Some Guy Who Kills People

You've got all the elements of a 80's slasher here. Comic geek, bullies, mean mom, quirky sheriff. so that's what I was expecting an average slasher to pass a Saturday afternoon. What I got was so much more! Great writing, great character development and great acting! I'm not big on the trivia of movies/acting so the only person I recognized was Barry Bostwick as the quirky sheriff and he played it brilliantly. I also thought the girl who played Amy was quite good and expect to see her getting more work. At first I wasn't too fond of Ken, the lead character, but as the story went on I got to really like him which I think says great things about both the writing and the guys acting. There is a twist at the end and you kind of know there will be but you just don't know which way it's going to twist. I was happy with the ending though, happy with the whole movie in fact. Only thing I would tell people is don't go into it expecting blood and guts, you're not going to get it. Not sure I'd even label it as horror, more of a thriller and a drama, oh and can't forget the comedy. It all ties together well. One of the best I've seen in awhile!

Going into Some Guy Who Kills People it seemed like nobody knew much about the film and going by the trailer, nobody was expecting much either. Was I ever wrong. This film didn't just kill it's own characters, it also had the audience dying with laughter. Don't get fooled by the trailer... you'll only end up a fool yourself.

Karen Black isn't in the film as much as I'd like her to be as she not only has some of the best lines in the film but her performance is absolutely fantastic. Karen really outdid herself in this role and though some veterans might just decide to call their roles in, she goes well beyond what anyone could have expected from her.

A newcomer to the scene, Ariel Gade, is a breath of fresh air. Move over Chloë Moret, there may be some new competition in the young genre actor category. Ariel not only plays a smart character, she's a smart choice and a great find. Who would have thought the little girl from Dark Water and Aliens vs Predator - Requiem would turn out to be such a good actor? She was made for the role and delivers it with a timing you usually only find in seasoned veteran actors.

Finally there's Barry Bostwick. What can I say about a man that first caught my eye as Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Picture Show? How about being my favourite thing about this film? From the trailer for the film you can see that there is humour involved in his part. What you don't see is the fact that because Mr. Bostwick is the sheriff, he's in the film a lot. His character is absolutely off the wall and Mr. Bostwick plays him brilliantly. He is comedy gold with a deadpan serious delivery that combines super intelligence with hit you over the head obvious observations. He might give Yoda a run for his money.

Some Guy Who Kills People is marketing itself to the wrong crowd. This film is comedy gold through and through but seems to be trying to sell itself as a horror comedy. Sure there are elements of horror with the serial killer aspect but the horror portion of the film is only there so that the comedic elements have a plot to wrap themselves around. This film should focus on selling the laughs and less on trying to win over the genre crowd.

This is just one funny movie.

You can smell the involvement of John Landis in this production very early on. It hits just the right tone of slapstick horror, comedy and family drama.

Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan) has been in a hospital for the treatment of his depression and suicidal tendencies. When he gets out, he acquires a little job working in an ice-cream parlour (the advertising of which provides many chuckles). We get flashbacks of bullies at school torturing him. Then, back in the present, the bullies start to get killed with a modicum of gratuitous violence. Throw into the mix his daughter Amy (Ariel Gade - Dark Water), who has just found out where her dad lives, and you've got the recipe for gory death pie topped with tender fatherliness.

This film has many strengths. It is well made and well written. Most of the funny lines go to the Sheriff and Boyd's mum and there are enough to keep you laughing throughout (your sense of humour needs to be on the black side though). The main strength is the acting and relationship of the father and daughter. Corrigan is fantastic as a man coming from depression into a state where he feels more able to cope with life by the end. Gade is wise beyond her years and the relationship between her and her dad comes across as very real.

One fly in the topical cream is the inclusion of Lucy Davis as a love interest for Boyd. She was in The Office. She's irritating.

If you can stomach a small amount of gore and blood you will be rewarded with a funny and touching experience.

Kevin Corrigan plays a former mental patient who is trying to re-adjust to society but is haunted by memories of high school bullies. When his estranged daughter shows up and forces a bond, he starts finding happiness again. Meanwhile, murdered old high school jocks start showing up around town and all signs point to the resident crazy person. This film was directed by Jack Perez, who previously directed Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus but don't let that discourage you - this flick is dark and hilarious. Corrigan does a great job, and Barry Bostwick, who plays a policeman, is very funny. Not to be missed if you are a fan of black comedy.

Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan, Grounded for Life) is a newly released mental patient who works at an ice cream shoppe by day and dispatches the people that he blames for screwing his life up by night. Sheriff Walt (Barry Bostwick, Spin City) is the cop out to get the perp, once he finds out who he is.

This film came as quite a shock. Renting it at Redbox (always a risky gamble) and knowing nothing about it, I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that this movie was expertly acted by all involved. Corrigan and Bostwick are both great, as is the eternally beautiful Karen Black as Ken's mother. It's also funny, Bostwick in particularly shines in this aspect. The less said of the plot the better but suffice it to say it could very well be the best horror-comedy of the new millennium.

My Grade: A