2.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, if very flawed, early Paulin effort., June 1, 2009
This review is from: Dead Girl on Film/Kitty Killers (DVD)
Dead Girl on Film (Brian Paulin, 2001)
Brian Paulin's second feature (available through Sub Rosa films) is so obscure that it doesn't even have its own IMDB page. You probably have to be a rabid Paulin fan to even know this thing exists, but with his last two flicks, Paulin has built himself something of a following, and so the movie is getting more exposure now than it did when it first came out. That's not entirely a bad thing, but if you've read my reviews of Paulin's more recent movies, you know there's a definite progression in the professional look-and-feel and the gore effects as he goes from film to film. Given that this was his second, you can imagine how cheesy it is. Still, if you're a fan of Paulin's, it's well worth your time.
Plot: three guys need some quick cash, so they decide to make S&M porn. Which is easier said than done, I guess, since their distributor, after disappointing sales, cancels their contract. One gets the idea to up the dose and make a snuff movie. Jimmy (Paulin), the guy with the camera, is initially reluctant, but he needs money worse than the others, so he goes along with the plan. But man, do they pick the wrong star...
The thing I've always really liked about Paulin's movies is that his enthusiasm for filmmaking really comes through. Even if the movie's unbearably cheesy (as this one is), you can tell that everyone involved, Paulin most of all, had a lot of fun making it. It gives his movies a kind of charm, even when the painfully bad gore effects are coming at you a mile a minute, as they do in the climax of this movie.
I reiterate that for general horror fans looking for a professional-quality horror flick like you'd get out of the "underground" studios Hollywood is trying to pass off as indies, you will undoubtedly be disappointed by this. If, on the other hand, you're already familiar with Paulin's more recent, and better, movies, and you're interested in seeing more by the director, then this one is worth checking out. **
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