Blu Release – 2.5/5
Homicidal Maniac
Director – Johann Tetreault (The Demon Club, Homicidal Maniac 2: Sicko)
Starring – Alexandra Cruz (Creekers, American Hostage), Melissa Eichorn, Nelli Kowalik (Deadly Sins, Sprawl)
Release Date – 2007
Rating – 1/5
I review a lot of movies and the majority of them are indie productions. Those films may have slowed down with the onset of the pandemic but before last year I was spending a lot of my spare time watching and reviewing no budget films that was sent over by eager filmmakers wanting me to check out their hard work. I know it takes a lot to make a film and it’s even more difficult to make a feature length film when you have no budget at all to work with. That’s why I try to never completely bash a film but find something redeeming in each and every movie I review. Sadly, sometimes I get something in that just doesn’t do anything for me and almost every aspect is difficult to find something positive to say about it.
A few weeks ago Chris Woods shared that he would be releasing the Homicidal Maniac double feature on blu through his The Sleaze Box label. I was curious about this release so I went ahead and snagged a copy. After watching The Sleaze Box/ GatorBlade Films co-production Blood, Guts, and Sunshine I decided to keep it sleazy and go with another Sleaze Box release. Homicidal Maniac was that film… o boy, what a movie.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a man that works at a seafood restaurant while doing odd jobs on the side for his boss who is constantly getting caught up in illegal activity and fraud. One day he is pushed too far when his boss’ wife tries to fuck him. When he turns down her advancements she gets mad and tells him that her husband is at his house fucking his wife. He fucks her, then kidnaps her before going home to abduct his wife as well. He takes them to a secluded area where he rapes, tortures, and kills them. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into this one with an open mind and a great curiosity but what I found was a movie that felt like each scene was shot in one take with no rehearsal and little direction from Tetreault. The movie was a little over an hour but it felt like it was a lot longer.
The acting in this one is forced, awkward, and very inexperienced. The characters are cliched and the cast is all over the place with their performances. I don’t know if there was actual dialogue written or improved but we get a lot of “uh, uhms, and like” scattered throughout the scene which makes me think that they either forgot their lines or couldn’t think of something to say. This was funny at first but as the film progressed it made the scenes difficult to follow.
The story for this one is 40 or so minutes of dialogue heavy scenes and filtered sex scenes before we move into the horror element. Even though these scenes were the final portion of the film it was still dragged out longer than it needed to be. The film does very little to hold the viewer’s attention and the story is all over the place. It’s almost as if they didn’t have an actual story written and just started filming with a general outline.
Finally, the film has some blood and nudity but neither are eye catching or memorable. We get some blood splatter here and there and random nudity but if you are looking for memorable kills and great gore you will be very disappointed. Overall, Homicidal Maniac is one of the toughest films to finish that I have ever reviewed. Almost every aspect of the film was a struggle to finish and I can’t recommend this one to anyone. Skip it.
Homicidal Maniac 2: Sicko
Director – Johann Tetreault (Homicidal Maniac, The Demon Club)
Starring – Lindsey Baker, Anna Talakkottur (Jurassic World, Finding Carter), and Xeno Zoltar (Homicidal Maniac)
Release Date – 2015
Rating – 1.5/5
When I watched it the first Homicidal Maniac I didn’t expect to dislike it as much as I did but it was one of the worst film experiences I had ever seen. I hate to be that negative but the movie just felt tossed together with little to no regard about being entertaining. It had some nudity and blood but these were not as fun as they usually are in another film. The double feature I recently acquired from Sleaze Box had the sequel that was made 8 years after the first film. I had hoped that Tetreault had matured as a filmmaker and this follow up would be a much better film. Sadly, it was not and it was just as much of a chore to finish as the first film. If anything, the women are more attractive, at least to me, but that’s the only redeeming quality that I can see.
**Spoiler Alert** The film picks up several years after the first film with the crazy seafood chef now living with his girlfriend with the events of the first film behind him. However, he is triggered once more and goes on another killing spree which does result in the police searching for him. However, he is able to get the upper hand on them and brings the female investigator deep in the woods where she becomes another one of his female playthings that he tortures, rapes, and murders. **Spoiler Alert**
I really do hate being negative about an indie production but I’m struggling to find anything redeeming about this film aside from Saturn Suicide. Sure, he made good use of the former Suicide Girl but the movie itself is still a tough one to finish.
The acting in this one is similar to the previous films. A good bit of the cast assumes that if they raise their voice that they are “acting” but that’s the furthest from the case. The cast spits out awkward dialogue and their emotional range is the same as Kristen Stewart. I know the cast consists of mostly inexperienced actors but I’ve reviewed several no budget films with no experience and they did a far greater job than this. With that being said, this film has what feels like the longest simulated sex scene I had ever seen which only makes sense considering it was the gorgeous Saturn Suicide.
The story for this one is literally the first film with just one small change. We get the addition of the police but aside from that its mostly a rape, torture, and kill flick with nothing redeeming. In fact, I’ve seen shorts with a run time of less than five minutes deliver more story than this one.
Finally, the film has some blood, and a lot of boobs but don’t expect memorable deaths and gore. In fact, it’s just the same as the first film. Some blood splatter and that’s the extent of it. Overall, Homicidal Maniac 2 was another disappointment. I love indie horror but this one does not have the heart that I expect from indie efforts and I have no idea what the story is that the filmmaker is trying to tell. Honestly, I would skip this one as well.
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