Halloween is here and once again it closes another Adventure in B-Movie Horror. What better way to do that than with some shot on video schlock?
For those not in the know, shot on video basically meant shot on video camera. The availability of camcorders gave rise to an SOV boom with independent filmmaking in the 80s and 90s, especially in the horror genre. I usually check out a few each year, knowing they can be quite the zany experience.
For this year, I selected a pair of SOVs, one from 1987, and the other released a decade later toward the end of the 90s.
Video Violence (1987)
I’ve shared before on my site about my childhood but I’ll throw it in again. I grew up in a small Midwestern town of about 5,000 people. It wasn’t a big enough market for the likes of Blockbuster, Hollywood Video or even a Family Video. Instead, we had locally-owned, independent video rental shops where I spent plenty of time at.
Such a store is where this film is largely set. Written and directed by Gary Cohen, the movie centers on a video rental shop under a new owner, played by Gary Schwartz. Things seem normal enough in the small town, though the entrepreneur notices many of his customers are only interested in horror flicks.
But their interests don’t stop with fantasy, as him and his employee begin finding snuff film tapes circulating the town. It turns out, several residents are not only interested in murder, but catching it on camera. The result is a somewhat fun flick, though I was surprised how little it actually utilizes its video rental concept.
I suppose I was expecting more of an anthology picture, with several different stories/kills based on each tape at the video rental. However, the film actually plays out more like a sort of murder mystery, as the shop owner tries tracking down who’s behind the snuff films.
Those films are still the entertainment highlight of the movie. The deaths are about as graphic as they get when using cheap blood effects. It doesn’t always look realistic, but the filmmakers swing for the fences so that’s a plus. There’s even a decapitation leading to a prop head.
To his credit, Schwartz is actually not too bad in the lead role, either. It’s a competent character and Schwartz actually takes the subject matter fairly seriously, which gives the film an earnest charm. The same can’t be said about the supporting group around him.
The antagonistic characters are played so manic, almost to a comical degree, and it makes it difficult to really get enticed by the scares or kills. The film isn’t overall trying to play as a horror comedy, either. So, it often detracts, and the cast is all too happy to chew the scenery while they’re portraying this.
There’s also the fact that the movie starts to really meander in the second half, and honestly gets a bit dull between deaths. It ultimately puts a damper on the flick. What doesn’t put a damper, though, is the 1985 film “Blood Cult” which I reviewed in 2020 being on display in the video store. It was fun seeing one SOV flick referencing another.
All things considered, “Video Violence” offers some fun kills but the amount of camp isn’t leveled well enough. 2 out of 3 late fees.
Bloodletting (1997)
You know how some serial killers get letters in prison from women into them? This movie goes just a bit beyond that. Ariauna Albright stars as Serena Stalin, a woman who learns of an infamous serial killer named Butch Harlow (James Edwards) and becomes interested in his line of work.
Wanting to follow in his footsteps, she uncovers where Butch lives and convinces him to train her. On top of learning to murder, the two spark a relationship over their morbid shared interest, and end up going on a spree.
Right from the start, the movie is honest about what it is. This is a horror not taking itself seriously, coming across as quite tongue in cheek. On top of knowingly adding a humorous angle, it tries to add an edge to it as well.
This is a the ultimate 90s, Gen X experience. There’s a sense writer and director Matthew Jason Walsh watched all of the films released by Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino by the time 1997 rolled around, and wanted to really capture that vibe. The results are rather mixed.
Going with a horror rom-com direction isn’t a bad concept and there’s a bit of fun to be had as the main couple bicker, banter and look for new victims to murder. However, at the same time, there are several moments, either with the dialogue or the actual kills, where it seems like the film is trying way too hard to be clever.
It has a sort of smugness in the writing, but the problem is it’s not nearly good enough to back that up. There’s also a sense Walsh didn’t know what to do with the story after setting up the initial premise, because the third act feels entirely random. It doesn’t help that while there is an end twist that surprises, it doesn’t quite make sense.
It also doesn’t help that the kills are rather lacking. There is plenty of blood splatter, but when it comes to the way things play out, a viewer ultimately doesn’t get much. There could have been far more havoc on screen.
The positive is Edwards and Albright are actually OK. The dialogue can be a bit much at times, but they have some fun with the material and add some personality.
This is a really hit or miss movie, and that certainly applies to its self-awareness. Though despite its flaws, it has a bit of fun energy, too. Also, this movie had a shot of “Blood Cult” on a shelf, too! 1.5 out of 3 fingers severed from an abusive boyfriend.
