The Horror Show
Crazy Murder
by Doug Gerber, Caleb Pennypacker
Brain Damage films, an old favorite of mine, has teamed up with Midnight releasing and put out some fun little chunks of horror cinema together. Their latest film together, Crazy Murder, has been getting a fair amount of attention in the underground horror world. I have seen many Brain Damage films before. BD puts out some of the best in the campy B-movie and shockumentary worlds. Crazy Murder is neither camp nor shockumentary. It is a more dramatic piece that is grounded in realism. And, in the end, it works. It works well.
Crazy Murder has perhaps the simplest plot of any film I've reviewed. A homeless man (Kevin Kenny) who is mentally ill shambles through the city he lives in while committing a series of brutal and senseless murders. That's the extent of the story. It may sound like it would get tedious quickly and at times it comes close to this happening. However, having a set plot that doesn't evolve or change in any way ends up turning the film into something more dramatic and quite impressive.
Kevin Kenny does a fantastic job with his role and manages to be intensely expressive despite the minimal dialogue. The killer doesn't pontificate and spew any kind of philosophical doctrine. He isn't mentally ill the way that most serial killers in movies are. He seems to be deeply schizophrenic and one of the few ones that has turned violent towards others (most affected by such illnesses are more of a danger to themselves than anyone else.) He mumbles to himself and yells nonsensically at other people populating the city. This individual makes Frank Zito from Maniac look well-adjusted and that is putting it lightly. He eats garbage and has an odd fascination with his own shit, spraying waste on locations and people alike (himself included.) The film spends a little too much time on this element, but it's forgivable given all the other aspects.
We never have the relief of a motive or explanation. The killer is in his own world and we aren't welcome. With the exception of a hallucination/dream here and there that show a little glimpse of his torment and desires, we as the audience are simple bystanders, who can do nothing but watch the killer's actions unfold. There is no break from his madness, no recession. His actions are completely unpredictable and it's clear that he is as confused as the rest of us.
Crazy Murder is not wall-to-wall violence but it makes the gory scenes it does have count. The violence is, for the most part, quite realistic. I don't just mean that in terms of special effects which are great, but also in variety. There are no heads being twisted off or eyeballs being gorged with electrical cords. There's nothing wrong with any of that, but this is a more realistic film that sticks with what most people could comprehend seeing in real life. Our killer protagonist stabs, slams, and kicks his victims for his own psychotic reasons.
A good amount of Crazy Murder looks like it was shot guerrilla-style. I can't state this as fact because I'm not sure it is, but many of the scenes on the subway and out on the streets seem as if they are bringing out genuine reactions from real bystanders. The camera is held low in these scenes leading me to assume that the cameraman is concealing the camera from view so any reaction is direction toward the deranged killer. None of this particularly took me out of the movie and gave it a more creepy “real” element as if the viewer is just another onlooker to the homeless man's antics.
It all culminates in a depressing fashion and goes out with one hell of a bang. I won't ruin it, but the ending is super satisfying and leaves you with the very feeling that the film seems to be trying to get across. By this point, the viewer should feel an almost Stockholm Syndrome-like attachment to the killer. I had no reason to like him, but I couldn't help but feel for him. A surprising humanity comes through in Kevin Kenny's performance, which I didn't see coming. The character's wandering, babbling nature outweighs the kills and gore, but stick with it. The character's anguish needs to build for the proper outcome to hit the emotional nail on the head.
All in all I have no major complaints about Crazy Murder. It's a dark film that isn't afraid to be bleak and depressing. Even with its simple concept, it is a risky project but excels where it really counts. Kevin Kenny does well with his task of being the only through-line in the film, although several characters pop up more than once and make their time their own. As a Troma fanatic I was delighted to see Jamie Greco on screen and he comes across as likeable as ever.
If you're looking for a wacky, tongue-in-cheek gorefest that is improved by laughing through with a group of your friends, this is not the film for you. But if you want to see a polarizing piece of filmmaking that gets down and dirty and makes you truly feel something, then Crazy Murder is right on target. Fans of desolate films such as Combat Shock should take special note. A horror film this gritty and stark doesn't come along too often and it is always welcome with me.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
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