Night Killer

Director(s) - Claudio Fragasso (Zombie 3, After Death) and Bruno Mattei (Shocking Death, Cruel Jaws)

Starring - Peter Hooten (Orca, Dr. Stranger), Tara Buckman (Freddy's Nightmares, Terminal Exposure), Richard Foster (Pool Days, Talking to Strangers)

Release Date - 1990

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've reviewed movies that were so bad yet so entertaining that I found myself questioning my sanity.  I've reviewed movies that were so bad I questioned the sanity of the company that chose to release it.  I've reviewed movies that were so good that I couldn't stop thinking about them days or even weeks later.  However, my favorite movies to review are movies that are so odd that I can't wrap my head around who would greenlight such a flick.  Back in 2019 Severin released Night Killer on blu.  I didn't receive a copy to review but a friend this past Christmas bought it for me.  I've always been curious about it and now I was able to check out this oddball flick.  Thanks Matt for the X-Mas gift.

     The film follows a beautiful young woman who survived an attack by a serial killer that wears a mask and a glove of sharp razor like claws.  She is badly beaten and saw his face but does not remember a thing about her attack.  The killer is obsessed with her and begins to torment her over the course of time before she uncovers who he really is.

     Night Killer has to be one of the weirdest movies I've seen in a long time.  The killer wears a mask and glove that loosely resembles New Nightmare Freddy Krueger while the story is a typical late 80s or early 90s Italian slasher.  To make this one even more interesting, it was released internationally as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3.  Yep, a movie without a chainsaw was released as one of the TCM sequels.  It's a fun movie that satisfies but holy fuck is it wild.  People that are familiar with Fragasso and Mattei really should know what to expect when the two pair up for this 90s treat.  The acting in this one is pretty good.  Peter Hooten is a criminally underrated actor and he does a fantastic job in his role here.  His character is completely unhinged and he nails it.  Tara Buckman is amazing as well as the abused, stalked, and emotionally disturbed woman.  She put a lot of energy into her role and it shows.  Her performance is genuine and authentic.  The supporting cast is solid enough but the character all lack the screen time and development that these two do.  The story for this one has nothing to do with TCM in case any of you were interested in that aspect.  I haven't researched it yet but I have no idea why this movie is connected with that series in the international markets.  No chainsaws were used.  However, I do dig the masked slasher aspect at such a late time for slashers.  By this point the slasher craze was dying off with typical movie goers burned out on the concept.  It's cool to see one with that golden age feel as the decade starts.  With that being said, it doesn't really bring us something knew.  It replaced the woods with a city setting but everything else is intact.  It's unoriginal but fun.  Finally, the deaths are pretty much a one trick pony.  The killer really loves shoving his claw through the bodies of young women.  The first kill was fun enough but it gets old pretty quickly.  The practical effects are decent enough but not as bloody or gory as I was expecting considering he just shoved his fist through someone's torso.  Overall, Night Killer is not as gory as I would have liked but the odd and absurdity of the entire film makes it a must watch for genre fans.  It's a solid movie believe it or not that I would recommend.  Check it out.