There are days when I'm convinced I'm one of the last dozen people on earth who remembers when Corin Nemec was Corky. And worse, who remembers when he was Parker Lewis. Because watching Nemec in the latest attempts to outrun his past--and this time in horrific scar makeup--is actually wavering wildly between comical and terrifying. And this time, Nemec is bringing us Michael Feifer's take on Richard Speck's rampage of killings back in the mid sixties. Just in case you're not conversant with the details, Speck took nine student nurses in Chicago hostage and beat, raped, and killed eight of them. The last survivor, who hid under the bed, manages to give details to the police.
Now...that's not comical. Nothing about that is comical. Though Nemec manages to bring a raw, almost hysteric, edge to his portrayal of Speck that belies a certain skill. One minute a down-home shitkicker country boy, the next a cold steeled killing machine, and then seguing into a deep but somber remorse, Nemec takes Speck through the gamut of possible emotional ranges in a serial killer to an unexpected depth.
Granted, maybe movies like "Mansquito" weren't exactly the way to get his skill across. It's hard to look like a Serious Actor when you're toting an M-203 around and blasting genetically modified mosquito men. But CHICAGO MASSACRE: RICHARD SPECK, for all its bluster and splatter and gore, gives Nemec a chance to actually expand for a change, and do something that almost makes you forget "Gentlemen, synchronize Swatches".
Almost. He's never gonna get past that as far as I'm concerned, not least of all because back when my friends and I were twelve the best possible thing we could do with our high school careers was be Parker Lewis. Indeed, he could Not Lose. So too did we hope to at least Not Lose.
My own geriatric flashbacking aside, CHICAGO MASSACRE: RICHARD SPECK at least manages to generate some authenticity for a change of pace, unlike the flood of serial killer movies Lions Gate has been putting out lately courtesy of non-stop trash machine Hollywood House of Horror. CHICAGO MASSACRE: RICHARD SPECK actually manages to get us caring about the character, giving juuuuuuust enough exposition to know what's going on without bogging things down.
The ending allows the loose ends to be tied up in a fairly succinct fashion, and Nemec ramps up the chuckle factor by having Speck burst out a string of profanity unlike anything I can generate. Until about the last four minutes, in which a baffling video is described--and maybe even partially shown, I couldn't quite tell--in which Speck, in prison, has sex, does drugs, and sports a couple of breasts from hormone treatments he smuggles in. That just takes the whole proceedings and throws it squarely into a "huh?" zone from which there is no escape except the end credit roll. Which, mercifully, comes quickly.
The special features include Spanish subtitles, English closed captions, audio commentary, audio options, deleted scenes, a stills gallery and trailers for MURDER SET PIECES, CURSE OF THE ZODIAC, ED GEIN: THE BUTCHER OF PLAINFIELD, THE BTK KILLER, BLACK DAHLIA, and an advertisement for Fearnet.
All in all, not bad. A decent performance from Nemec and a little bit of actual narrative goes a long way in CHICAGO
MASSACRE: RICHARD SPECK. If you're looking for something harrowing and
horrifying, then you could probably do a whole lot worse, unless you
can't stand a story where you already know the ending.
RATING: ** (out of four)
Excellent blog! I've added a link to your page on the my site...www.gabriellefaust.com! Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Posted by: Gabrielle Faust | December 07, 2007 at 06:16 PM
Awesome blog, but aweful Nemec! What is that dude thinking?! Not about this cool new horror comp. I saw on the Tube methinks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhcU94McuD4
Posted by: Rowan McTeague | January 17, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Hello id like to join i have lots of dreams i can put in to a horror movie.Horror is my fav i download 4 move at least a week and will most def write up some reviews for help with making a f n hot box office hit. $$$$$$ and say my name in the production credits
Idea #1 THE beach house + zombies from a sunk ship (maby the Bermuda Triangle has move around the glob and settled over this area of our movies beach causing every form of supernatural thing to happen.
#2 Taste for 100 Deaths ( so I figure if there are one hundred of the most goriest death and disembowling scenes) in a 2 an a 3 hr movie It has to be a very fast paced movie
Posted by: Joseph romasco | September 16, 2008 at 02:17 AM
hi there!
I really love horror movies :)
zombies, monsters, ghosts...everything!
especially now that haloween nearing :)
hope to read more of your posts!
cheers!
Posted by: evelyn | October 24, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Oddly enough, I loved this movie.
Posted by: Scab | January 06, 2009 at 11:13 PM
ball women
Posted by: mike brown | February 28, 2009 at 06:49 AM
If you want to watch a superior nurse massacre movie, check out the exploitation flick Naked Massacre aka Born For Hell from 1972. Modern horror just can't beat the classics. Here is the imdb link for those interested:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211971/
Posted by: Cannibal Man | May 21, 2009 at 09:46 PM
You just have to love it!!!!
Posted by: movie scary | July 10, 2009 at 05:15 AM
this is a great collection of information for people.
Posted by: movie scary | July 16, 2009 at 02:33 AM
Couldn't have said that better. Great post!
Posted by: scary clips | July 16, 2009 at 02:33 AM
I really enjoy your blog and hope that you continue to keep it fresh with content and new material.
Great post, keep up the good work!
Posted by: upcoming horror movies | July 16, 2009 at 02:34 AM
Great blog...
Posted by: seo tactics | July 21, 2009 at 03:01 AM
Wow, I found your post to be both entertaining and informative. Keep upi the good work.
Posted by: Frankenstein Labs | September 01, 2009 at 04:00 PM