The Killing Jar

When i first saw this movie appear on my local DVD store shelf, i wondered why it never saw light of day at my local cinema.

Michael Madsen and Amber Benson are the main stars here, and they put in a couple of fine performances. Possibly Michael Madsen most similar performance since his infamous role one in Reservoir Dogs. In fact, there is even a "Mr Green" here too! The film is shot entirely in one location (a diner) during one particular night. The diner is home to Noreen, a waitress who although unsatisfied with her job, is the type of small town girl who is happy to just do it. Meanwhile, the patrons comprise of various people who are stopping by on their way through, and we get to know each one a little more in detail as the movie progresses.

The movie flows along at a steady pace, and the director ensures this is maintained throughout the movie. This is a positive thing, as it allows us to enter the small town philosophy a little easier. The music throughout is also excellently chosen, and by the time the titles came up at the end i was ready to rush out and buy the CD.

However, one essential thing to take into account when you watch this movie is, don't take it too seriously. I became a little frustrated at why some parts of the story weren't removed and other parts put in. For example, why out of two strangers who walk into a diner does Noreen warm to one, and alienate the other all based on a radio report? And why doesn't the director utilise the video camera that the 2 kids bring to the diner to add some depth to the plot? But maybe this on purpose, as a red herring for people who look too deep into plot lines.

Putting these small gripes aside, if you enjoy a small town thriller that may have a small budget, but sure has a big heart, fried up with a couple of fine performances then this is a great Saturday night movie.

I certainly enjoyed it, and whilst it wont go down as a classic, i would recommend it for those late night Saturday blues, its intriguing, exciting, but if you're looking for a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this isn't the one for you.

Any movie that boasts amongst its actors Michael Madsen, Danny Trejo, and Jake Busey definitely gets some points of merit even before the movie starts rolling. Though those points aren't as much as you might think, because Trejo's part is small and very insignificant, and Busey's role isn't that much better. I also had some other problems with the movie. The photography is pretty bad, with dark and muddy colors throughout. Also, the movie takes a LONG time to get going - more than a third of the movie goes by, to be more exact. Still, I will admit that once the movie gets going, the rest of the movie is fairly compelling - though I had a good idea of how the movie was going to end some time before that ending actually played out. So there aren't exactly any surprises to be found in this movie. However, I will admit that I have seen far worse direct-to-DVD movies.

Grabastic - I'm a channel flipper and I stopped flipping for this little gem. The movie was all about acting, it reminded me of 12 Angry Men or Night Of The Living Dead as it took place in a small space and was packed with tension and personalities. Bloody movie if you want street cred. You really didn't know who would be shot next or how or why. Micheal Madsen filled his type cast as a deranged thug and the rest of the cast played through acting school chops. Madsen got to ham it up and his experience showed. The writing was well done and tightly edited. Jake Busey as always bought the air of chaos and wildness along and fleshed his character out well. You could really imagine the actors walking around the green room with a script and talking to themselves.

Entertaining movie. Pressure cooker thriller. In theory the movie has all the ingredients of Reservoir dogs. Gritty storyline and a cast that includes Michael Madsen and Danny Trejo. But the movie falls short... Madsen is brilliant as always and Harold Perrineau delivers a good performance, but they are unable to make-up for Amber Benson's disappointment. Danny Trejo has a total of two minutes of screen time, and he is never shown fully (he is shown through a kitchen window)... Noreen, the central character played by Amber Benson, was the weakest link. Also, the pressure is let out a bit too prematurely... In all, a movie that has potential, but fails. That said, for a direct-to-DVD movie, this is very good. It is not an excellent movie, but a decent one at the very least. If you have nothing else to do, this might be a decent pastime movie.

I remembered watching this movie on TV late at night but I didn't get the name of it. It was so suspenseful, but I was haunted not remembering the name. Well, I watched Reservoir Dogs tonight and it hit me that Michael Madsen was in this movie! He does loathsome and despicable so well. Michael kept the movie from being dry and boring. Not bad movie.