The Last Horror Movie (DVD)
Newest Review: ... stare, as he invites us to step into his world where he is making his own horror movie about his serial killing activities. From that poi... more
How safe are you in your own home?
The Last Horror Movie (DVD)
Member Name: GentleGenius
Product:
The Last Horror Movie (DVD)
Date: 28/08/11
Rating:
Advantages: Unusual, original, thought-provoking, outstanding performance from Kevin Howarth
Disadvantages: None for me but might be too violent and penetrating for some
RELEASED: 2003, Cert.18
RUNNING TIME: Approx. 81 mins
DIRECTOR: Julian Richards
PRODUCERS: Julian Richards & Zorona Piggott
SCREENPLAY: Julian Richards & James Handel
MUSIC: Simon Lambros
MAIN STAR: Kevin Howarth as Max Parry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Max Parry seems a nice kind of guy. He earns a modest living as a wedding photographer, gets on famously with his sister, little nephews and grandmother plus has a small circle of seemingly close friends who he socialises with on a regular basis. Max also loves to cook, and specialises in creating gourmet meals for his family and friends whenever they visit.
However, in his spare time, Max is actually a serial killer and with his mostly unseen camera-man assistant, is making a film.
That sets the basic plot, if in fact it can be called a plot, and as ever you must watch it for yourself - maybe at your own risk - to find out more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The presentation for this film is done in rather an unusual way. Firstly, we are shown an American newsreel about a killer who has escaped from jail, already claiming two victims. The scene then moves to a young woman alone in a diner closing up for the night when she hears a noise. On going to investigate, it's a case of.....Bang Bang Maxwell's Silver Hammer! The film then shifts over to Max Parry speaking in dialogue, his head close to the camera with a smile on his face, yet with his eyes fixed in a deep, penetrating, sinister stare, as he invites us to step into his world where he is making his own horror movie about his serial killing activities.
From that point onwards, The Last Horror Movie is delivered in sections with Max Parry's narration in between each one. Every section consists of a short slice from Max's day to day life, and it is interesting to note that each one evolves into something different to how the viewer anticipates or predicts.
During the narration, Max, in a rather chilling yet impeccably polite way, almost forces the viewer to examine their own values and sense of morals regarding various aspects of not just murder, but death in many other forms....presenting a well-formed, highly articulate set of principles that we are invited to question as they do or don't relate to our own. For example, one of the scenes of Max's day to day life shows him in the act of murdering somebody, yet the camera is swung away at the crucial point when the worst of the violence is carried out....we are then grilled by Max, via his narrative, as to how many of us truly wonder what actually happened and were curious to see the bloody, gory details of the murder, possibly feeling cheated as the camera panned off from the worst part of the scene.
Max's narrative dialogue brings up many philosophical points for the viewer, if they wish of course, to examine....but I'd challenge any thinking person not to be tempted into questioning their own morals, being stimulated into such by this extremely clever, superbly delivered script.
Max's narrative style is genial, friendly and he is very well-spoken with an extremely pleasant voice. He smiles as he addresses his audience, yet those piercing, penetrating dark brown eyes emanate a callousness which is quite uncomfortable to watch, especially as his face is filmed very close up....cleverly filmed at such an angle that it appears he is looking straight at you, and talking directly to you. This creates an incredibly tense intimacy between Max and the viewer.
As far as the actors are concerned, everybody played their parts superbly, but Kevin Howarth as Max Parry is the kingpin, both his acting skills and in between scenes narrative coming across as utterly riveting. It must have been an extraordinarily difficult role to perfect, and he delivered it spot-on, even to the point where after the film was over, I found myself - yes I know irrationally, but that goes to show how powerful and penetrating Max's character is - looking around the room, half expecting him to be sitting on the armchair staring at me.
There are quite a lot of points within the film during Max's day to day life scenes, where the viewer will be almost forced to make some extremely disturbing predictions as to how those scenes will pan out, yet each one is a complete surprise and nothing is how it initially seems to be. This creates a rolling effect whereby one feels compelled to continue watching, even if finding the film distasteful and disturbing beyond what we would normally be prepared to accept. Everything is presented in such a realistic, matter-of-fact style that the film's credibility and believabililty levels are so high and perfect, that I actually became quite worried afterwards....but to appreciate why, you'd have to watch the film for yourself.
It is true that The Last Horror Movie is extremely violent in parts and thus some people may feel that for them it isn't suitable viewing. I do warn that this violence is particularly unsettling, due to its realism, and the hands-on nature, yet I also feel this is a film which shouldn't really be missed. Similarly to The Exorcist (1974) - although the two films are totally dissimilar in storyline, style etc. - I'd hazard a possibly accurate guess that anybody feeling The Last Horror Movie is a ridiculous horror caper which is laughable as opposed to overwhelmingly scary (as many did regarding The Exorcist), could be detaching themselves from their own very real sense of fear as a coping mechanism. Of course The Last Horror Movie is fictitious, but it certainly doesn't feel like that whilst watching it, nor for quite a while afterwards. I personally am not a person who freaks out easily and I didn't after I'd seen this film, but I genuinely did feel very nervous during the immediate aftermath period.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the time of writing, The Last Horror Movie can be purchased on Amazon as follows:-
New: from 81p to £14.99
Used: from £1.27 to £3.49
A delivery charge of £1.26 should be added to the above figures.
Thanks for reading!
~~ Also published on Ciao under my CelticSoulSister user name ~~
RUNNING TIME: Approx. 81 mins
DIRECTOR: Julian Richards
PRODUCERS: Julian Richards & Zorona Piggott
SCREENPLAY: Julian Richards & James Handel
MUSIC: Simon Lambros
MAIN STAR: Kevin Howarth as Max Parry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FILM ONLY REVIEW
Max Parry seems a nice kind of guy. He earns a modest living as a wedding photographer, gets on famously with his sister, little nephews and grandmother plus has a small circle of seemingly close friends who he socialises with on a regular basis. Max also loves to cook, and specialises in creating gourmet meals for his family and friends whenever they visit.
However, in his spare time, Max is actually a serial killer and with his mostly unseen camera-man assistant, is making a film.
That sets the basic plot, if in fact it can be called a plot, and as ever you must watch it for yourself - maybe at your own risk - to find out more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The presentation for this film is done in rather an unusual way. Firstly, we are shown an American newsreel about a killer who has escaped from jail, already claiming two victims. The scene then moves to a young woman alone in a diner closing up for the night when she hears a noise. On going to investigate, it's a case of.....Bang Bang Maxwell's Silver Hammer! The film then shifts over to Max Parry speaking in dialogue, his head close to the camera with a smile on his face, yet with his eyes fixed in a deep, penetrating, sinister stare, as he invites us to step into his world where he is making his own horror movie about his serial killing activities.
From that point onwards, The Last Horror Movie is delivered in sections with Max Parry's narration in between each one. Every section consists of a short slice from Max's day to day life, and it is interesting to note that each one evolves into something different to how the viewer anticipates or predicts.
During the narration, Max, in a rather chilling yet impeccably polite way, almost forces the viewer to examine their own values and sense of morals regarding various aspects of not just murder, but death in many other forms....presenting a well-formed, highly articulate set of principles that we are invited to question as they do or don't relate to our own. For example, one of the scenes of Max's day to day life shows him in the act of murdering somebody, yet the camera is swung away at the crucial point when the worst of the violence is carried out....we are then grilled by Max, via his narrative, as to how many of us truly wonder what actually happened and were curious to see the bloody, gory details of the murder, possibly feeling cheated as the camera panned off from the worst part of the scene.
Max's narrative dialogue brings up many philosophical points for the viewer, if they wish of course, to examine....but I'd challenge any thinking person not to be tempted into questioning their own morals, being stimulated into such by this extremely clever, superbly delivered script.
Max's narrative style is genial, friendly and he is very well-spoken with an extremely pleasant voice. He smiles as he addresses his audience, yet those piercing, penetrating dark brown eyes emanate a callousness which is quite uncomfortable to watch, especially as his face is filmed very close up....cleverly filmed at such an angle that it appears he is looking straight at you, and talking directly to you. This creates an incredibly tense intimacy between Max and the viewer.
As far as the actors are concerned, everybody played their parts superbly, but Kevin Howarth as Max Parry is the kingpin, both his acting skills and in between scenes narrative coming across as utterly riveting. It must have been an extraordinarily difficult role to perfect, and he delivered it spot-on, even to the point where after the film was over, I found myself - yes I know irrationally, but that goes to show how powerful and penetrating Max's character is - looking around the room, half expecting him to be sitting on the armchair staring at me.
There are quite a lot of points within the film during Max's day to day life scenes, where the viewer will be almost forced to make some extremely disturbing predictions as to how those scenes will pan out, yet each one is a complete surprise and nothing is how it initially seems to be. This creates a rolling effect whereby one feels compelled to continue watching, even if finding the film distasteful and disturbing beyond what we would normally be prepared to accept. Everything is presented in such a realistic, matter-of-fact style that the film's credibility and believabililty levels are so high and perfect, that I actually became quite worried afterwards....but to appreciate why, you'd have to watch the film for yourself.
It is true that The Last Horror Movie is extremely violent in parts and thus some people may feel that for them it isn't suitable viewing. I do warn that this violence is particularly unsettling, due to its realism, and the hands-on nature, yet I also feel this is a film which shouldn't really be missed. Similarly to The Exorcist (1974) - although the two films are totally dissimilar in storyline, style etc. - I'd hazard a possibly accurate guess that anybody feeling The Last Horror Movie is a ridiculous horror caper which is laughable as opposed to overwhelmingly scary (as many did regarding The Exorcist), could be detaching themselves from their own very real sense of fear as a coping mechanism. Of course The Last Horror Movie is fictitious, but it certainly doesn't feel like that whilst watching it, nor for quite a while afterwards. I personally am not a person who freaks out easily and I didn't after I'd seen this film, but I genuinely did feel very nervous during the immediate aftermath period.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the time of writing, The Last Horror Movie can be purchased on Amazon as follows:-
New: from 81p to £14.99
Used: from £1.27 to £3.49
A delivery charge of £1.26 should be added to the above figures.
Thanks for reading!
~~ Also published on Ciao under my CelticSoulSister user name ~~
Summary: Probably one of the most intriguing, nerve-wracking films I've ever seen
