Customer Reviews

The Monster Hunter [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Aside from the Final Destination movies, this is the only movie that could possibly be the best movie this decade/century/millenium so far. It's certainly one of the very few movies I've found scary.

Although, I don't know if calling it possibly the best movie this century is more related to how good it is, or how bad almost every movie from this century so far is.

I passed this standard looking movie on the video shelfs a number of times and not once did it grab my attention!! However, a friend of mine told me that he took a chance on it and it was not to bad!! I went out the next day and rented it for myself! You know what??? It's not too bad! In fact it's pretty good!! Yeah, the acting is a little hammy at times but all in all it's worth the rent! If you look for those movies that don't have CGI FX, once again check it out! There's nothing like hidden gems!

I saw a reviewer say that this was a weak mocumentary film- are there so many that this isn't a good one? First off, this is the best "mocumentary" film I have ever seen. I'm quite a fan of Christopher Guest. This movie is F***ing HILARIOUS. If you didn't get that this was not a horror, or a slasher, or anything scary at all as film goes then you probably didn't laugh during 'American Psycho.'Buy this film right now.

Dave Carradine (what little we see of him, before he
gets bumped off), plays a overzealous FBI agent/MIB
type paranormal fiend-fighter, who runs into two ser-
ial killers among a bunch of weird residents of a small
texas town. Mike Bowen, Carradines Brother-in-law of his
fourth or fifth wife (in real life) in Serial Killer no.1.

Here's the storyline; there are two serial killers in
the same small Texas town. One beats up and rapes the other
serial killers wife (!) and uses his killings as motivation
to not be outdone! There are interruptions galore as two
interviewers keep asking redudent q's out of a host of over-
the-top characters that are just plain weird and not funny!

Darren Burrows gets some overdue face time here,
but whatever Quinton Tarantino is smoking, is he ser-
ious when he claims this is 'great'? He just wanted Dave
back to sell his 'Kill Bill, II'!

Though 'Monster Hunter' (or 'Natural Selection' if you like) shows David Carradine (yes, Bill of 'Kill Bill') on its jacket, and has his name top-billed in the credits, his role is not as big as those things might lead you to think, so think before you buy or rent. I saw this film simply because I thought I can see awesome 'Bill' image, the kind of Oscar worthy terrific performance from Carradine.

Sorry, but no such things here, partly because of the film's weak script and the equally weak acting from Carradine. He plays the titular 'Monster Hunter' from FBI, in a MIB suit, who investigates the serial killer case in a small town in Texas. His method is very unconventional -- some ritualistic prayer before lit candlesticks, for instance -- and not exactly a hero of the film.

Actually, 'Monster Hunter' is shot in a so-called mocumentary style, showing a series of interviews including the killer's mom, parents of victims, and the psychological analysis of one doctor. Also you gradually come to know how the real killing was done through the narrative told in between.

You soon realize that this is a film made in a tongue-in-cheek mood, twisting the rules of the horror genre. The idea is interesting, but it has been done much more effectively in three 'Scream's, and compared to them, the mock documentary style is, I think, not a suitable one, for it always wavers between feeble gags and tedious thriller. There are some good moments -- either shoking or funny -- but they are not many in number.

And like I said, Carradine is no Bill here, whose irresitible charms made Uma Thurman's 'the Bride' fall in love with the guy. Taranino might love this film, but I for one beg to disagree. Only Bob Balaban who played a know-it-all psychiatrist does a professional job.