Bag Boy Lover Boy

Director - Andres Torres (Castles in the Sky)
Starring - Theodore Bouloukos (Hell House LLC, The Penny Dreadful Picture Show), Jon Wachter, Kathy Biehl (Kids Get Dead 2: The Kids Get Deader)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "He's just looking for the right muse"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've mentioned before how I get movies in to review and I have no idea what they are.  I've received movies before that had some of the craziest titles and artwork but no idea what they were.  A good portion of these films really surprised me.  They were inventive, bloody, and a lot of fun to watch.  Others have been real duds that tried to make a quick buck off the title and artwork alone with no real story.  These tend to be gore flicks with gore just for the sake of gore with no story.  Honestly, I dislike these types of films.  I enjoy gore as much as the next guy but I need it to fit a story.  Not long ago Severin Films sent over the horror comedy Bag Boy Lover Boy.  The film looks different and after watching Feed the Light from Severin's sister company Intervision, I decided it was time to check it out.
     The film follows the socially awkward Albert (Wachter) who is a street hog dog vender working the night shift on a lonely street in NYC when he is approached by an unusual but charismatic photographer Ivan (Bouloukos).  Ivan is able to convince Albert to model for him after Albert witnesses a girl he likes leave with a photographer.  Albert wants to be a photographer and agrees but becomes fed up with Ivan when he refuses to let me take the pictures.  When Ivan is out of town he takes one of Ivan's camera and invites women to Ivan's studios to shoot his own photos.  However, when the "models" refuse to cooperate he takes bloody measures to get his photos and prove he is a real artist.

     I went into this one not knowing what to expect.  I really enjoyed the artwork used on the blu release but the title didn't have me sold on the film.  With that being said, it was fantastic.  It was easily one of the better films I had seen this year and a great film to watch during October.  The acting in this one is surprisingly amazing.  The cast is mostly knew to me but they quickly gained my respect.  Bouloukos is a powerful actor.  His presence is known in every scene and it is hard not to mistake him as the film's star from time to time.  Jon Wachter is new to cinema with this being his only imdb.com credit but he fucking killed it.  He brought his character to life in an unforgettable performance.  You have to see this film in order to appreciate what I am trying to say about his performance.  The story for this one is fairly simple but the filmmaker is able to stretch it out without boring the viewer to tears.  The film does a great job at developing the character of Albert.  We see a large portion of his uneventful life before his introduction to Ivan.  We then see a drastic shift in his life.  He is still a bottom feeder but people are looking at him in a whole new light.  Once Ivan heads out of town Ivan is a completely different beast.  He is no longer a stepping stone for those around him.  He is confident and in control.  I love seeing that transformation happen before my very eyes.  Finally, the film doesn't really have on screen kills.  The kills take place off screen with cleverly placed camera angles and cuts.  We do get some solid practical effects but the film isn't as bloody as the poster suggests.  Overall, Bag Boy Lover Boy is fucking fantastic.  It is a great character piece that delivers.  It may not be as bloody as I would have liked it more than made up for it in other departments.  Check it out!