Wow, this one really swiped me off my feet. When seeing a Fulci movie, you really don't expect much of an intentional comedy, but this time it's exactly what you get. At least in the macabre, grotesque way. With a healthy dose of gore and disturbing images.
Lester Parson is a cannibalistic psychopath and a degenerate gambler who kills ugly, rich women and steals their cash and personal property to fund his lifestyle. And he has meaningful conversations with a mysterious person he knows (or perhaps with his own voice?) through a tape recorder. Pretty soon Lester finds out that there's also the other killer around, who imitates his killings and leaves out evidence that all points to Lester.
This film is like a low-budget version of American Psycho. (And even with it's problems way better than the said drivel of Hollywoodism that so poorly tries to turn Bret Easton Ellis' text into film.) Lester's "adventures" are projected in a grotesque and hilarious light, and Fulci has succeeded in creating a very twisted humorous mood, which abruptly changes into horrific carnage. I found myself several times laughing my buttocks off, and within seconds I'm cringing and staring in shocked disbelief at the brutality of violence. That's a pretty hard stunt to do for a film maker, also considering that I've pretty much seen everything there is. :) I must say that Fulci has always had some extraordinary nihilistic vigor in the depiction of violence.
Too bad that the film doesn't follow this line to the end, and the last 30 minutes is plunged into senseless drivel with some obscure doppelganger plot. Maestro Fulci fell into this kind of goofing so regrettably often, I must say. Also, the obviously small or almost non-existent budget unfortunately shows on this one, and the photography is depressingly ugly to watch. Still, I have to say that Fulci's experience shows in doing the best that can be done with the limitations.
Despite being flawed, ridiculous (in a bad way) at times, and ugly looking, my thumbs are way more up than down on this one. Still, it leaves me asking, what this movie could have been with better production and more thought out ending. Well, I guess we'll never know. Definitely recommended for the friends of grotesque comedy, despite the poor ending.
This is my truth. What is yours?
Lester Parson is a cannibalistic psychopath and a degenerate gambler who kills ugly, rich women and steals their cash and personal property to fund his lifestyle. And he has meaningful conversations with a mysterious person he knows (or perhaps with his own voice?) through a tape recorder. Pretty soon Lester finds out that there's also the other killer around, who imitates his killings and leaves out evidence that all points to Lester.
This film is like a low-budget version of American Psycho. (And even with it's problems way better than the said drivel of Hollywoodism that so poorly tries to turn Bret Easton Ellis' text into film.) Lester's "adventures" are projected in a grotesque and hilarious light, and Fulci has succeeded in creating a very twisted humorous mood, which abruptly changes into horrific carnage. I found myself several times laughing my buttocks off, and within seconds I'm cringing and staring in shocked disbelief at the brutality of violence. That's a pretty hard stunt to do for a film maker, also considering that I've pretty much seen everything there is. :) I must say that Fulci has always had some extraordinary nihilistic vigor in the depiction of violence.
Too bad that the film doesn't follow this line to the end, and the last 30 minutes is plunged into senseless drivel with some obscure doppelganger plot. Maestro Fulci fell into this kind of goofing so regrettably often, I must say. Also, the obviously small or almost non-existent budget unfortunately shows on this one, and the photography is depressingly ugly to watch. Still, I have to say that Fulci's experience shows in doing the best that can be done with the limitations.
Despite being flawed, ridiculous (in a bad way) at times, and ugly looking, my thumbs are way more up than down on this one. Still, it leaves me asking, what this movie could have been with better production and more thought out ending. Well, I guess we'll never know. Definitely recommended for the friends of grotesque comedy, despite the poor ending.
This is my truth. What is yours?