Serial Killing 4 Dummys (2004) User Reviews

I Found The Film Surprisingly Enjoyable

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 8 February 2011]

This film seems to have been made on a budget, and took about two years to go from filming to release. And, mysteriously, it looks to be set in 1995, with the way Marilyn Manson is presented. (If it is actually in 2002, the Manson posters and shirts are very out of date.)

Thomas Haden Church is amazing, Lisa Loeb actually pulls off a good look, despite being in her thirties and playing a high school girl. Corey Feldman shows up briefly... so briefly, in fact, it is a wonder why he appears at all.

The plot is great. Some aspects are predictable, others not so much. Anyone who enjoys studying serial killers should enjoy this film, and the gore effects are decent, too. There are a few moments of really bad CGI, but they are not so obnoxious that they cannot be overlooked.

I would not say to go out of your way to see this film, but it really is better than you might expect from the cover. If the purpose of a film is to entertain, this one succeeded.

Fair

[marcus_stokes2000 · 6/10 · 31 August 2006]

*SPOILERS For Dummies* 17-year-old Casey Noland (Justin Urich), who has lost his father, a cop, a year before, claims that he's going to be a serial killer to impress his classmate Sasha (Lisa Loeb), who seems to be fascinated by the subject.

But there is a killer on the loose on campus, and he has to find him before someone he loves could meet a grisly end. Suspect N° 1 is the gym teacher (Thomas Hayden Church)...

'Serial Killing 4 Dummys' is a nice movie which tries to blend dark comedy with thriller, and does a fair job of it, even if some characters and side plots are pretty annoying.

Urich works as a leading man, and though there is quite the age difference between her and her character (she's in her 30s and plays a high school student) so does Lisa Loeb, and Thomas Hayden Church gives another top-notch performance.

Serial Killing 4 Dummys: 6/10.

A dark comedy with the emphasis on COMEDY

[junethesis · 5/10 · 1 February 2001]

This movie has Lisa Loeb casted in it for, as far as I know, her only movie part ever. There are several interesting death scenes and gratuitous comedy. Thomas Hayden Church, aka Loel from "Wings," plays a janitor with a dark side. See it, if you can find it.

Some nice stuff here, but...

[jbarker71 · 31 October 2004]

It's nice to see Thomas Haden Church doing some work, as his performances are always good. On top of everything- this film was well made, I thought. Cinematography, acting, and the editing. The music wasn't my favorite, in places (check out the White Zomby rip-offs).

I spent most of the movie wondering why Lisa Loeb was there, and wondering why she was in a high school flick, when she'd be in her 30s. She and the Casey character acted quite well, I thought.

Favorite line was was the coach talking about how someone couldn't hide up a rope in a large gymnasium. Not that that's really a cliché (hiding up a rope), but this movie didn't really deconstruct serial killers (sure, it profiled them), as it was a comedy first and foremost and a gore flick somewhere later.

Oh, so THAT'S why they were throwing frisbees...

They Should've Read "Movies 4 Dummys"

[EmAn1213 · 1/10 · 16 July 2004]

Finally - here is a movie which dares to go deeper than the surface when exploring the life of a superhero-like character. No, not "Spider-man 2," but "Serial Killing 4 Dummys!" This enchanting movie takes us into the life of high school student Casey Noland, who wants nothing more than to be the world's most notorious serial killer. Fellow student Lisa 'Oops, spent all my money from the hit song' Loeb, looking as non-conformist as ever with those adorable glasses, befriends Casey and his dream.

The movie explores how serial killers are really just like you and me: They lock their keys in their cars! They suck at gym class! They're plagued by baby fat and freckles when they just want to look tough!

Like all would-be superheroes, Casey has but one tragic flaw which prevents his dreams from becoming reality. In this case, the flaw is called being a lame-ass. The audience watches in suspense, helpless, as Casey fails mission after mission as a serial killer, crawling back home to lick his wounds and practice new serial killer catch-phrases in the mirror. (I got the skill - to kill!) A high point of the movie (other than just turning it off) is the hardware store scene with Corey Feldman. Someone I was watching the movie with commented that Corey probably got the part because he was already working at the store anyway, but it's obvious to me that he snagged the role for his acting ability. In short, before subjecting yourself to this movie, find someone who is less of a lame-ass than Casey and have that person kill you, because you'll wish you were dead while viewing this piece of crap.

Waste of time

[billcr12 · 3/10 · 6 July 2012]

Casey Noland is a clueless high school kid who is bored with life and decides that he wants to be a serial killer. He just can't bring himself to actually kill anyone. He meets the nerdy Sasha Fitzgerald(Lisa Loeb, the singer), and she wishes to commit suicide and asks him to assist her in the act.

Noland has the ambition to be a famous, Ted Bundy like murderer but when someone else steals the spotlight, he gets jealous. Thomas Haden Church plays Vince Grimaldi, the rival for media attention. Church is fine, as always, but the film is neither funny or scary and I was bored to death, excuse the pun, by the time Serial Killers for is over, you will feel like a dummy for wasting 89 minutes watching this garbage.

Absolutely the worst movie I ever saw...

[IceStorm007 · 1/10 · 23 June 2003]

I'm sorry to say this but "Serial Killing 4 Dummys" was the worst movie ever to be seen by my eyes. While the back of the cover lets you think it is a horror movie it is not anything near that. I presume 'comedy' would be the best description for it but that is only because the whole movie is ridiculous. Not only the plot (almost non existing anyway, a high school boy with a passion for serial killing isn't able to kill, his girlfriend is obsessed with death itself and in the meantime a few people are murdered), but also the characters, the outfits, the setting, the "special" effects etc, everything is just plain crap. The whole movie has the look and feel as if some 12 year old made it with his next door friends.

On the whole, I would not recommend this one at all (you probably can't find it anyway and not without reason).

Entertaining little comedy with a tiny dark edge

[johannes2000-1 · 7/10 · 5 October 2023]

I liked it. It's certainly not a serious horror movie, as it was advertised on my copy of the dvd. Neither a horror comedy in the usual sense of hilarious gore & splatter. It's in fact more subtle: a nice, low profile comedy that makes you most of the time smile and chuckle, with a little whodunit storyline and an equally small thriller-like finale. Most parts are well acted, with special mention of Thomas Hayden Church, very funny and blatantly over-acting in his role as the shouting gym-teacher. Lisa Loeb is totally endearing as the sweet but slightly weird love-interest of main character Casey, the teen who seriously decides, by want of other professional options after high school, to become a serial killer. Justin Urich does an excellent job, with an appealing, understated way of acting and some nice deadpan humor.

The movie dates from 2004, but looks like it's made in the seventies, and the pace is a bit slow, which particularly shows in the final showdown with the killer, that could have used some better editing. But for the rest: unpretentious entertaining comedy!

A must see spoof for all slasher film fans!

[livin_on_the_edge · 10/10 · 22 August 2005]

This movie shows the life of a seemingly disturbed high school student who wants, without success, to be a notorious serial killer when he grows up. He befriends a suicidal classmate who wants to be his first victim, and she tries to help become a killer. And while all this is going on, there's an actual serial killer on the loose in their town and they try to use their "killer" knowledge to profile the murderer.

This movie had me laughing so hard I almost peed my pants! Kudos to the writers and the actors, because the plot was great, and the acting was superb. Thomas Haden Church (remember him from Demon Night?) gives a hilarious performance as the "gymnasium class teacher".

I swear I will never stick my nose up at another Lion's Gate film! I would definitely recommend this film to all horror fans!

An Entertaining Comedy/Horror

[se7en187 · 9/10 · 2 May 2003]

I saw this movie last year at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan. It was a Friday night, the perfect time to watch it, and I had a great time.

MINOR SPOILERS Stuart Stone plays a High School student who gets complaints from his teachers for having no ambition. So Stone decides he wants to be famous by becoming a serial killer. Along the way, Lisa Loeb (yes, Lisa Loeb), a fellow student and outcast finds out about his scheme and wants to be his first victim. She helps him become the part by grooming him, helping him research, etc. Unfortunately, he doesn't have it in him to kill people. And things get bad when killings start happening in his town, and he isn't the one doing them. SPOILERS END

This movie was very entertaining, though it seems a little cliched, it's a great movie to watch at night on the weekend. And you can't go wrong with a cameo from Cory Feldman.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find this movie since I saw it last year. I hope it comes to video soo.

9/10

Serial Killing 101 is hilarious

[ben_wahlberg · 9/10 · 1 July 2006]

Don't be mistaken when you read the tag that this movie is indeed a horror movie because it is the furthest thing from it. Casey Noland is destined to become the worlds most notorious serial killer alive following in the steps of what he thinks are "Babe Magnets" Ted Bundy and others like him. But what Casey does not realize is that he is way to nice and good hearted to kill. The truth came out when he went to kill an annoying dog and an old woman on her death bed. The whole plot of the movie is hilarious. His gym teacher played by Thomas Haden Church is a complete jerk to him because Casey is so soft. This movies plot was funny and a pretty descent one when you look at all of the complications it unfolds.

a pleasant surprise

[j-dewolff · 8/10 · 12 March 2004]

I bought the dvd very cheap, had never heard of this movie before, knew none of the actors by name and just went for the title (which incidentally on my copy just read: "Serial Killer"), the summary on the backside ("teen has an obsession to become a serial killer and looks for persons to test his skills on") and the genre-indication "horror". So I figured that I was in for some highschool slashing and akward acting (which can actually be quite amusing when you've nothing better to watch). Surprise!! This is no horror at all, not even scary, and I didn't even sense any pretension to be a parody for a horror-movie. It's just a very funny movie, based on a horror-like theme, which is of course totally unrealistic (a highschool teen who tells everyone that his career-prospective is to be a serial killer) but treated so consistently that you kind of get along with it. It's not hilarious, but has a dry, tongue-in-cheek kind of humour. There's some good acting (Justin Urich, who's very cute by the way, and the mother), and Thomas Haden Church's acting goes in a convincing and funny way totally over the top! I really had a great time watching it. So if anyone can get his hands on it: don't hesitate but buy it!!

Twisted fun

[BrianSF · 8/10 · 18 April 2004]

This movie was surpisingly great....a satire on slashers, school, young love, and right livelihood. Casey Noland sets out to be a killer but ends up a hero. He attempts to defy as many of society's conventions as possible but his inner goodness brings him to a place of true redemption and the possibilities of a good and wonderful future. I really enjoyed this film..not expecting very much starting out but it grows on you with each frame. The director and writer (same) has a true wit and seems to have a removed view of society's conventions; allowing her to create this kind of twisted, unconventional but truly fun piece of off kilter reality slash movie.

A very funny and entertaining slasher comedy riot

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 2 November 2009]

Malcontent and sardonic teenage misfit Casey Noland (a solid and likable performance by Justin Urich) aspires to be a notorious serial killer. Fellow suicidal kook Sasha Fitzgerald (a nice and appealing portrayal by adorable singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb) wants to be Noland's first victim. Meanwhile, a real serial killer is terrorizing the neighborhood. Writer/director Trace Slobotkin relates the hilariously wacky story at a constant brisk pace, maintains an appropriately amusing tongue-in-cheek tone throughout, and populates the movie with a colorful array of spot-on enjoyable broad stereotypes. This movie further benefits from lively acting from an enthusiastic cast: Urich and Loeb do super work in the lead roles (the romance that develops between these two endearing oddballs is genuinely sweet and charming), Thomas Haden Church almost steals the whole show with his marvelously obnoxious turn as ruthless ramrod gym coach Vince Grimaldi, Corey Feldman has a neat bit as a dorky, buck-toothed hardware store clerk, plus there are fine contributions by Rick Overton as geeky wannabe hip guidance counselor Mr. Korn, George Murdock as crusty, rumpled homicide Detective Ray Berro, Barbara Niven as Casey's concerned mother Donna Noland, Raymond O'Connor as creepy sleazeball voyeur janitor Frank, Stuart Stone as Casey's screwball nerd buddy Emil, and Esther Scott as cheery, earnest school psychiatrist Sally Lindon. The wickedly sidesplitting sense of inspired playfully sick humor elicits plenty of laughs; Casey's deranged daydreams are positively hysterical and the dialogue is often priceless (favorite line: "I have the skill - to kill!"). The final confrontation between Casey and the killer is a total gut-buster. John P. Tarver's slick cinematography, Jeffrey Alan Jones' funky score, and the groovy alt-rock soundtrack all further enhance the infectiously loopy fun to be relished in this absolute hoot.

"Killing people isn't 'da bomb.'"

[Backlash007 · 26 June 2005]

Yet another disappointing low budget horror comedy. Serial Killing 101 has no real horror, and is not that funny either. I maybe laughed twice. It's not worth wasting your time with. It has made such a lasting impression on me that I can't even think of anything to write about...and I just finished watching it! That should let you know what kind of film it is. I expected a darkly humorous hit considering Thomas Hayden Church just got an Oscar nod. How do you go from this film to an Oscar nomination? Strange. Justin Urich (from Monster Man), Lisa Loeb (yeah, that one...and she's playing a 17 year old to boot), and Corey Feldman co-star. Fans of the Fel-dog should be warned, he has a tiny cameo.