I Was a Teenage Serial Killer

I WAS A TEENAGE SERIAL KILLER (1993) **** Kristin Calabrese. Sarah Jacobson (Mary Jane's Not A Virgin Anymore) directs this extraordinary example of feminist underground filmmaking. Shot in gritty black and white, I Was a Teenage Serial Killer is the story of Mary, a young woman who gets fed up with being mistreated by men and decides to take matters into her own hands. The result: an angry, estrogen-fueled bloodbath! Don't believe the superficial reviews you read on this site. Film Threat Video Guide voted this groundbreaking film one of the "Top 25 Underground Films of All Time." I bought this video in college and must've watched it 50 times. I was blown away by it every time I saw it. Trust me, this film is worth seeing (if you can find it). If you're into Hollywood big-budget crap, this might not be for you, but for fans of radical underground cinema, it's a must-see.

The moral of this story (for guys) is don't remove your "protection" during sex or else your partner will beat the snot out of you, kill you, and stuff a banana in your mouth. I guess these is something symbolic there.

Mary, our "heroine" then meets a male serial killer who is a straight white male who believes all the problems in the world are due to straight white males. The two hit it off well, until he brings home a bound and gagged woman and says he killed the woman's boyfriend. "Without me?" screams Mary. She then does him in with a dustbuster.

Kristin Calabrese as Mary shows a modicum of talent, but the same cannot be said for anyone else. The photography is very poor, either intentionally or unintentionally. F-bombs are dropped constantly. The closing credits are interesting, my favorite being the guy billed as the "A-hole Drug Dealer."

But this movie is not 'sexist against men' (whatever that means in a patriarchy). It's satirical and sardonic. The humor is right on, even if the acting isn't. I recommend it! Sarah Jacobson is a wonderful film maker.

If I am missing a satirical point of view, then I apologize. If this is not meant to be a satire, then it is an insult to any strong woman. It doesn't quiet poke fun at any struggle a woman has over a man's dominance but it definitely creates an unrealistic and Petty way a strong woman would deal with the mildest or even the strongest misogyny. Unfortunate!

I suppose Sarah Jackson's movie about a female serial killer is emancipating and empowering and all that good stuff for women, because after all, most serial killers are men, and they are the heroes of boys everywhere. So it's good that women get to have a serial killer for them to admire, just like the boys.

What most interests me is the claim that this movie was made for $1600, working with volunteers and amateur actors. Given the awful quality of all technical aspects, as well as poor acting, I would estimate this cost about $130 in the early 1990s, for developing the film and printing a few copies for festival circuit. So someone stole almost $1500. Nice going!