Nyello

This film takes the glamor out of serial killin'. The titular murder is a simple man, and his country-boy manner and affability caused me to like him in the scenes where he was not hacking at women and then copulating with their corpses. The happy-go-lucky sidekick character--an essential element of the Henry Lee Lucas story--is especially sleazy in this film, which is a nice touch, I think. The fact that he is named "Moon" only sweetens the pot. I am a fan of disturbing cinema, and this film definitely disturbs. I found "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" absolutely unwatchable, simply due to its lack of plot, characters, and satisfying gore. This movie, on the other hand, boasts down-home characters, good performances, vile acts of posthumous sodomy, and paints a gritty portrait of what it is like to house an insatiable bloodlust. The other obvious advantage over "Henry" is that the more acclaimed picture lacked the proper plot structure necessary for such a film. This movie, on the other hand, with its flashback setup, is a tasty treat from start to finish. I give it three stars out of five.

This is the sloppiest movie I have ever seen in theaters. So poorly made, so monotonously acted, so many close-ups and shaky camera tricks; then they threw in James Spader's bare keyster, and I just about ralphed right there and then. I mean, there aren't even opening credits or a frigging title card! Then after the "climax" the word "Supernova" flashes onto the screen in gigantic letters, mocking you for having endured its many sordid tortures. In other, more familiar words: worst movie ever.

Depressing? Maybe. Disturbing? Certainly. Tasteless? My God, yes. Brilliant? Without a doubt. If one sets aside one's prudish moral beefs with this film, there is no disputing the fact that this motion picture takes total advantage of its medium. The story is well-constructed, the direction is solid, and the performances are impeccable (they finally found a use for Daniel Stern!). And, sure, it's got some graphic violence, and a pinch of gratuitous sex, but in the end, it does have a moral. I'm sorry, but this is easily one of the best films of the 1990's, and I'll personally spit on anyone who says otherwise.