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Reviews
Killing Spree (1987)
Fuelled by anger, driven by rage
This movie is one of my all-time favourites. Why? Well, I could talk about the amazing score, the expressive lighting, the minimalist set design, or the great gore effects, but really, it all comes down to one man.
That man is Asbestos Felt.
His performance in this film is the most rage-fueled I have ever seen in a movie - it approximates a literal translation of the very word "anger". His screen presence is so magnetic, you can't stop watching it - and whenever he's not on screen, the movie drags. He's that good.
Apart from Mr. Felt, there is still a lot to recommend for the Spree. The gore effects, though they do vary in quality, are great in places. The cinematography approaches expressionism at times - witness the scene in which Mr. Felt goes down to the beach and randomly beats people up, so extreme is his rage. Also, the plot twist about 20 minutes from the end will totally fry your brain. "Boo!" indeed. There's also the scene that explains the complete life history of "Stewmaster", who never appears again in the movie. It's a truly life-changing experience, watching this.
I am passionate about this movie.
Best in Show (2000)
Laugh till you ache
I saw this film in a movie theatre (I was lucky enough to, it only played for a week here), and literally could not stop laughing. This style of movie really appeals to me (this sort of satirical nonsense movie), and Best in Show doesn't disappoint.
The characters are some of the greatest comedic characters I've seen. It's a shame some of them are a little two-dimensional, but that doesn't detract from the overall hilarity of the main players. They range from quietly funny (sometimes silence and expressions can be funnier than blatant jokes - see the trophy wife in this case) to so strange that you can't help laughing out of sheer "huh?" factor. The cast brings these to life in a perfect manner. For most of them, I couldn't have picked a better cast (sure, it's the same cast as in all of Guest's movies, but that doesn't matter).
The plot is a little disjointed, having been edited down from 60 hours of footage, but holds its own, especially in the latter half of the film at the actual dog show. I am glad, however, that they kept in some little touches that add to the characters' development.
But what makes this movie so legendary is that the characters contained within do exist in society. I love it! They may be stereotypes in some cases, but what the hey...see this film. NOW.