Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Horror With Humor, February 7, 2004
A serial killer named The Postman is on the loose. He has been so named due to the fact that the decapitated heads of his victims have been found affixed with postage stamps inside of mailboxes. A rogue FBI agent enters the scene claiming to be a messenger of God sent to stop this evil. This is a dark comedy told in a semi-documentary style a la THIS IS SPINAL TAP. The grim subject matter may turn off some viewers, but the film is a success on many levels. David Carradine (KILL BILL Volumes 1 and 2, and KUNG FU the television series) turns in a wonderfully over-the-top performance as a religiously fanatical FBI agent who's just as crazy as the man he's out to catch. Michael Burrows' (Buck from KILL BILL Vol. 1) is a perfect counterbalance as a postman and the person Carradine suspects. Burrows seems on the verge of exploding any minute, teetering from dominating husband to happily expectant father so effortlessly that you're not quite sure if Carradine's on the right scent or not. Joe Unger is a riot as a detective who can't seem to say more than a syllable without swearing in frustration. Various styles of cheese and ham are served up by the other memorable supporting players who find a way to make us laugh at what is essentially sick and twisted material. The weakest links are Darren Burrows and Missy Atwood who play a young couple intrigued by all the events going on in their small town. The former stands in the middle of the actor's tennis court with one foot on the over-the-top side of acting and the other foot on the side of OVER-acting. The latter serves lobs with both feet firmly planted on the over-acting side at all times. The film has quite a few unexpected twists and the documentary style sets up for some nice visual variations. The film parodies and parallels how similar gruesome events are frequently and casually covered in the media and how we've learned to just sit back and watch, sometimes forgetting why we watch, and that is to try and understand why these things happen and hope that true justice gets served in the end. We laugh at and fear the character's in this film because they exaggerate the world we live in and remind us that since we laugh at and fear them there's still hope. This film is recommended for those who like their horror movies with a little tongue in cheek.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Low Budget Gem, October 26, 2004
Tarantino was right on with his recommendation. What an original, not your run of the mill rip off slasher flick. This is a hidden treasure, dont get me wrong (B)+ Movie at best, but the concept the story has major potential. It could be so much more than it is, with a bigger budget, and a mastermind at the helm. Good stuff, worth the watch, imagine the possibilities.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
R.I.P Monster Hunter, June 10, 2009
I thought about titling my review: With respect to the late great David Carradine this is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, but it seemed longer than the rope he.... If you think that's tasteless wait till you see the movie. 'Monster Hunter' is ultra violent, ultra gross and Carradine is sooo over the top it hurts. David's half brother Michael Bowen stars as a homicidal postman who goes on a killing spree. Perhaps the thought of becoming a dad sets him off. He begins by murdering the neighbors and leaving their decapitated heads (complete with proper postage) in their mailboxes. The cops have no idea how to catch him so they bring in an expert (Carradine)to help them. What they don't count on is the fact that the expert is even crazier than the killer. The body count rises as the stage gets set for a showdown between these two madmen. The film is told in a tired documentary approach that features a film crew interviewing everyone in the postman's life hoping to catch clues about what made him a killer. We're treated to interviews with everyone from the killer's redneck cousins, his disgusting mother and a psychiatrist (a hilarious Bob Balaban). The only reason to see this film is for Carradine's over the top performance. Whether he's performing an exorcism or pumping a sawed off shotgun that he replaces with wooden stakes when it runs out of bullets and then jumps off the hood of a car, he proves that his one of a kind craziness will be missed. This film debuted on DVD shortly after 'Kill Bill' hit theaters, so it comes complete with an endorsement from Quentin Tarantino prominently displayed on the the case. In light of the way Carradine went you might reconsider a scene where he sits nude and proceeds to whip himself into a literal frenzy. It kinda makes you wonder. The film is trash but the DVD has a fun commentary featuring Carradine, Bowen and the film's director. Bowen and the director are too busy praising their own work convinced they've made some kind of masterpiece. This leaves plenty of dead air for Carradine to share some wonderful stories. Some of them are coherent and good others just plain bizarre. All of them however are entertaining. He'll be missed.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
