Addicted to Murder (1995)

   

Produced, Cinematographed, Edited & Directed by:

Starring:

.... Joel Winter
.... Rachel
.... Angie
.... Kathy
.... Sabrina

Release Dates: Raindance Independent Film Festival: 1995; Detour CinemaClub: February, 2000 (Italy)

 

 

Rating:

 

Joel Winter (Mick McCleery) is an average guy whom is experiencing a bad break up and then meets a vampiress named Rachel (Laura ) and turns him into a vampire himself and then become friends but has to do strange and deadly things for her to satisfy her which means killing other people.
Rachel eventually leaves Joel and he must continue getting the fix of violence that he's used to.
He meets up with other vampiress' including one named Angie (Sasha Graham) whom is very aggressive and cold towards him which makes things worst for him.

 

The beginning of this film looks a little confusing as we spot a vampiress smiling after she drank blood from someone as well as a close up shot on the character Joel Winter with the picture spinning around as you wonder if this is a vampire tale or not.
We also spot some mysterious moments with people being intereviewed or questioned about some unsolved murder cases which looked carefully done and well focused.
It's also very interesting to see a cheap indie film showing the areas around New York City especially with Joel going on the subway since this type of film couldn't afford a closed set when you watch this picture but yet the camera looks a bit jiggly when there's close up shots on this character.
a real effective moment with an ex-girlfriend of his leaving a message on his answering machine discussing a break up with him as we've all been through that although her voice over work was line reading and not seeming to show any characteristics and his disturbed reactions towards all of this.
A moment when he's making out with someone and is about to grab a knife and ready to do this woman in but yet the scene's looked quite off and not deadly enough by what we spot here.
We spot a cheesy situation with him walking down the street with a prostitute trying to come on to him and being persistent which looked mildly entertaining and making you wonder if she will push his buttons to the point where to kill her or not.
Also have an annoying moment when he is coming to work and there's the secretary Sabrina really getting on his nerves which looked a bit trashy to watch all of this but yet leaves a clue on whether or not she will be his soon to be victim.
A cheesy camera spinning around him while he's having a nightmare but yet this looked impressive to watch as well as spotting some good twisted moments that involves him and Rachel by putting a blade in his hands and forcing him to stab her and being compulsive by doing this to her which looked perfectly twisted and mildly amusing to watch in a horror flick which makes you think that she's not human at all and getting aroused to feed her hunger when he does this which looked creative to put into the story. There's different scene's involving them with this situation during the same moments too as things looked good and still for these moments.
Some nice discussions between both Joel and his neighbor Kathy in which looked romantic with them taking a walk or doing things together which adds a nice add on to the horror story here as well as later on when she receives a call from him and then later on gets another call and then on the other line hangs up which is supposed to leave a chill down your spine since that's a sign in a horror film that whoever did this is going to go in for the kill but yet things were a bit rushed within this moment. Still seemed spooky for your imagination on all of this.
A nice impressive dark moment when Joel comes into Kathy's suite to look for her and leaves an impression that something's wrong here and some nice shocking moments that will please you gorehounds even if it looked low budget type of effects. Defientely a nice add in as well to a shoestring budget horror flick.
A good moment when Joel is spying on Sabrina and hiding in which she looks scared wondering what is going on as well as him about to attack her which for sure makes you watch carefully on what will happen next.
Nice mysterious moments between him and Angie which involves some what seems to be peaceful but bloody conversations with them and then the camera rolls in to spot something grizzly next to them as well as her being fierce towards him and what he has to do in his new lifestyle and not being able to go back which works really well into a vampire story.
We have a moment when Joel tries to manipulate nicely towards a manager to let him into someone's suite and then is about to attack him which was supposed to look intense but yet is a little off and quite slow too.
The best scene is when Joel does his truggle towards Rachel and then we spot her transforming into something more monstrous in her vampire form. Although the effects and make up looked a bit cheesy it was entertaining since the makers didn't have alot of money to put into this film.
Bottom line is that the film wasn't such a bad flick just a bad badget as the story worked in well nevertheless it was an average vampire flick since some of the performances and suspense needed some improvement. The writing was pretty good once again. It's very interesting to see a small company on what they could do in order to make a film for what they only have here and can inspire many beginners to do the same as long as they have a decent script.

(Joel Winter) seemed a bit too mediocre within his performance here but yet does well by acting expressionless for when he needs to be like this. His blocking was quite off when he is attacking or killing in which he needed to make this a little too intense while doing all of this. He tries to show some adrenaline while acting aggressive or frusterated as he picks it up a tiny bit but not enough to pass as a character actor in which he only had the decent looks for this. However his looks weren't right for this part either. Oh well not everyone is suitable for playing roles.
(Rachel) however drew in her part nicely well with her mysterious presence as well as how she is speaking good and serious making her a true type of vampiress. Does a nice job with her wicked charm as well as her speaking perfectly cold towards near the end of her perofmance along with springing into action a great deal showing off a nice rage.
(Angie) was another nice example as a vampiress in which she was the most effective performer I must say by having a great nasty attitude and acting perfectly high strung and having a good ruthless type of behavior. Plus knew on how to portray a perfect evil type of brat. Springs into action a great deal along with showing nice ferocious expressions when she talks nasty too.
(Kathy) knew her craft quite well playing the mature and decent neighbor as she comes across as someone whom is believeably open minded and having a nice atittude. Shows off a nice calm attitude within whatever she does and knows how to put on a character. She also has the perfect healthy woman next door type of looks too.
(Sabrina) was one of the worst performers in this flick as she got on my nerves big time but it sometimes works in her favor as she was supposed to be one of those perstering types who won't shut up. She is over the top though by having a whiney type of attitude. She seemed to try a bit too hard by what her character was supposed to have been and doesn't quite cut the cake at all.

A throat is lit and bloodied.
Bloodsheds are smeared on vampire's faces.
Hand is cut off.
A piece of an arm is revealed.
Bloody neck bites.
A corpse cut in half is revealed next to a bed of two vampires lying there.
Bloody stabbings.
Vampiress is chewing on a heart.
Decapitated head is revealed but it looks very fake.

The music was nicely put together by Steve Maruzelli and Hector Milia in which we hear some good loud and chilling bonging and scraping sounds which works in to the darkness of the scene's but yet it is a little too overplayed. We also hear some bass guitar thumping and echoey sounds along with some guitar riffs which sounds okay in some spots and a bit rusty in other areas. Great terror sounding synthesizer playing for the terrors that have just happened as well. Plus we hear the odd heartbeats too.