The Last Horror Movie

Grand Rapids,Michigan.A radio announces that a serial killer,responsible for the deaths of six teenagers at a holiday camp,has escaped from prison.A waitress closing up an isolated diner hears a noise,steps on a Haloween masked,and is stabbed again and again and...Suddenly the face of an English man,Max Parry(Kevin Howarth),appears, declaring "The film you borrowed from the video store,I recorded over it...I think you'll find this more interesting" -and what follows is a homemade video of Max in London,murdering people,serving meals for his friends and family,shooting wedding videos for his day job("the best place in the world to meet women"),trying to persuade his retiring camera assistant(Mark Stevenson)to take a more participatory role,lecturing to camera on the moral underpinnings of his way of life,and slaughtering more people."The Last Horror Movie" by Julian Richards is a truly disturbing and grim horror film with hauntingly realistic central performance by Kevin Howarth.The film is clearly inspired by "Funny Games","Angst" and especially "Man Bites Dog",but it still manages to disturb.The killings are cold,merciless and extremely brutal and the violence is genuinely unnerving.Don't miss this one.8 out of 10.

THE LAST HORROR MOVIE uses the clever ruse of mimicking a rented horror film that has been recorded over, allowing the main character, Max (Kevin Howarth), to tell his grisly story to the viewer with words and horrific deeds. Max is nonchalant about his actions, sticking to his narrative, regardless of what heinous crimes he commits.

Filmed by Max's "assistant" (Mark Stevenson), this "documentary" takes us along with the killer as he merrily relieves his victim's of their boring lives. This is one of the better examples of the "found footage" subgenre, fitting in neatly between such classics as MAN BITES DOG, and THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES. One bizarre twist is the way Max mingles visits with his family in with the carnage. This makes it all even more unsettling.

The cameraman's subplot is also quite disturbing.

The dialogue is, at times, fascinating, as we hear Max ask some rather philosophical questions of his audience. In spite of this, we're never unaware that we're witnessing the vile actions of a monster.

Mr. Howarth is terrifying in his unflinching role. It's just too bad that VHS tapes are no longer available from video-rental shops. That would have made this quite a find...

"The Last Horror Movie" is an effective film that could be described as a British "Man Bites Dog". Unpredictable, witty and thought-provoking, Julian Richards' film rises above the limitations of its budget and the result is a haunting production that is difficult to forget.

The film's star and narrator, Kevin Howarth, is superb as the psychopathic wedding video organiser, Max. Howarth's performance is right on the mark. Like Bret Easton Ellis' "American Psycho" Patrick Bateman, Max reveals the thought-processes that go through his disturbed mind.

The film has the ability to put the viewer in an uncomfortable place and some scenes have a genuinely surprising outcome. This won't appeal to viewers expecting an "August Underground"-style gore-fest but it does have moments where the visual effects are excellent.

An ingenious film, this is worthy of a viewing. Unlike most films, "The Last Horror Story" works best on VHS or DVD rather than the big screen.

8 out of 10.

this is one of the best movies of that genre i've ever seen ! i've been watching it at the Fantasy Filmfest in Berlin and i have to say that Kevin Howarth as the serial killer Max is the most frightening and charismatic actor in years. I'm sure we'll see that guy soon in other movies. he's fantastic ! the complete idea of having this weird character filming his live for response from horror movie watchers is brilliant. but it's not just frightening and shocking it's more a kinda reality thrill as well as a pitchblack humor with sarcasm that makes the movie that enjoyable. i wish julian richards would have gotten the job to do the American Psycho Movie. he would have been the one to do a good film of the book. I hope "The Last Horror Movie" is going to be released on DVD soon ... if anyone knows anything about a release on video or better DVD, please email me to audiomatters at hotmail.com

Though the title of this film might suggest conventional horror forthcomings, don't despair. The last Horror Movie is a unique cinematic exploration in to the mind of a serial killer. Wedding filmmaker Max Parry [Kevin Howarth] is a London bachelor who enjoys looking after his sisters' kids, entertaining friends and honing the art of murder. He decides to make his own horror film in order to help him discover his victim's attitudes to death. The commonsensical style of this movie is its real charm. It lacks the sardonic comedy that makes Rémy Belvauxs' Belgian film Man Bites Dog an obvious fiction, but henceforth the horror becomes much more feasible. Howarth conceivably becomes someone we could know, and like. His charismatic portrayal of Parry makes us open to his rational debates of art vs. humanity. The last horror movie takes the horror genre and turns it on its head; it pushes the viewer to challenge why they enjoy purveying murder and brutal senseless acts of killing. It forces us to consider the value of a human life and then contradicts our opinion with the general antipathy shown for human life in the third world. It tries to make us believe that murder is in essence a force of nature. The protection and reassurance of your own home is no longer a safe haven but a fruitful opportunity to gratify the predator among us. If you can stomach horror and gore then go and see this film. It's a powerful piece of British filmmaking with an unnerving edge. Director Julian Richards commented that the real horror of this film starts when you leave the cinema, a concept that entertained me, as I lay awake, convincing myself that the squeaking floorboards below were not as innocent as they sounded.