November 05, 2006
Murder-Set-Pieces
I write this review as a warning.
Starring: People are in it but I wouldn't call them actors
Rating: 1/10
Directed By: Nick Palumbo
Runtime: 91 minutes
Starring: People are in it but I wouldn't call them actors
Rating: 1/10
Directed By: Nick Palumbo
Runtime: 91 minutes
I believe there are two cardinal sins in film. The first is if the film in question fails to entertain. Film can be art but it's pointless and pretentious if it doesn't respect its audience enough to keep them engaged. The second is even more despicable and that's when a film is overly manipulative. This rule applies to movies like Patch Adams and Dying Young, films that wear their syrupy intentions on their sleeves. As much as I would like to say this problem applies to only tearjerkers, I can't because it is a problem that affects movies as diverse as Larry Clark's Kids and Eli Roth's Hostel. It occurs any time a filmmaker ups their film's excesses to obtain a reaction. It's poor filmmaking and never do I remember it being more fully on display than in Nick Palumbo's infuriating Murder-Set-Pieces.
The plot is nonexistent. It's the story of a German serial killer and his bloody conquests. As much as I'd like to tell you that there's more to the plot than that, I can't. The term torture porn has never been more appropriate and never has a title been so descriptive (Snakes On A Plane be damned). Numerous women are beaten and raped, breasts are sliced off, and a chainsaw is even employed. Blood, feces, and body parts make appearances. It's obvious that Mr. Palumbo has no interest in making a film and was banking on some controversy to sell the film.and he was successful. Palumbo breaks every taboo and by doing it all in one film he robs each taboo of any power. There's graphic rape, cannibalism, necrophilia, child murder (an adolescent followed by a baby) and although it's handled rather realistically, the effect is not what Palumbo was going for. The rape is numbing, the cannibalism and necrophilia laughable. The only part that comes close to obtaining the reaction Palumbo is looking for is the child murder. I have no problem putting a child in harms way if it services the story but when it's done to get a reaction it comes off as amateurish and wrong and in this film it serves no purpose but to play on the audience's emotions.
I write this review as a warning. You're not like to stumble across Murder-Set-Pieces at your local video store and, as of this writing, it's not available via Netflix but there will be the curious few that run across an article and decide to shell out the $40 sticker price to see what all the fuss is about. I'm here to tell you that everything you will read about the movie is true but that the controversy surrounding the film is completely unwarranted. Save your money and if you just have to spend $40 you'd probably be better off buying a Robin Williams box set.
The plot is nonexistent. It's the story of a German serial killer and his bloody conquests. As much as I'd like to tell you that there's more to the plot than that, I can't. The term torture porn has never been more appropriate and never has a title been so descriptive (Snakes On A Plane be damned). Numerous women are beaten and raped, breasts are sliced off, and a chainsaw is even employed. Blood, feces, and body parts make appearances. It's obvious that Mr. Palumbo has no interest in making a film and was banking on some controversy to sell the film.and he was successful. Palumbo breaks every taboo and by doing it all in one film he robs each taboo of any power. There's graphic rape, cannibalism, necrophilia, child murder (an adolescent followed by a baby) and although it's handled rather realistically, the effect is not what Palumbo was going for. The rape is numbing, the cannibalism and necrophilia laughable. The only part that comes close to obtaining the reaction Palumbo is looking for is the child murder. I have no problem putting a child in harms way if it services the story but when it's done to get a reaction it comes off as amateurish and wrong and in this film it serves no purpose but to play on the audience's emotions.
I write this review as a warning. You're not like to stumble across Murder-Set-Pieces at your local video store and, as of this writing, it's not available via Netflix but there will be the curious few that run across an article and decide to shell out the $40 sticker price to see what all the fuss is about. I'm here to tell you that everything you will read about the movie is true but that the controversy surrounding the film is completely unwarranted. Save your money and if you just have to spend $40 you'd probably be better off buying a Robin Williams box set.