genofoster

My favorite kind of films have often been small, independent gems like this one, films that are the unique visions of under financed directors and not the bloated studios.

First, Lisa Kudrow. I liked Friends, but I wasn't crazy about it. That's why she was such a surprise to me here. Her character is initially unlikeable, but once you see why she does the what she does, she becomes sympathetic. Her scene when she walks away from the motel room fight is fantastic. She's hurt, her life is crumbling, and you feel for her. She's hateful and funny, a really good performance.

And newcomer Scott Prendergast, co-star, writer and director does a unique turn here as the black-sheep weirdo who becomes a kind of superhero that saves the family. I can't wait to see what he does next.

If you're expecting some stupid comedy, skip this and rent Mall Cop. If you want something unexpected, unusual and funny, give Kabluey a shot.

As I was watching it, I was getting ready to compose a blasting, lambasting critique of this "film," (it is actually video), but then I saw that someone already did. I pretty much agree with him. But then again, it looks like a lot of effort and millions of lira went into it, so I guess you gotta give them some credit for trying. However, that being said, anyone who doesn't already know the Lovecraftian world and that this is what they were trying to convey will probably think, ... well, I suppose, that not only is it really bad, but it makes absolutely no sense. Thank god I read part of the other review ('twas a little gushy, maybe?) which revealed that this guy also did "The Shunned House," (which looked pretty bad, judging by the DVD box), so now I can avoid it and save my mind from any further exposure to such desecration of the brilliance of H.P. Lovecraft.

On the surface, it appears to be `just another one of those...,' yet with an open mind and an appreciation of mystery and crime stories (and especially a comprehensive knowledge of semiotics and film theory in general), Blood Money proves to be an intellectual treat.

Unfortunately, a lot of people could not appreciate the subtlety with which Blood Money turns film noir and the classic `crime story' conventions around, while at the same time commenting smugly upon the expectations of the cable-subscriber audience. Shepphird's film is all about inexorability, free will and ultimately, redemption, all cloaked in the guise of a quiet little made-for-tv movie. A post-post-modern `The Killing' with a Corman twist and a cast of zany characters (including ex-porn star Traci Lords, making her non-porn debut here, in a seeming homage to Mati Hari), Blood Money slaps you, then asks you if you like it. It catches you in the nude, and then just just when you think you've got it figured out, it reaches down and pulls out - something you didn't expect.