It’s no secret that I really dislike modern horror. Sure, there are a few stand-outs, but usually, we just get the same cast of whiny douchebag characters, no sense of fun, shaky camera work, cheap jump scares, etc., and it all pisses me off. And you know what also gets my blood boiling? Lack of originality. It seems that everyone is afraid to step outde the box of the clichés I previously mentioned, and I hate it. Then again, a movie comes along every once in a while that promises to be original, and I will, of course, check it out. Such is a movie that was made a while ago and will finally be getting released onto DVD and Blu-ray formats on Monday October 15th. Does it fulfill on its promises, or does it fall flat on its face?
Some Guy Who Kills People 2011 Review
I love the title for this movie, because it pulls the rug out from under you in more ways than one. And actually, for the first half hour or so, that title is exactly what we get. We get some murders and the police investigating…then the daughter comes in, and this is where a lot of people are going to start liking Some Guy Who Kills People or they’re going to start hating it. It turns into a drama. Yes, for a good chunk of the film, we get lots of father-daughter bonding. And for me, I really appreciated it. If the film had just gone straight with just killing, I know I would have tossed this ade as “just another slasher.” But no. It dares to try something original, and it works. While the concept is definitely a “hit or miss” idea, the writing is expertly done and the direction does the script complete justice.
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But that’s not to say the slasher elements we do get are terrible. The body count in this movie is very low, but there are some impresve kills (or one in particular). First, we get what is perhaps the best decapitation I have ever seen in any modern horror movie. It’s all practical, complete with prosthetic head and a HUGE blood spurt. I’m not going to spoil the other deaths, but they really aren’t the main focus of the movie. There isn’t a whole lot of suspense either, because all the characters that die are completely reprehenble and I couldn’t care any less about them.
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However, the main characters are very likable and the parts are all well-acted as well. Ken himself is very likable and very sympathetic, and I found his reaction to everything that has begun to happen in his life very realistic. Barry Bostwick was hilarious as the sheriff, who I imagine is a parody of the cliché inept sheriff in almost all slasher movies, as he literally does next to nothing throughout most of the movie. Karen Black is good, I really liked Lucy Davis as Ken’s love interest, and Ariel Gade was actually pretty good as Amy (I usually hate kid actors).
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Some Guy Who Kills People is going to disappoint many people looking for a straight slasher, but for those who can appreciate a good heart-warming drama, as well as a really funny comedy at times, it’s great. I’m one of those people, so I got a lot out of Some Guy Who Kills People. It’s nice to actually see some sort of attempt to make characters likable, and it actually pays off because I liked all of them (save for the antagonists, whom we are supposed to hate). It’s also a comedy that doesn’t beat you over the head with humor and instead uses funny dialogue to make you chuckle. The kills themselves are well-done, and I really like the back story they gave us on why our killer is killing them. This was released quite recently on DVD by Anchor Bay, and it looks great. I’m not a big video or audiophile, but I liked the quality. There are some good special features as well, including a feature commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, the trailer, and an entertaining short film called “The Fifth.” This is a movie I can see myself pulling out every once in a while and enjoying, and if this sounds up your alley, it’s definitely worth the purchase, especially with that $10 price tag.
The Verdict: Some Guy Who Kills People is an entertaining mixture of gory slasher and engaging drama with a dash of comedy for good measure. Definitely an independent movie worth watching.
Score: 7/10
http://youtu.be/dP9rU5LvFeg