''Serial Killing 4 Dummys'' is a 1999
dark
Darkness is the condition resulting from a lack of illumination, or an absence of visible light.
Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low luminance because the hue-sensitive photoreceptor cells on the retina are ...
comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
written and directed by Trace Slobotkin and starring
Thomas Haden Church and Justin Urich.
Plot
Casey is a troubled teenager who wants to be a serial killer. He teams up with Sasha, his suicidal classmate who wants to be his first victim, to plan his murders. However trouble soon arises when it turns out there's a real serial killer in town who turns his victims into furniture, and that killer is Casey's gym teacher.
Background
The film first screened at film festivals and had limited release in theaters in the late 1990s under the title ''Serial Killing 101'', before its "official" theatrical release in February 2002. When released on video in 2004, it was retitled ''Serial Killing 4 Dummys''.
Reception
Upon its screening in 1998 at the Convergence Film Festival in
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
, ''
The Providence Journal
''The Providence Journal'', colloquially known as the ''ProJo'', is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, the largest newspaper in Rhode Island, US. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspaper had won four ...
'' wrote the film was "as fresh as the latest TV news break-in report." and "In the real world of schoolground slayings, ''Serial Killing 4 Dummys'' is in very bad taste. But that's the point. This black comedy, filled with barbed irony, is about the disaffected and talentless, who only see headline-grabbing mayhem as their way out of their personal ruts. And it shoves our noses in it."
''Beyond Hollywood'' wrote "the movie is much better than it really has any right to be", and that as both writer and director, Trace Slobotkin "oftentimes manages to ascend beyond the constraints of the movie." They note that the film is not without its issues, and that the background issue of there being a real serial killer at work does not begin to make its impact until after the first 20 minutes.
Partial cast
*
Thomas Haden Church as Vince Grimaldi
* Justin Urich as Casey Noland
*
Lisa Loeb
Lisa Anne Loeb (; born March 11, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author and actress. She started her career with " Stay (I Missed You)" from the film '' Reality Bites'', the first number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 10 ...
as Sasha Fitzgerald
*
Rick Overton
Richard Overton (born August 10, 1954) is an American actor and screenwriter. His writing credits include ''Dennis Miller Live'' (1994–2002), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award, while his acting credits include '' Gung Ho'' and '' O ...
as Mr. Korn
*
George Murdock as Detective Ray Berro
*
Corey Feldman
Corey Scott Feldman (born July 16, 1971) is an American actor and musician. As a youth, he became well known for his roles in popular 1980s films such as '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984), '' Gremlins'' (1984), '' The Goonies'' (198 ...
as Store Clerk
*
Barbara Niven as Donna Noland
*
Stuart Stone as Amil
*
Raymond O'Connor as Frank
*
Esther Scott as Sally Lindon
*
Chris Weber as Mark Pekla
* Mark Thompson as Chuck, Weatherman
* Jennifer Loto as Marni Greenstein
* Michael Alaimo as Mr. Rabino
*
Tegan West as Detective Pessin
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 0122247
1999 films
American comedy horror films
1999 horror films
1990s English-language films
1990s American films
English-language horror films