to say the least. I enjoyed this movie very much because it stars one of my new-found favorite actors in Rutger Hauer. Known for action movies, Hauer is quite different in his portrayal of a former medical examiner on the trail of a serial killer.

This is not your average serial killer movies, which is only one of a number of things that attracted me to this movie. Another thing that attracted me to "Bone Daddy" was the fact that the cast didn't seem to miss a beat in their performances. Everything seemed to roll along smoothly. Finally, the fact that the writers carefully plotted to disguise the identity of killer until the last scene (literally) was a stroke of genius. Though some may think it cliche to do this, I thought it worked.

"Bone Daddy" is a complex, nail biting and suspense filled thriller that combines action with drama. Rutger Hauer is at his best as is Barbara Williams. This deserves a look by everyone who is into mysteries and action. I hope you like it as much as I did.