Roadkill: The Last Days of John Martin

Seriously - as a fellow filmmaker, horror fan who has seen it all - Jim has made the most incredibly gory, raw, repulsive short movie in the history of cinema. This is an uncompromising glance into the world of your next door neighbor: a serial killer/psychotic loner who lives in a infested house of filth, torture and human remains... who seems to be hanging off the razor's edge of complete madness - even his television, which appears to be his last link to the real world, appears to be decaying as it can no longer play "babysitter" to his deteriorating insanity. This is a MUST-SEE film (I was lucky enough to get an autographed copy on VHS years ago) available with Jim's incredibly disturbing and horrifying true crime short, My Sweet Satan. Jim VanBebber ranks among the very elite independent filmmakers of ALL time - not just in Dayton (where Guided by Voices - one of the greatest indie bands of all time hails from) or America, but world wide. Tonight, after waiting over 15 years for The Manson Family, I'm finally going to get to see it - thanks for your tenacity, Jim! God bless! - Glen Grefe (Director of Nutcracker: An American Nightmare)

Jim Van Bebber must be the unluckiest filmmaker on earth. The original video distributor of "Deadbeat At Dawn" ripped him off, "The Manson Family" was in movie limbo for a decade and this short was made with the intention of attracting investors for a full length feature film. In true Van Bebber style, no cash was forthcoming.

It is incomprehensible to me that a visionary like Jim Van Bebber has to beg, borrow and steal to make a film, while every second loser in Hollywood gets a $30 million budget thrown at them to rape a 1970s horror classic, "re-making" it into a steaming pile of commercial crap. Unfortunately, the joke is on us. Horror fans have missed out on what had the potential to be a phenomenal film.

Roadkill focuses on serial killing cannibal called John Martin, who picks up stranded motorists on a deserted highway and then takes them home to be butchered. The result lies somewhere between "Wolf Creek", "Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer" and "Schramm". In other words, it is awesome. As with all of Van Bebber's work, the violence is gritty and realistic. The butchering of John's male victim is intense and his female victim's cries for mercy and ultimate fate are utterly grim. The film's only real weakness is Mark Gillespie's performance as John, which lacks restraint and initially comes across as unintentionally funny. I'm also not sure why John spent so much time screaming at his television set. However, these faults do little to detract from the intensity and brutality of Van Bebber's short film.

Roadkill is another example of Jim Van Bebber's unique style and considered approach to on-screen violence. What a shame that we only have 15 paltry minutes to savour.

Van Bebber here borrows liberally from the Ed Gein legend and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE to create a short film about a TV addict cannibal man. The film starts with him butchering an animal and feasting on the raw meat as rats and mice infest his kitchen. He barfs, watches TV and goes out for human victims. What happens when he brings them back to his home shall go unmentioned here but you'll need a strong stomach. Short and gruesome, this was a fun little splatter film.

This is now my favorite short horror movie. It's that good. I wish it was a few minutes longer so I could see more of the insanity.

This "portrait" of a serial killer is extremely short, but nevertheless long & detailed enough to make your stomach turn inside out! Jim Van Bebber ("The Manson Family") and Mark Gillespie introduce a fictional cannibalistic psychopath who spends his days grinding and devouring raw animals he picked up from the streets and yelling at the most stupid programs on TV. His living room is a total mess, with blood stains on every wall and flesh-leftovers in every filthy cover. Martin then goes on the road and picks up a young couple whose car broke down. Shortly after, the girl is locked up in a cage while the boy lies on a nasty operating table, waiting for his head to get cut off. The movie ends with images clearly indicating John Martin prepared his victims for evening TV-dinner. "Roadkill" is truly repulsive, with Van Bebber's camera zooming in on all the graphic details. It would normally be a pretty forgettable short feature, but somehow Van Bebber & Gillespie manage to create a solid morbid atmosphere that makes "Roadkill" much more effective and petrifying that most serial-killer flicks. The tone and filming style are indescribably nihilistic and raw, while Mark Gillespie scares the hell out of you as the titular madman. The music exciting and the filthy set-pieces are awesome. I didn't really care for "The Manson Family" or "Deadbeat at Dawn", but Van Bebber's insane short films are total winners.