Well, the last review of November (2009) is upon us. I’m cooking up something good for the month of December, and it’s almost all ready. I’ll just say that it’s going to be an update to last year’s hit or miss program of holiday horror. Only this time, I’m doing it right! You’ll love it, but before we go to that, we’re talking about this film that was released recently about Ted Bundy. Now, you might remember that I reviewed a Ted Bundy Film before, but I reassure you that this film is different than that film. Although, the topics are the same, the films are different…somehow.
The movie starts at the end of Bundy’s life, and we immediately go backwards in time, to where it started and work our way towards the present/past, whatever you want to call it. Immediately the film looks low budget, with sequences that just aren’t quite there. The film grain is there and it looks like there was a budget overall, but it isn’t quite as good as a mainstream film. Could there be a mainstream film on Bundy? Maybe. This one isn’t it though, it’s still holds up though, because the movie is shot on “film” or at least looks that way. The movie is not really a “straight to dvd” quality film in the way it’s shot, that’s for sure.
The movie has some decent acting, at times, but most often than not this thing is almost a parody of sorts, as the acting just feels awkward. I am not sure why the balance of things is quite odd, but it works through to make a halfway decent movie.
Bundy really fails to capture the cunning of the real life crimes, and while it does paint a broad portrait of the serial killer, this thing really doesn’t fit. It just doesn’t seem to be well worth the trouble of making a movie, when there are already two other movies on the topic.
There are a few saving graces for this film. First and foremost, the guy playing Bundy really does a good job creeping out the audience. He has some genuine moments that will only lead to his lasting legacy amongst horror movie fans, serial killer readers, and so much more. He seems to have this creepy element to his facial features that when struck in certain context, leads you to believe that you’re watching the real thing. The second saving grace to the film is the musical keys and set up shots. There is an attention to detail given to how a scene moves from one location to the other, and the musical points are there to make the film somewhat sustainable.
Is Bundy a scary film? : No.
Ted Bundy’s story is a scary story. The real life story of Ted Bundy is all alone a scary thing in regards to true crime. That being noted, this film is not really the complete picture of Ted Bundy. Sure, it’s a portrait, a glimpse, or even a caricature but it’s just not genuine. It feels very obvious at times that this is just not the same kind of film that was made earlier in the years.
My complaint about the first film was mainly in regards to the rough sex that portrayed. The other problems I had with it was in regards to the pacing, so I thought this film might change things a little. In a lot of regards this film actually empathizes with the character, at least early on in the story. At one point you really think that you’re watching a romantic comedy, rather than a serious horror film.
This film seems somewhat of a struggle for both the film makers and the actors, as it just snowballs into the meat of the story, with of course the slaying of several women. Horror, in my view, doesn’t really get chewed up and spit out because of it’s uncanny ability to be predictable. In fact, I rarely hate a film that I can see the middle and end without watching the full thing. However, with genre pieces of pseudo-biographical horror film, like this one, the weight of the film needs more than the actions and gore of the characters.
Honestly, Bundy is not that great of a film. There are some creepy moments, but the overall film and storytelling lacks something intangible. This film really feels like a student project, rather than a serious contender for horror film. While I don’t recommend watching this one, I do think it has its place in horror movie history…just not the abridged or condensed version. It’s true, truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, but this film takes a crap on the notion. I didn’t like this film. However, it had enough moments to make it into my screen and not throw it away…unlike some other horror films that I reviewed on this site.
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