Heads (1993) (TV)

Director:

Paul Shapiro

Writers:

Adam Brooks (writer)
Jay Stapleton (screenplay)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Plot:

A proofreader at a small-town newspaper decides to try to solve a series of decapitation murders, and...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Decapitation | Small Town | Newspaper | Serial Killer

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Jon Cryer	...	Guy Franklin
Nancy Drake	...	Emily
Edward Asner	...	Ab Abbot
Charlene Fernetz	...	Betty Jo
Doreen Brownstone	...	Minnie Baker
Wayne Robson	...	Benny - Chief of Police
Shawn Thompson	...	Clay Cox
Chris Sigurdson	...	Cop
Earl Pastko	...	Lloyd Hubbs
Walter Marsh	...	Judge Jacobs
Wayne Nicklas	...	Minister
Roddy McDowall	...	Fibris Drake
Aleks Paunovic	...	Roderick
Jennifer Tilly	...	Tina Abbot
Jan Skene	...	Policewoman

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Manitoba, Canada

Company:

Credo Group Limited

A head for news. (minor spoilers)

'Heads' is the story of excessively nerdy, uptight journalist, Guy Franklin (Jon Cryer) who is recently hired to the reporter staff of the small newspaper company where he works. His nose-for-news boss Abner (Ed Asner), radiant and always assessing a story from its selling point, gives Guy his first real job: investigating the series of decapitations around their small, rural town. Only, what Guy finds out is that, it's not just murder, but involves a whole lot more dirty business.

Obviously it is a black comedy. One that starts slow, and carries on the shoulders of Ed Asner's wild-eyed character, initially (he only later in the film becomes less interesting as the mood of his character shifts towards the latter half of the film). Guy Franklin, at times too annoying for such timidity he exhibits, is actually, initially a boring character. The movie actually picks up the pace and becomes much funnier once Jennifer Tilly, as Abner's promiscuous daughter, enters the picture and latches on to her polar opposite: Guy, and turns him away from his routines of safety and pre-planning. The characters in these films are like caricatures of typical figures from 1950s cinema fiction, much like those in 'The Hudsucker Proxy,' released the following year.

While the film does tend to become a bit too long in its resolution, and despite its other flaws, it may be a film that dark comedy cult fans may enjoy.