Murderlust
Director – Donald M. Jones (Housewife from Hell, Project Nightmare)
Starring – Eli Rich (Deadly Diamonds, The Jigsaw Murders), Rochelle Taylor, and Dennis Gannon (Evil Acts)
Release Date – 1985
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “The serial killer…it could be anyone”
There are a lot of distribution companies out there catering to the sleazy horror fan looking for lost and overlooked films. Many prefer to find these gems on VHS but there is a large number of movie collectors that will take these films on any format they can. We have companies like Videonomicon, Severin, Intervision, Synapse, Vinegar Syndrome, and so on that look for strange and unusual films that have been lost over time. The films, for the most part, are very entertaining and a door way to a different time.
Recently, Intervision released the obscure horror thriller Murderlust on DVD. This looked like one of those films that would sit on the shelf at the local ma and pop video store only to be rented by the avid horror or exploitation fan to watch late at night. I love that type of atmosphere and immediately requested a copy. Thanks Intervision for sending this one my way!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows Steve Belmont (Rich) who is a Sunday school teacher on Sundays but has a hard time holding down a real job. The only thing he is good as is killing impure women and ladies of the night. He has been hiding their bodies in the desert for sometime but his dumping ground was recently discovered and the local populace are now on edge about having a serial killer in their midst. When he finds himself unemployed the perfect opportunity arises when the church puts together a youth program where he will have access young women that will not be missed but when his girlfriend thinks about the safe haven could be a killing ground for a serial killer she does everything to pull the plug on the project forcing him to reveal his inner demon to her.**Spoiler Alert**
Honestly, I thought this film would not be entertaining but would bring about that rush of nostalgia reminding me of a time when I would rent obscure and odd horror films at Dewey’s Video where I grew up. The film surprised me and was actually pretty entertaining. It was far from perfect and rough around the edges but was entertaining to watch.
The acting in this one is fun. Eli Rich portrays a character that has a lot of layers. He goes from being an innocent Sunday school teacher and all around ladies man to a drunken asshole with a craving for murder. He does a great job at portraying all of these angles which is very demanding for an actor. Instead of playing one person he essentially portraying two. His supporting cast is solid as well but they don’t stand out like Rich does. He does a damn find job which is sad considering he never went on to do much else with his acting career.
The story for this one is simple. We follow a man living a double life as he butchers women when not in church. Pretty simple but does peg the serial killer psychology pretty damn well. I took several psychology classes in college. Though they were basic level classes I still found myself researching different serial killers in my spare time (most of you know this is a hobby of mine) and may serial killers led double lives. The most well known of this is Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy. The story had a lot of thought placed into that aspect but didn’t have a lot of meat on the bone to create a full length feature film. The film has a great story but not enough to fill the hour and a half mark so what you get is a film that has an uneven pace with some very dull scenes. The film needed a few scenes cut to make it more even.
Finally, a film with the title Murderlust makes the viewer imagine a film full of blood and sex. Sadly, you get neither. The film does have a few on screen kills but they are not bloody, violent, or use practical effects. We get a little blood at the end of the film but the practical effects are almost non-existent. The title conjures up more blood than the actual film does. Overall, Murderlust is a must for fans looking for lost and forgotten films. The film is far from perfect but is a great watch late at night with some beer and a bag of chips. Check it out.
Project Nightmare
Director – Donald M. Jones (Deadly Sunday, Evil Acts)
Starring – Charles Miller (Twin Peaks, Racing with the Moon), Seth Foster (Airwolf, Ninja Academy), and Elly Koslo
Release Date – 1979
Rating – 2/5
Tagline – “Every dream came true…each was a nightmare!”
I just finished watching the Intervision release of Murderlust and was surprised by how much I liked it. I thought I would be checking out a sleazy slasher type film that would flow like a low budget drama or thriller. The film was not that sleazy but I really enjoyed the overall film. Well worth my time. The film was released a few months back by Intervision and they included a second Donald M. Jones film on the release. The film is Project Nightmare which was shot in 1979 but didn’t find an actual release until 1987. Since the film was barely mentioned on the artwork for the release I could only assume it would be a turd…a turd I had to see for myself.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows two men who go camping in the woods one night and awaken to find their camping gear destroyed and are being chased by something in the woods. The two venture through the woods until they come across a house with a young woman willing to help them on their voyage through the forest but tempers come to a boil and the two part ways. One of the men come across a secret government installation hidden underground and learn the real reason as to what is happening to them.**Spoiler Alert**
I tried to keep an open mind with the film but the film was not the quality of film Murderlust was. In fact, it felt like they went into the project with no permanent story to film. The film felt like it was all over the place which resulted in a film that was off balance.
The acting in this one is not bad…not bad at all. The cast does a decent job at creating very believable characters. This only lasts until the last third of the film once Gus (Foster) reaches the government underground bunker and the characters switch it up to clichéd 1950’s era sci-fi characters. I love films like that but it’s out of place after watching most of the film with more traditional characters and acting. Almost made the film feel cheap.
The story for this one has potential but falls apart upon the delivery. The story following two men in the woods who unwilling fall prey to a government experiment could have been an amazing film. Sadly, the film is unable to properly push that angle until the halfway mark resulting in a mash up of ideas that does not unfold well on camera. The film is a slower burner with no real atmosphere.
Finally, this one has no on screen kills in a traditional sense. There is no blood, gore, and very minimal practical effects. With that being said, I do really enjoy the sets used in the later portion of the film, but that doesn’t help the film out in the end. Overall, Project Nightmare is a very bold and ambitious film that falls apart before the camera started rolling. The film needed to find one plot point and stick with it instead of cramming everything that it does into it.
