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If you mention the name Kongkiat Komesiri, even most horror fans wouldn’t know who you were talking about. Yet if you mentioned that he directed the Art of the Devil series, most savvy fans of foreign horror would get excited. The filmmaker’s back with a new project, entitled Cheun, and the Monsters and Critics blog has the first details on what we can expect.

The film revolves around the hunt for a vicious serial killer, and was written by Wisit Sasanatieng. As the author at Monsters and Critics points out, there are definitely some giallo overtones in the trailer. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles–but the language of blood, gore, and violent death is universal, so check it out below. In the interim, here’s a plot synopsis courtesy of an IMDB user:

A serial killer is preying on the rich and influential, exposing their sexual proclivities, dismembering them and dumping them and their severed body parts in various locations around Thailand. The police officer on the case is not even close to finding the killer, but given an ultimatum to solve it in 15 days, Papa Chin (Chatchai Plenpanich) turns to the one man he doesn’t want to use — an imprisoned hitman named Tai (Arak Amornsupasiri), who thinks the killer is a friend of his from childhood. Tai is let out of prison while his girlfriend Noi is kept under close watch by Chin. Tai heads back to his hometown to search for clues about where his old friend might be. As he recalls his childhood and friendship with the troubled boy Nut, the events of the present day crystallize until Tai is confronted with a shocking reality.

Leave it to the Japanese to make a film like Late Bloomer-a deeply disturbing glimpse into the abyss that makes us examine our preconceptions about the handicapped and humanity while goading us into sympathizing with a serial killer. The Japanese have a gift for making uncomfortable (yet compellingly watchable) films, and Go Shibata’s latest might be the best of the bunch.

Billed rather erroneously as a horror/exploitation flick about a handicapped serial killer, Late Bloomer is really something more. It tends to defy classification, so audiences are quick to lump it in to the categories of least resistance. There’s no denying that the film is horrific-but like the best horror, it also manages to say something about the human condition between the geysers of blood and rampant stabbings. It’s an unpleasant viewing experience because it subverts our expectations at nearly every turn while making us question things about ourselves in the process. It’s not the traditional “uplifting handicapped person story” nor is it as shallow and ultimately disposable as most gore and slasher cinema. Viewers won’t turn off the DVD thinking “good for that guy for overcoming his physical challenges”, but neither will they find a character whose reprehensible actions make him despicable. That’s the beauty of Late Bloomer-Shibata confronts his audience constantly, seemingly more concerned with the message of his film than whether or not people will enjoy it.

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Anchor Bay has released the final details on the upcoming DVD release of Rob Schmidt’s serial killer flick, Alphabet Killer. Here are the official extras included on the disc:

• Audio commentary with Producer Isen Robbins and Director Rob Schmidt
• Audio commentary with Writer/Producer/Actor Tom Malloy
• Featurette: A to Z: The Making of The Alphabet Killer
• “First Victim” – Alternate Scene

For those not familiar with the title, here’s the official Alphabet Killer plot synopsis:

A ten year old girl is found brutally murdered outside the small blue-collar city of Rochester, New York, and obsessed police detective Megan Paige (Eliza Dushku of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and DOLLHOUSE) suffers a mental breakdown while trying to solve the crime. But when the child-killings resume two years later, Megan’s return to the investigation also brings back her own horrific hallucinations. Even if she can prove a ‘double initial’ connection to the slayings, will she hang onto her sanity long enough to catch a psychopath?

Look for this one at your local DVD retailer on January 6th.

Benoit (Benoit Poelvoorde) appears to be your average Joe. He’s witty, intelligent, he can recite poetry, he’s got two loving parents, and people seem to like him. And why not? He’s certainly an affable fellow. Of course, he’s also a vicious serial killer who’s being followed around by a small documentary crew intent on filming his thoughts and deeds.

And that, in a nutshell, is the plot of the 1992 Belgian mockumentary, Man Bites Dog aka C’est arrivé près de chez vous . Normally, a film with so little narrative thrust would be bound to earn a bad review. However, Man Bites Dog manages to offer the viewer an intriguing look at our media obsessed culture and how we often make icons out of the people who don’t deserve the status.

Remy Belvaux, Andre Bonzel, and Benoit Poelvoorde have combined forces here to make a film that works on several different levels-each of them entertaining enough in their own right-but has its greatest impact when viewers manage to put all the disparate elements together and see the whole picture that the filmmakers have worked so diligently to create.

Shot on black and white film, complete with herky-jerky camera movements, the movie does a splendid job of creating the documentary look. The style of shooting is decidedly amateurish for the entire running time, a fact that only adds to the cinema verite feel of the proceedings. In many of the scenes (particularly the ones where Benoit expounds philosophically on any number of topics) it’s quite easy to view the film as a legitimate documentary. But, this mood can be shattered at the drop of a hat as Benoit launches into one of his violent attacks without a second’s warning. This contrast, the constant switching between the mundane and the violent, is one of the films strong points. It’s incredibly effective in terms of keeping the audience off balance.

Yet, this film isn’t so much about a serial killer, nor is it a comedy (although parts of it are uproariously hilarious-Benoit’s pigeon poem, for example). Instead, Man Bites Dog is a condemnation-both of our media, and the film’s own audience. As Holly Willis points out on the back of the Criterion laserdisc, the film can certainly be viewed as a homage to Jean Rouch’s own thoughts on cinema verite. However, carrying that another step, it can also be seen as something of an homage (although, not an entirely effective one) to Pier Pasolini’s Salo–another film that sought to condemn its audience for watching the atrocities onscreen and was designed to hopefully shock the bourgeoisie out of their complacency with regards to violence.

But, Man Bites Dog never reaches quite the same level as Pasolini’s film-probably because it’s too comedic. Salo is a story about monsters masquerading as men, and while Man Bites Dog also features a main character who’s a monster, he’s far more likeable than the Duc du Blangis or any of his cronies. In a way, it seems almost like cheating to make a film that attempts to condemn an audience as a voyeuristic, but willing, participant in the events found here-mainly because there’s a black comedy tone to the violence. Pasolini’s film plays more fairly-piling on one atrocity after another and never giving the audience anything to laugh about-making the condemnation seem far more legitimate.

So, while Man Bites Dog fails to live up to the standard set by Pasolini, it does equal or surpass the efforts of movies like Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers or Wes Craven’s Scream (both films that sought to condemn the media for their role in creating icons out of killers). It is in this area that our filmmakers’ reliance on the black comedy elements pays off. After following Benoit around for a while, the crew eventually starts helping him commit his crimes (and in return, Benoit helps fund the rest of the shoot). The message here is slightly heavy-handed, but no more so than the approaches of either of the aforementioned films. When the crew each takes turns raping a woman on a table while the husband watches, the effect is both unsettling and vaguely humorous-and the message of the scene comes through loud and clear.

The final element that makes Man Bites Dog so effective is the performance of Benoit Poelvooorde. Poelvoorde is fantastic as Benoit, who can, in one moment be playing the piano and in the next be strangling some hapless victim. Poelvoorde doesn’t make Benoit a complete monster though-and that helps the film work more effectively. Benoit’s likeable-despite the fact that he’s a serial killer…a fact that only serves to heighten the audience’s feelings of discomfort at watching this film. In a way, it’s almost the inverse of the performance that Michael Rooker gives in John McNaughton’s Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Benoit’s a predator, just like Henry, but he’s far more fun-which makes him even more scary.

The film itself is available in two formats-an unrated version, which, despite being unrated, is actually cut (you miss out on the rape sequence and a child murder) and the NC-17 version released by Criterion. I shouldn’t have to tell you to get the Criterion version, but just in case-get the Criterion version. The film’s dialogue is in French, but as always, Criterion provides some fantastic subtitles-they’re completely readable and grammatically correct-if only everyone showed this same attention to detail. Aside from the subtitles, the DVD also features an English language interview with Poolverde, Bonzel, and Belveaux, as well as a booklet on ‘Gorilla Filmmaking’ (I think he meant ‘guerilla’, but hey, he’s not an American), an essay from Matt Zoller Seitz, a still gallery, a trailer for the threesome’s student film, and the original Cannes Film Festival trailer for this film. All in all, a very nice package.

Ultimately, Man Bites Dog is a flawed masterpiece. The lack of any kind of discernible plot hurts the film overall, despite the brilliance of its satire and its condemnation of media and society alike. There are certainly some great performances here, as well as some funny moments, but on the whole, I found myself wondering what the point of Benoit’s actions were for much of the film. Certainly one could make the case for Benoit being a sociopath and having no motivation behind his actions, but this film is too smart for such an easy cop-out answer. Still, flaws aside, this is solid entertainment and thought provoking cinema-not two things that are generally synonymous in the world of movies. Man Bites Dog gets 4 stars from me and a hearty recommendation that you check it out.

Horror Geek Rating: 4 out of 5

When watching Zachary Hansen’s indie film, Killer Me, one is inevitably reminded of two films: John McNaughton’s Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Clean, Shaven. That a film so strongly evokes images of those two classic movies can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, living up to those films seems like a monumental undertaking. Failure would appear to be far more likely than success, particularly for a low-budget film from a fledgling filmmaker. The other side of the equation, though, is no doubt what made the film so alluring to the director and producers. To succeed in emulating the style and mood of Henry and Clean, Shaven guarantees both a certain amount of recognition from the film press, and a built-in audience for your feature. I’m pleased to say that Killer Me succeeds in negotiating this precarious cinematic precipice. The end result is a one of the more impressive indie films I’ve seen in the last few years-and certainly indicates that director Zachary Hansen is a filmmaker to keep an eye on.

Normally, at this point, I’d write a bit about the plot. However, since I feel that Killer Me works best when experienced without any preconceived notions, I’m not going to ruin the film by divulging the details of its narrative construction. I will say that the plot is arguably the film’s weakest link, though. It’s not that the plot is bad (because it’s not); it’s just a tad more familiar than I’d have liked. Of course, having seen a great number of films in the serial killer/psychological thriller canon, I’m pretty familiar with the plots these kinds of films employ and generally know where they’re headed. A more traditional audience won’t likely be as familiar with the narrative twists and turns of Killer Me, and because of that, will undoubtedly be left more shaken by the final act than I was.

What really makes the film are the performances. George Foster takes the lead role, Joseph, a slightly off-kilter loner who has a heart of gold-as well as an urge to murder. Foster’s portrayal is reminiscent of both Michael Rooker’s stone-cold portrayal of Henry Lee Lucas and Brian Cox’s criminally underrated turn as Hannibal Lector in Manhunter. There’s a sense of predatory menace every time Foster is on the screen-and it keeps the tension ratcheted up throughout the film.

Foster’s almost minimalistic portrayal of Joseph is one of the film’s greatest strengths. He’s completely credible as the potentially unbalanced character, yet he makes Joseph work through subtle mannerisms instead of bombastic actions. Take, for example, the scenes of Joseph eating microwaved macaroni and cheese. Foster makes this simple act convey a great deal about his character.

Joseph is countered by Anna, played by Christina Kew. Kew’s character is a little less subtle than Joseph-a needy woman who’s a little more forward than most people would believe. Because of this, Anna often comes across as more of a foil for Joseph than as a main character. It’s through his interactions with Anna that we see Joseph in a positive light. Because of this, the character is a vital one-despite the fact that she doesn’t seem to be as fleshed out as Foster’s Joseph.

Another area where Killer Me really shines is in the direction and cinematography. Neal Fredericks, cinematographer on The Blair Witch Project handles the shot selection here, and the work is impressive. For such a tiny budget, Killer Me looks far more impressive than many of the films I’ve seen with budgets that are four times as much.

Fredericks and Hansen’s scene compositions add a great deal to the film. They’re stark, much like everything else in the film, but even when nothing menacing is happening, the ever-present sense of dread remains. Fredericks has done a magnificent job of creating a visual look that mirrors the internal mood of Joseph-and the film is stronger because of it.

And last, but certainly not least, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the film’s incredible score. Killer Me features a soundtrack comprised of some of the oddest, and ultimately most disturbing, sound I’ve experienced since Goblin’s score for Suspiria. However, unlike Goblin’s work-which was still traditional music-the sound work in Killer Me is something altogether different.

Composed by utilizing the old Fisher Price PXL2000 camera. This ‘toy’ (which has since become a highly sought after tool for aspiring low-budget filmmakers) is a pixel camera that captures its images on a standard audiocassette. For the production, Hansen recorded various every day sounds using the PXL2000, then played them back through a traditional tape deck. The result was the eerily distorted sounds that appear throughout Killer Me. Working with sound designer Arlan Boll, Hansen managed to score 90% of the film with PXL2000-and the film sounds unlike anything else I’ve ever heard because of it.

While Killer Me has yet to attain mainstream distribution, I have little doubt that the film will be picked up at some point. This is an engaging and occasionally disturbing psychological portrait made with an incredibly deft touch by a filmmaker who’s almost assuredly going to do great things in the future. If Hansen can achieve this much effect from a miniscule budget, I can’t wait to see what he’ll unleash on audiences with a few million bucks to play around with. Keep an eye out for this film-and this director. You’re going to be hearing about both in the not too distant future.

Horror Geek Rating: 3 out of 5

I think I’m like one of five people over the age of 16 who actually liked Rob Schmidt’s hillbilly cannibal flick Wrong Turn. It wasn’t an original film by any stretch of the imagination (I always thought Jack Ketchum could have probably sued them for ripping off his novel Off Season) but Eliza Dushku was pretty good in it and the gore was effective.

I’ve been a Schmidt fan ever since, so it’s interesting news to hear that Anchor Bay has acquired the rights to his new serial killer flick, Alphabet Killer. Dushku stars alongside an intriguing ensemble cast (including Michael Ironside, Timothy Hutton, and Bill Moseley) as a cop who develops a severe case of paranoid schizophrenia while tracking down a serial killer who preys on little girls.

I’m not really sure I buy Dushku as a cop (Vampire slayer, yes. Homicide detective, not so much) and it’s never a good sign when you misspell your star’s name in the trailer (spot it for yourself at the 2:25 mark of the trailer)

No release date has been set for the DVD yet, but anyone interested can check out the official site for the trailer, synopsis, and other assorted goodies.