Search - Murder Loves Killers Too on DVD

Jefferson N. from BLAIRSVILLE, GA
Reviewed on 7/7/2012...

Murder Loves Killers Too has one of those strange titles that just makes you want to pick it up and find out what it's about. And while it has a few bumps in the road, if you watch it, I don't find you'll be TOO disappointed.

The movie is about five young people who go up to a cabin that one of their number's rich parents rented for them for the weekend. And a more stereotypical group you're not likely to find...An airheaded, crazy redhead who keeps trying to walk into the woods or fall off of a balcony. She's ditzy to the point of being mentally handicapped...but she is really hot. There's the bad boy/rich guy who thinks the world owes him everything due to his birthright. And his blonde, tough-but-sweet girlfriend who likes to wear tight tops...or none at all. And I admit, I wasn't complaining...This chick looks great nude. There's the dopey loser guy who won't work...and wouldn't breathe if his body didn't force him to. And naturally, the cute brunette girl who looks like Jessica Biel escaped from Texas Chainsaw Massacre right into this flick...and of course she's the one with hear and a few morals. And let us not forget the other star of our show...Big Steve...a strange creep who is living in the house and who will ensure that no one else does for long.

Right off the bat, Steve starts killing the kids one by one...And when I say right off the bat, I thought this was going to be a twenty minute movie because he's killing these kids off brutally so quick. Of course, the brunette manages to start eluding him and a cat and mouse game ensues.

The good, and bad, thing about this movie are the tonal changes. The beginning feels like a horror parody...and it was working great that way. The shift when Steve and Aggie (the brunette) start playing cat-and-mouse makes it more serious and it really felt a lot like High Tension...which isn't really a bad thing. And once more, we get a shift when the inevitable happens and the game ends. And, I won't ruin the ending, but we get a totally different shift at the end...And it's at least more satifying than the ending of High Tension...I HAVE to grant it that. While surprises are great and changes in mood can make a good movie great, it felt like in places like the director was changing his mind rather than going for shocks and just put it all together and tried to make it work. And it does. But it could have been a 5-star movie rather than a 3-star if the transitions hadn't been so lurching.

Some "torture-porn" fans will be disappointed that things don't get more out of hand...even though personally I felt it went pretty far in the psychological torture/maiming department. Regadless, if you're a horror fan that likes High Tension more than Hostel, you'll probably at least LIKE this film, if not LOVE it.

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TURGID TRIPE THAT`S TERRIBLE TRASH...

4-Legged Defender | ATL. GA. | 11/08/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"
This movie sucked on all possible levels- (SPOILERS) - the plot revolves around 5 despicable twenty-something's who go to a great mountain resort, see a car in the driveway (yet no one is concerned), 4 of the 5 are killed within the first 20 minutes by a guy who looks like he came to fix the plumbing and doesn't utter a word or show an expression on his face the entire movie, then plays cat and mouse games with a girl who couldn't look mousier.

He captures her, but of course she escapes- after all, she's about 90 lbs. to his 240 lbs., so it's a no-brainer. He gets her again, knocks her out, throws her in his car trunk (the one no one was concerned about earlier), drives home to his pathetic life, cheating wife and nerdy daughter, goes to bed, gets up the following morning, has breakfast and heads off to work, and for some reason decides to open his trunk, and viola! The titmouse kills him in his driveway - the end.

I can't begin to tell you how tired I am of seeing the tiny, fragile little titmouse female victim in a movie suddenly find the `inner strength' to rise above impossible odds and overtake her attacker when no one twice her size or strength could. Killers who do these crimes by profession and/or birthright and then get killed off stupidly at the end of these ridiculously bad horror flicks - it's the cinematic equivalent of a hamster overcoming and decimating a saber-tooth tiger... it's so friggin` far-fetched it makes my blood boil.

That's the kind of crap that ruined good movies like 'Frontiers' for me - the last 5 minutes when the writer and director decide to cop out on the audience that they've successfully strung along for an entire movie and deliver a preposterous ending rather than going for our jugular vein -that's the tepid state of most American horror these days, I'm sad to say.
There are lots of lame bonus features along with this tripe - these folks are so full of themselves that they think that they've REALLY delivered the goods to us, that they've done something more than waste 80 minutes of our time, and give us another 80 minutes of patting themselves on the back for doing so in the bonuses. You think the title is rather lame? There's even a featurette about the alternative titles for this swill and, believe it or not, the one they went with IS the best choice!!

This flick is indicative of EVERYTHING that's wrong with American horror films currently, and all I can ask you to do is avoid wasting your time and cash on this drivel. It's not even worth watching on cable, let alone renting...
I'd love to murder these killers of time too..."

Good Stuff

T. Farr | Minnesota | 08/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was very surprised when I saw this film. I would like to comment on all the good stuff but I don't want to give anything away either. I will say this: there are a couple of very shocking moments that go against every other slasher film you've ever seen (it's very refreshing), and when this flick starts to cook there is some definite tension that will keep you at the edge of your seat. And then there's that incredible ending.

This one is a winner. Check it out!!!!"

Fun times at Big Stevie's wilderness retreat . . .

trebe | 04/21/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Writer/director Drew Barnhardt's Murder Loves Killers Too (2009), is a low budget slasher, that delivers edgy suspense, bloody kills, cool camera work, along with a few surprises. Resources were limited, so the pace is brisk, in this thriller that runs just 70 minutes, before the credits start to roll.

The story is not an unfamiliar one, as five friends arrive at an isolated house in the wilderness for a weekend of fun, and almost immediately, bad things start to happen, as they fall victim to a mysterious stranger, who brutally begins to eliminate them, one by one. With the action tightly crammed into a small two storey dwelling, the feeling of danger is all around, and the suspense quickly builds to a peak. Soon, one young woman is alone, matching wits against a resourceful killer.

The cast may not have any big names, but the performances are not bad for a film of this type. Allen Andrews has the movie's key role, as the strange, detached killer, `Big Stevie'. What drives him is a mystery, but he has no problem with dispassionately slamming a meat hook into the back of a neck, hanging the body up, and doing a little butchery. He is also a very neat fellow, quickly tidying up the mess after a kill. Stevie undergoes several personality shifts, which radically changes the tone of the film, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. The other outstanding performance is by Christine Haeberman, who is very believable as Aggie, the last survivor. Although terrified, she manages to keep her head clear. She makes some questionable choices, that nearly seal her fate, but luck is with her, as Stevie gets careless. Although she really should not be wearing glasses in the final scene, most everything else about the character is spot on realistic.

Production values are quite good, except for some poor visibility, in some of the night shots. The hand held camerawork, use of odd angles and low shots, and extended takes, helps to give the film a quirky look. For example, the initial entry and exploration of the house, leading up to the first abduction, was done in one continuous three minute shot. The cozy setting in the house, adds to the feeling that the action is very close and confined. Another significant contributor to the film's effectiveness, is the original music by Ryan Franks. The score helps to create a spine tingling atmosphere, and the original songs help establish appropriate moods.

There is no commentary track, but there are a substantial number of extras, that provide some good background information, about the production of the film, and the cast. For his first feature film, director Barnhardt, freely admits that he borrowed from various other films in the genre, and apparently considered an insane number of alternatives, before choosing Murder Loves Killers Too, as the title. While the title may not be that meaningful, you probably won't soon forget this entertaining, offbeat thriller. Tight, and well crafted, the fast pace helps to minimize some of the flaws in the story. The abrupt ending may play to mixed reviews, but the unconventional detour is interesting."