Reviewed by Melissa Garza
“This is my first time killing somebody, okay?” – Serena (Ariauna Albright)
Bloodletting is an original and fast paced tale that follows two lovers who engage in a murderous rampage. The premise of the film has caused some to compare it to Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Natural Born Killers, however the productions are far different from one another and the characters have nothing but murder in common.
Serena (Ariauna Albright) poses as a beauty consultant, and knocks on the door of a man claiming to be Walt Lipsky (James L. Edwards). Serena quickly outs him as Butch Harlow, a serial killer who two years prior had raped and murdered her best friend. Surprisingly, she’s not looking for revenge. Instead, she wants to learn how to kill. Reluctantly, he agrees and the two quickly develop a relationship.
Their first casualty is Bobby-Jo (Nina Angeloff) a woman that Harlow’s friends have unsuccessfully tried to set him up with. She’s a drunk, Jerry Springer-loving moron; an exaggeration of the idiots who regularly hang out at every sleazy bar in America. She is someone that the audience wants to die which is a great way to kick the casualty count off. If the victim is annoying and the killers get rid of her, well then they just did the viewers a favor, and ultimately win a few points with them. The death is a messy one and takes awhile. When stabbing doesn’t do the job, Butch bashes her head in.
Next in line is Rupert (Randy Rupp), Serena’s boyfriend who like Bobby-Jo is a drunk. He’s abusive and an overall dirt-bag that again noone will miss. The death toll mounts and with the exception of an accidental death, the victims are all scum. They each represent a different part of society that the general population loathes. There’s the pretentious coke-head who surrounds herself with losers so she can feel superior, a trashy middle-aged couple, an idiot who tries to drug Serena to bed her, a bubble-head who has an extremely limited vocabulary, and an insecure weirdo who hasn’t the common sense or ambition to change. Again, Butch and Serena killing these individuals help them gain support from the audience. In one scene, they can do something completely atrocious and vile, but they are quickly forgiven when they blow away one of the most annoying characters ever to set foot on screen.
The relationship between Butch and Serena is by far the core of the film. After the duo bring their relationship to the next level, a very odd development takes place. They create a solid and average affair. They become the type of couple you’d see bickering in the grocery store about what to do for the evening. In fact, they talk about cleaning up body parts as if they were discussing ordinary housework. Serena talks about how much she loves flowers and Butch cooks a romantic dinner. It’s a very bizarre dynamic that works out remarkably well. The characters are sane enough to know they are crazy, and yet converse in such a normal fashion that it’s entertaining.
Albright shines as Serena. She is very reminiscent of the classic actresses like Janet Leigh or Jean Simmons. She has the same presence and brings the same level of class to the production. It would be interesting to see her portraying something similar to Bette Davis’s role in “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.”
Edwards, too, does great in the lead. He brings a level of excitement to the role. Butch is without a doubt an over-the-top and almost animated character. His views are skewed. The way he rationalizes them is by emphasizing his points with body language. Edwards perfected expressing Harlow’s insistent and egotistical nature. Without a doubt, Butch felt as though he was better than the louts he killed. There are few individuals that aren’t better than the victims. Still, it was always made clear that he wasn’t murdering them to help society. No. He explains the act as though it were a craft or a hobby-but one without justification. It’s a tough point to sell, but Edwards does so.
On the featurette, “Building A Better Bloodletting,” Albright states that it’s a “great cult movie,” and that’s a very true statement. Cult fans will adore it. The wit and humor along with the insanity of the production is something that will reach out and grab a hold of the market. It’s a fun and crazy film that is oddly sweet in its own demented way.
Edwards mentioned that within the movie that everyone will find at least one thing to be offended by. I am not easily offended, yet there was a videotape owned by Harlow that mentioned toddlers, and when I first heard the title (which won’t be mentioned here), I thought to myself, “whoa….did that just cross the line with me?” Once I watched the featurette and heard Edwards’ comment, I thought back to that scene and said to myself, “well played.”
Speaking of the featurette: generally,”making-of’ documentaries are a waste of time. There will be a group of actors and film makers sitting around complimenting each other and discussing how great it was to be in a movie with one another. “Building A Better Bloodletting,” is the exception to the rule. Everyone is brutally honest. It was so refreshing and interesting to hear the crew discuss the hardships of making the movie and how it was to work with one another. They shared fun behind-the-scenes stories. It’s definitely a special feature worth a watch.
The other special feature that should be looked over is the original short, “I’ve Killed Before.” It’s the same basic story as “Bloodletting,” but it’s the original take. The full-length film is far superior than the initial entry, but there was a single factor that I preferred in the short. This could have been completely accidental yet it was still a very subtle atmosphere building moment. As the initial conversation between the lead characters becomes heated, Edwards’ is seen standing in front of family portraits. In the movie, those are gone. The pictures gave that scene an eerie unsettling feeling. Here was this psycho that cared enough of his loved ones to hang their photographs.
Nonetheless, “Bloodletting,” is most definitely an entertaining entry that horror fans will enjoy. The dialogue is excellent, the casting was great, and the scenes very memorable.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
