KILLERS BY NATURE

KILLERS BY NATURE
By Aine

That’s right, I’ve got yet another Eric Spudic-related review, but this time it’s different. This little gem, Killers by Nature, happens to be Spudic’s first try at wearing all the hats: writing, directing and acting all at once.

The premise may seem like old news: two high school misfits seek revenge on those who bullied them, but the truth is, this was written before Columbine and is just now making its way to a full-blown DVD release.

Shamelessly shot on video (or at least it looks that way) it begins with disappointingly bad acting and scenery: That creepy kind of embarrassing that you are only faced with when a friend or love-interest asks you to read their poetry. But after this weird getting to know you sequence that seems longer than it actually is, you’re lulled into the story and can, for the most part, ignore the quality.

Spudic and his buddy begin to terrorize the local teenage population: those who tormented them in high school, just to “scare them” at first, until it goes too far. Still, even when at its most horrific the chase and torture scenes are filled with cheesy fun. There are even three-stooges-like chase sequences around and around a car, several cars in fact, and some hilarious one-liner dialogue. “Make mine scrambled” has become a regular phrase in my household.

While the weapons look like plastic toys from the drug store bargain bin, the killing is still fun and light-hearted. Oh, and did I forget to mention that this film features a real-life turd? How’s that for art?

The location is also familiar and near and dear to my heart. Killers by Nature was shot primarily in southern Illinois (where Spudic hails from) and parts of Saint Louis (University City). It’s fun seeing places I know and lived in on the screen, and equally fun seeing fake blood and gore spewed all over it.

All in all, the budget involved and the pure independence of the film pulls it through the rough patches. Sure I could be soft because of my home-town pride, but in this instance I don’t feel there’s anything wrong with that.

The DVD is released on the Sub Rosa Extreme label and is full of fun extras like stills, commentaries, awesome trailers and an Eric Spudic original drinking game that’s guaranteed to get you hammered. Oh, and make mine scrambled!