El sabor del terror

This was a very fine movie in the serial killer genre, and certainly my favorite direct-to-video of 1998. Rutger Hauer has his best roles in years. It is suspenseful and very entertaining . Not too gory either. During the same week I rented a godawful film titled "Trail of a Serial Killer"-Please avoid. Before you start wondering too much about the reviewers taste in film, I did rent "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" last week.In other words, I see just about everything. This could have been a decent theatrical release.

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.

Bone Daddy was a serial killer who sent the bones of his victims= to their relatives. After a break of seven years, he returns because of a book written about him by a former pathologist. He takes revenge for that fiction and shows that he can kill extreme slowly...

For some reason I can't explain, I keep thinking about this movie. Every time I see it while flipping channels, I have to stop and watch it. If I see it on the shelf in the video store, I have to stop and read the back of the box (even though I've read it before). I don't understand why I can't get this movie out of my head. All the elements of this film are quite ordinary. The acting, story, and direction are decent but unremarkable. Yet the total effect is something unique. It evokes a strange sensation. I don't know what it could be, but there is something about this film that makes you feel involved in a very personal way. Maybe it's the gruesome M.O. of the killer. Or maybe it's the sexy yet foreboding presence of Barbara Williams. Or maybe it's the rich and haunting imagery of Chicago's more gothic areas. It's hard to say. But something makes me think this elusive quality I'm talking about is an accident. I don't think the filmmakers did it intentionally. I could be wrong about that, but if so, why haven't the people involved in this movie achieved greater notoriety?

"Bone Daddy" is an interesting movie to say the least. I enjoyed this movie very much because it stars one of my new-found favorite actors in Rutger Hauer. Known for action movies, Hauer is quite different in his portrayal of a former medical examiner on the trail of a serial killer.

This is not your average serial killer movies, which is only one of a number of things that attracted me to this movie. Another thing that attracted me to "Bone Daddy" was the fact that the cast didn't seem to miss a beat in their performances. Everything seemed to roll along smoothly. Finally, the fact that the writers carefully plotted to disguise the identity of killer until the last scene (literally) was a stroke of genius. Though some may think it cliche to do this, I thought it worked.

"Bone Daddy" is a complex, nail biting and suspense filled thriller that combines action with drama. Rutger Hauer is at his best as is Barbara Williams. This deserves a look by everyone who is into mysteries and action. I hope you like it as much as I did.