Murder Party

 

I had passed up this DVD a couple of times at Blockbuster but every time I went in to rent something, I had to pick it up and look at the preposterously costumed character on the cover. And I would read the back. "Napoleon Dynamite meets the Texas Chainsaw Massacre" it said. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. In my house, one NEVER invokes the name of Napoleon Dynamite OR the Texas Chainsaw Massacre unless one means business. Well see about THAT! I thought to myself one afternoon and finally took it home.

 

I started watching, mentally preparing to count the hack plot devices and script cliches. Five minutes after the opening credits I had forgotten my niggling intent and lost myself in what turned out to be a wry, witty comic horror gem. The premise is surprisingly fresh & slightly farcical. A hapless schmoe finds himself the center of a bizarre plot in which a group of hack artists plan to kill him in the name of art. Bungling chases, attempted murder, actual murder, sex, drugs, rock n' roll, & accidental maiming by fire are just a few of the mishaps and perpetrations which follow. This is offbeat, dark comedy at its finest. Everything was on target. The effects were great- much better than many films with twice the budget. The script was witty and engaging and the story unfolded and progressed at a pleasing clip. The acting, usually the bane of the indie movie, is fantastic. Chris Sharp is completely believable as the nerdy Christopher who is deadpan yet unintentionally silly and a real study in understated absurdity. He would indeed have been right at home in the Napolean Dynamite movie. In short, this movie is 90 minutes well-spent. Murder Party is not just a good indie film. Its a good film PERIOD. It won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival as well as deadlantern.coms FIRST annual Splatcademy Award for Best No/Low Budget Horror. I liked it so much, I bought my own DVD copy.