Master Pieces

Billed as "an old school slasher", Master Pieces has little in common with the 80s classics you are expecting. If anything, it is more in line with American Psycho.

In a pretentious move, co-director Christian Twiste stars as the unnamed, jobless main character - credited as 'Self'. He has a nagging wife and has a Big Brother-like collection agency on him all while he rambles on about outdoing DaVinci with his art he wants to begin.

What exactly is that art? Killing people who annoy him of course!

We also spend a large chunk of time with the Doctor Donna talk radio show that the killer obsesses over and calls in. There's also a bad comic relief police detective on his trail.

Eventually the schlub killer dons a phantom of the opera mask for the final act.

The film is amateurish in just about every aspect: acting, camera work, editing but it isn't bad, most everything is passable. What about the gore? Expect nothing besides some Halloween severed body parts, some blood and close up stabbings of a tshirt and tennis shoe.

I feel like there is an audience for a film like this, the directors certainly were trying to make a fun film, but the problem lies in their marketing. The description and films website constantly references this being like 80s slashers and going in expecting that, you will be sorely disappointed.

It's possible that in the time between being nominated for "Best Kill and Gore" and winding up on Tubi that some edits were made because there's little gore and nothing even close to a best kill on display. I'm also not sure how anyone could say Master Pieces is "an old school slasher" because it doesn't tick any slasher subgenre boxes. What it does give you is a whiny man who can't hold a job being berated by his new wife and a collection agency and sometimes he watches a radio talk show (yes, I know how that sounds but that's what happens). The performances are dire and the script (if there was a script) is a mess. Maybe it's supposed to be a surreal nightmare about an unraveling everyman? But if that's the case, it fails miserably there as well. Master Pieces - and how DARE you invoke the gloriously trashy Pieces in you title - isn't even worth watching for free.

Just because I was suckered into watching this pile of garbage after being told it was a slasher throwback doesn't mean you have to be.

MP seems to know what it is and what it isn't...and what that is I am still not sure (do love the title though). But it was interesting and entertaining...the camera work, lighting and 'filmcraft' were the obvious highlights, but the subtleties of everything, right in your face by not being in your face...and absurdity of it all. It certainly leaves you something to think about it....well done.