Natural Selection (1999)

Residents of an East Texas town react strangely when a serial killer invades their small town world.

Director:

Mark Lambert Bristol (as Mark Bristol)

Writers:

B.J. Burrow, Allen Odom

Stars:

Michael Bowen, David Carradine, Darren E. Burrows

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Bowen	...	Willie Dickenson
David Carradine	...	Louis Dehoven
Darren E. Burrows	...	Glenn Royce (as Darren Burrows)
Elizabeth Barondes	...	Sally Dickensen
Missy Atwood	...	Marie Franklin
Marina Anderson	...	Martha Graham (as Marina Carradine)
Joe Unger	...	Detective Harry Richards
Bob Balaban	...	Dr. William Powell
Stephen Root	...	Mr. Crenshaw
Bill Wise	...	Ferrel Dickenson
Johnny Hardwick	...	Documentary Director (voice)
Todd Lowe	...	Jimmie Dickenson
Guilford Adams	...	Colin Dickenson
Mark Miks	...	Jamie Crenshaw
Bob Richardson	...	Coach Al Sand

Storyline

Residents of an East Texas town react strangely when a serial killer invades their small town world.

---

Plot Keywords:

serial killer | death | morgue | mailbox | postman | 

---

Taglines:

America's Newest Weapon Against Evil!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Thriller | Horror

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Monster Slayer

Filming Locations:

Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$450,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

24/36 Productions, Rio Bravo Entertainment LLC, Rockin' M&M Productions LP

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 88 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Coach Al Sand: Billy, quit covering your titties and play ball!

---

Connections

References The X-Files (1993)

---

Soundtracks

Daddy's a Postman
Written by Graham Parker
Performed by Punchy
Geep Music/Bug Music (ASCAP)

User Reviews

Great Fun!

I love this movie, which, dare I say, with some well deserved luck, could be the "Blair Witch" of comedy. "Natural Selection" is a movie within a movie about a good ole boy gone very very bad in a small Texas town. Willie Dickenson is a fugitive serial killer who's body count stands at eight. A documentary filmmaker interviews the cops, the neighbors, the family, the groupies, and the victims' parents and attempts to solve the riddle of Willie, i.e., "what makes a time bomb tick?"

"Natural Selection" is an original, hilarious satire that never plays it safe. It skewers our perverse obsession with twisted hero worship. After all, in this country we don't know what to make of the notorious, so we just make them celebrities. There's so much to like about this indie underdog: the look-- eye candy way beyond the budget; the sensibility-- yes, Virginia, a movie about a cold-blooded killer can actually be at its heart warm and homespun; the soundtrack-- featuring welcome contributions from the greatly underappreciated Texas rocker Charlie Sexton; and especially the inspired performances from a tremendously eclectic cast.

Michael Bowen, as Willie, gives a complex and unbelievably delicate performance. As a father-to-be, he is a man who is capable of tenderness, but is driven by his demons to cold-blooded murder. Here's a man who mails his victims heads, yet we feel a measure of sympathy for him. That's acting. David Carradine delivers a wonderful, comic performance unlike any you've ever seen as a wacko FBI agent on Willie's trail. NewsRadio's Stephen Root is as funny as he's ever been--and that's damn funny--as a victim's father, and proves once again that in comedy, monkeys are always hilarious. And veteran character actor Bob Balaban is a riot as a crackpot psychiatrist with an ego bigger than Texas. And just trust me about Willie's cousins. You can't go wrong with rednecks, beer and shotguns either.

"Natural Selection" is a wonderful surprise. Scene after scene, it's like you're scooping up another unexpected gem.