Off-kilter 80s slasher with a list ticking quota (...kills, nudity, cynical detective etc) and a ham fisted social commentary to boot. Honestly, I couldn't tell if it was meant to be funny, or not. The tonal shifts are jarring, and at times mind-boggling. Especially after such a downbeat intro. Scenes can linger on shock moments, and are dramatically pitched. And again I'm not too sure if it's meant to be intentional - for a laugh, or just over doing it. Nothing subtle about these murders. Then there's the nasty killer (tagged the open house killer), and bizarre editing around him. His face was kept hidden, as he goes to work. Sometimes creative, other times savage. The actions are so random, and never go beyond those minor details leaving plenty unexplained. This nutter is a brute of a guy who grunts, growls, giggles, eats pet food out of a can(?!), pats kittens and regularly calls a radio station psychologist(Joseph Bottoms) to vent about society by sharing his thoughts on the killings of Beverly Hills female real estate agents. And the doctors girlfriend (the lovely Adrienne Barbeau) just happens to work in the field. A novel concept that's predictably scripted, but had enough quirks and solid performances to keep myself entertained.
Review of Open House
