Murder à la Mod (1968)Naive young lady Karen wants to help her struggling amateur filmmaker boyfriend Christopher raise enough money so he can divorce his wife. Meanwhile, jolly psycho prankster Otto stalks the ... See full summary » Director:Brian De PalmaWriter:Brian De Palma |
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A Something Weird Video release of a Brian DePalma film? That is something weird. "Murder a la Mod" is DePalma's feature film debut and is an avant-garde experimental movie. It's obviously not nearly as good as either "Scarface" or "Blow Out", but it has some interesting aspects. However, many of the problems that plagued DePalma for the rest of his career were apparent from the start (notable the favoring of style over substance). The film is well-made and nice to look at, but doesn't do anything for you emotionally. At the end, it leaves you cold. Still, fans of the filmmaker should check it out.
The performances range from good to poor. Jared Martin, as the exploitation filmmaker who loses it, turns in a superb performance. Its a shame he didn't work with DePalma any more. William Finley (who later appeared in "Phantom of the Paradise") and Margo Norton are okay. Andra Akers and Ken Burrows are both very wooden. The editing is what makes it the most interesting, as this is a clever concept. By the end the whole experience leaves you cold and DePalma eventually overdoes his style over substance. Still, its not without interest. (5/10)