Bone Daddy - Bis auf die Knochen

I didn't realise at the time I rented it that _Bone Daddy_ had no theatre release. It's certainly a cut above a lot of the direct-to-video dross, both in appearance and content, but overall it's only average. The premise is good, but it doesn't quite come off, which is something of a pity. However, there are some truly creepy and gruesome scenes that seem to come when you need them most; as others have noted, don't watch it if you're at all squeamish, particularly if you have a phobia for scalpels and other sharp instruments.

As the latest direct-to-video Rutger Hauer vehicle, most people will overlook this taut thriller and go for the flick that made it to theatres with a younger star they've heard of. This is an awful shame, because this is Hauer's most solid picture in a while. And it's been a long time coming. Hauer always delivers the goods, even when the rest of the film can't. Finally this film's plot and performances compliment Hauer's inimitable presence. He's second to none when it comes to portraying maverick, middle aged, burnt out/morally impaired, TRENCHCOAT wearing anti-heroes. And he's in fine form here as he triggers a psychopath with his book about a psychopath (the title character). The plot twists just keep coming, things never let up, unlike most DTV fodder.

Don't get me wrong, 'Bone Daddy' is decent, in a TV-movie kind of way. I've liked Rutger Hauer since Blade Runner, and even though he just keeps churning out the b-movies, I just keep renting them (tomorrow night, I watch Redline!) But man, Rutger is looking OLD in this movie -- he's sporting an old-guy moustache and some extra pounds, and he doesn't DO anything -- he argues, and drives around, and breaks into a jog maybe once before the climax of the film. Add a lumpen, dislikable supporting cast (including a dour Barbara Williams as his inhospitable partner-in-crimesolving) and after a while, not only do you not CARE who the killer is, but you wish s/he'd start knocking off a few more people!

The gross-out factor in this movie is quite high, in a couple of scenes that arrive just when you're about to turn it off in exasperation. The 'Bone Daddy' killer's shtik is to remove the bones from the victims, while they're still alive, and (in this case at least) mail them to our hero, a former forensic pathologist who made the mistake of writing a book about 'Bone Daddy.' It really is kinda creepy, if you think about it. It's much more suspenseful if one of your dumb friends doesn't start singing 'de knee bone's connected to de leg bone, de leg bone's connected to de hip bone...' during the gory scenes, incidentally.

This one just screams 'mid-week rental.' Pick it up cheap, it's not that bad. Or maybe I should organize a boycott of this and all Hauer rentals until he finds an agent that gets him some better scripts to read...

This movie is actually a pretty good little thriller. Rutger Hauer plays a former medical examiner who has now become a best selling mystery writer. When he writes a fictional account of an unsolved case, the murderer starts killing again, this time targeting people close the the writer.

Unlike so many action films, this movie focuses on the characters more than the violence. Hauer's character, William Palmer, is an arrogant egotistic man who is estranged from his adult son. His attempts to connect with his angry offspring and his grandchildren are quite interesting (and eventually become central to the plot). In addition, Barbara Williams is quite good as the detective assigned to investigate the latest crimes. I had never seen her before, but I was impressed with her performance.

The movie is set in Chicago. Since I live in a Chicago suburb and work in the Loop, a couple of things in the movie amused me. First, although there is some stock footage of the city, it could be obvious to anyone who lives here that none of the scenes were filmed in Chicago or the surrounding area. That impression was confirmed by the thanks to the Toronto Film Commission at the end of the credits. Second, the movie makes it seem that the Cook County Medical Examiner is a major public figure. To be honest, I doubt that 90% of the people in Chicago could tell you who the M.E. is. In addition, I don't think your average M.E gets paid enough to buy a huge mansion on the lakefront.

Those are minor quibbles, however. Really, the movie is pretty good.

Even though this is not a bad movie it is a bit disappointing. I thought this was a horror/ thriller but I couldn't find any horror (maybe the body parts) And the suspense I hoped for wasn't there so actually it was nothing. Just like Hauer's acting, but why even put in an effort if you haven't got a decent script in five (or more) years..