Murderlust

Let's get a couple things out of the way. This is an extremely low budget movie, shot on video (I think, not sure though), from 1985. Don't go in expecting stellar acting from everyone involved. Also, don't expect a plethora of nudity or gore. There is a decent body count though. With all of that out of the way, onto my review. PLOT: Murderlust tells the story of a seemingly mild mannered guy named Steven, who operates as a serial killer while attempting to maintain a normal lifestyle. Steven works in his local church as a Sunday School teacher, where he is well-liked, and also works at a car service shop or something like it? Either way he's not really liked there. Anyway, Steven lives a troubled life as he often depends on his cousin for financial support while also, you know, living a double life as a serial killer...There's more to it all but I don't really want to spoil everything. MOVIE REVIEW: I was surprised by Murderlust. While it's lacking in the gore or horror department, it manages to hold interest because of its psychological depth. Steven's character is written very cleverly and the movie actually has kind of pattern in its escalation of events. I also adored how "real" the movie's events were portrayed. Like how Steven operates a seemingly normal life and is seemingly a kind/thoughtful individual. It helps that the actor who portrays Steven, actually does a decent job. Quite a few actors give decent performances, although the film as a whole feels amateurish. The cinematography is also decent and portions within the film that take place in the desert, really capture the beauty as well as the desolation of the area. Murderlust actually feels like a much more lower budgeted Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Which was made a year after Murderlust, actually. That film is also a perfect portrayal of a serial killer, or at least what we know about them. Granted, Henry's better made but, I love both of them all the same. They'd actually make for a pretty decent double feature. My only real gripe with Murderlust is that most of the murders in it, take place off screen. Not all of them but a portion of them do and I feel like the film would've had more impact if the murders were shown in more detail. However, Steven is played with such intensity during some of these scenes that it almost doesn't matter. My only other real issues with Murderlust is again some of the acting is amateurish and that kind of hinders the movie a bit. Also the ending isn't that great. The movie's climax is actually superbly done, there's even some decent blood effects on display too. My problem though is that the movie keeps going afterward and just kind of stops. Those who have seen it, should know what I'm referring to. Other than those small issues Murderlust is a forgotten horror oddity worthy of re-discovery. I wouldn't recommend it to mainstream audiences. However I would recommend it to horror enthusiasts and even true crime enthusiasts. It really is an interesting film. Not everybody will like it or love it, but there's people out there who will and do. In fact Murderlust actually has a decent cult following, a small one, which I'd consider myself apart of. DVD REVIEW: Severin Films is becoming one of my favorite companies when it comes to cult cinema. They have some great titles under their belt. Murderlust is given a decent transfer, considering its pedigree and its obscurity. The transfer's generally clean and looks as good as it possibly could. The audio is pretty good too. There's also a fine amount of special features, including a movie from the same director, titled Project Nightmare. Personally, I preferred Murderlust to Project Nightmare, but others may prefer that film more. However, for those who haven't seen it. Project Nightmare is a much more amateurish production, on a much smaller budget (I think). Project Nightmare also has worse acting than Murderlust and a really slow pace. However, the film has some decent effects and an odd but interesting story. All in all this is a pretty great release for a pretty decent obscure title. OVERALL THOUGHTS: Murderlust is a little cheesy at times and a bit amateurish. However, it has enough going for it to be a decent movie and a decent watch. Project Nightmare is almost more of the same but is much harder to recommend. DISC CONTENT: Murderlust Main Feature Murderlust Audio Commentary Project Nightmare Main Feature Project Nightmare Audio Commentary Murderlust Trailer MY RATINGS: DVD-5/5, Murderlust-3/5, Project Nightmare-2/5

looks good from cover, but not worth money compare to a bad 70's detective show

I have to confess up front that I’m curious as to how MURDERLUST obtained such a cult following. The film was released in the middle of the 80s, right after the peak of the slasher genre, but it is the tamest horror movie I’ve seen in years. It offers no gore, barely any blood, no nudity, and just a few F-bombs toward the end. Not that profanity or nudity are needed to make a good fright flick, but no carnage? I was very surprised. So that brings up the question: is MURDERLUST a good horror film? The answer is not so simple. The movie does have merits, and I suppose it is entertaining on some levels…but on a horror scale, it barely registers. I did enjoy the film overall as a whole, but I can guarantee many horror fans will not like it at all. I think labeling this film as a thriller might be more appropriate. Yes, it deals with a serial killer, but it lacks the air of terror that goes along with horror films. The film comes across as more of a character study rather than a slasher flick. MURDERLUST is shot fairly well, although I admit it’s pretty obvious it is a low budget movie. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as independent films should be applauded…however the poor camera quality and the lack of any real special effects does detract a bit from the movie experience. The acting is surprisingly good. Many independent, lower budget films suffer from a lack of acting talent. Not so here. Eli Rich does a fine job and gives a chilling performance as the serial killer, Steve Belmont. Rich’s ability to shift from Sunday school teacher to cold, ruthless killer is almost unnerving. The rest of the cast does a good job as well, although nobody else has a standout performance. The story is decent, and the fact that the killer is hiding in plain sight (posing as an upstanding citizen/Sunday school teacher) is a nice bit. The plot does drag some in the middle, but the last third of the film is nice and tension-filled. Unfortunately, MURDERLUST never really takes off. Granted, it does have some tense moments toward the end, but nothing major really happens, and the “grand finale” never really appears. I think this lackluster ending is part of what let me down the most. I was willing to overlook a lack of gore if the terror level spiked, but the film never gets that far. Still, MURDERLUST is somewhat entertaining, in a TV-Movie-of-the-Week sort of way. Director Donald Jones has made several films since this one, and I’m curious to see how they turned out; based on MURDERLUST, it’s obvious he has talent, so I’d like to see what he could do with a decent budget. In regard to this film, it is available now if you decide to give it a look.

This is a late night, all night viewing of the forgotten and obscure cinema that's swept its way under the rug of time, or into the makeup of cheesy nachos. I grew up with the greats like Roger Corman and Saturday Matinees, Ghoul hosted midnight viewings, cult following masterpieces of corniness. From simple B-movie glories. From modern made for TV features, to direct to video action packed explosive cinema. Sometimes cinema is forgotten. Sometimes for a good reason, but other times not, for there is always a gem in the pile, even with all it's outrageous, over the top clarity. Murderlust is a 1985 Horror thriller. One of those countless VHS horrors of the 80’s. InterVision Picture Corp has finally brought this forgotten little horror Drive-In gem to DVD. This is one of those B-grade drive-in wonderment's that flooded the Ma and Pa Video stores. They were a dime a dozen back in the day. Murderlust falls into the category of Cult style film of the 80’s, even though many have not seen it. Thankfully now you have the chance to adventure into this forgotten 80’s B-grade gem. The plot is a weird and wild reality of Crime, and horror mixed in. Steve is a Sunday school teacher. But what people don’t know is he is also a Serial Killer. Now Steve can’t get his pickle to work, his penis malfunctions. His rage is a growing brutality when he is not teaching about the Sweet Blood of Jesus, he is abducting and brutalizing women and throwing their bodies out like trash. A serial killer, a broken penis, a rope, Boobies and naked women bring this trashy serial killing horror film together. It’s a perfect way to spend time eating popcorn and flashing back to the 80’s, with it's wonderful hairdos. I found this to be a fun trip back into the realms of 80’s Slasher style of cinema, even though it’s not a masked man carrying a kitchen knife or Machete, it’s still plays on that reality. I think it’s more of a Crime Drama than an actual horror film. Most of the deaths you don't see, or are not all that graphic, so comparing it to Slasher films, or horror films of the day, this is a total different concept and reality. Now this was directed by Donald M. Jones, an all-around B-grade Guru of the 80’s. He brought out many lower budget, lower class B-cinema for the masses of B-movie loving fiends. If you have read my reviews of the past, then you know that I love Drive-In, B-movie cinema. I collect lower budget, B-grade cinema like a 2 Dollar hooker collects crack rock. B-movies make for a perfect time of laughs and senseless entertainment. B-movies are total popcorn entertainment. Jones directed some of those horrible, wonderful, let’s all roll our eyes and giggle, or say to ourselves: “What the bloody hell am I watching.” From 1973’s Schoolgirls in Chains, to 1982’s The Forest. 1982’s Deadly Sunday, 1988’s Lethal Project, 1991’s Molly and the Ghost, and others. He dropped off the map in 1993, but popped back up in 2011 with the 8-minute short film, Space-Time in Violet, and then again in 2015 directing the horror film Evil Acts. I think what makes Jones different than most average B-movie directors, is he is a man of many talents. Not only a director, but a cinematographer, editor, producer, writer, working with the camera, acting, special effects and even working on the music. Murderlust is a prime example of brainless entertainment, and that is why it works, at least in my viewpoint. I must mention that this stars Eli Rich, which this was his first starring role in a feature length film. He seems to have retired from acting as of 1991. He was in a few other films like 1989’s The Jigsaw Murders and he did work on many television shows. I think he captured the weird odd ball reality of the serial killing character of Steve Belmont in all it’s wonderful B-movie glory. Now what is even better for the B-movie fiend is you get a second feature directed by Jones on this DVD. So, you get two cheesy movies for the price of one, which in my book is total B-movie heaven. The second film is 1987’s Project Nightmare. The plot to this dozy is two men are stuck out in the middle of the desert, and something, some type of force is following them, the men must escape this unknown reality. All the while what they don’t realize is they are part of a government experiment. This is a sci-fi thriller that also has trademarks of a horror film. It too, is weird, cheesy, all over the place, but that is what makes this a golden ticket, just like Murderlust. Both features equal popcorn entertainment. InterVision has done a wonderful job in resurrecting these two forgotten B-movie glories for a new generation, and an old generation to return to. A perfect DVD, two features equal popcorn cinema bliss. Extras: Special Features Murderlust Extra: Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer James C. Lane. I found this to be a perfect listen. I always love hearing from those who had apart in making of the film. This commentary you get to hear from the writer and producer himself, which is perfection for any movie lover of this style of entertainment. Project Nightmare Extra: Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer James C. Lane Overall: It’s hard to explain this style of cinema unless you understand this style of cinema. This is back in the day when you took a trip into the unknown. A trip into the vast recesses of low budget wonderment. This is about fun, simple, no-brain cinema at its best. A perfect DVD Highly recommended for any lover of 80's B-grade cinema.