Director William Friedkin, no stranger to intense controversy, delivers a pulse-pounding white trash mix-mash of BLOOD SIMPLE and LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT in this largely underrated misunderstood gem. When a movie opens with a guy pounding on a trailer's door in the rain and when it's shoved open, we get a FULL-ON SHOT of lovely actress Gina Gershon's naked snatch, you know you're watching something where the normal, safe MOVIE LAWS do not apply! Gershon plays the door pounder's evil stepmom (!!!) with sheer relish and sexual abandon (which includes loads of teasing nude shots and an incredible scene where she has to fellatio a chicken drumstick at gunpoint---I'll never look at KFC drumsticks the same, and be sure to see the UNRATED EDITION of this film for the full impact!) as the plot kicks off amidst this stormy night in the trailer. Stepson Chris talks to his dad Ansel about a problem he has---he owes money to a local drug lord that is going to cancel his ticket unless he coughs up the dough in a couple of days. True winner Chris has hatched a plan to kill his REAL mother and collect on her insurance money--- he's heard through the grapevine that the payoff will go to Dottie, his younger sister, who lives with daddy Ansel. Chris wants everyone to assist- including Ansel, stepmom Sharla (Gershon), and sexy young sister Dottie (played with alluring, innocent sexuality by luscious and captivating Juno Temple). These White Trashers all agree the world would be a better place without estranged Mom, and splitting up the $50,000.00 insurance money would be a boost for all of them (life is cheap in Texas, eh? That's about $10,000.00 a piece for each individual!). Of course, none of these Simple Trashers have the guts to kill mom themselves, so they hire local cop Joe, known as KILLER JOE on the streets, who also happens to moonlight as a hitman. Joe is underplayed to wicked perfection by Matthew McConaughey, who is so subdued and downright evil but you can't help but LIKE him as he utters some of his first lines to our group: "Your gonna pay me for a service that I'm gonna preform. Your gonna give me the particulars of her schedule, her habits. I'll act on them accordingly. I won't give you any details on those activities because the less you know the better for everyone involved." Not since David A. Hess calmly invoked his son Junior to commit suicide in LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT '72 has there been a villain this tricky, sly, and evil. This is truly what Lucifer in the snake must've been like, tempting Eve. Things get out of hand when our hiring group can't afford to pay Joe up front, but all agree to GIVE him young Dottie for his sexual needs any as a retainer. It doesn't matter that she's a MINOR and a VIRGIN, this family just WANTS THE MONEY! The sex scenes with McConaughey and Juno Temple are incredibly difficult to watch---McConaughey is so twisted, sick, and SLICK in luring this young innocent into what is essentially rape that I'm actually surprised they got away with depicting such a thing in mainstream cinema! Only a mad dog director like William Friedkin could pull such a thing off in this politically correct age. Nineteen-year-old Juno Temple jumps into her victim part with fevered ghusto, giving us unabashed full-on nudity and a doe-like innocence that makes you cringe as you watch---and trust me, you cannot tear your eyes away from the situation! But of course, all is not what it seems as the proceedings unfold and the brilliant script by Tracy Letts (based on his decades-long running play) throws us twist after twist and double-cross after double cross. Suddenly everyone is screwing everyone over and NO ONE screws Killer Joe over after a job has been completed. The ending is pure brilliance: shock and awe---Friedkin and his cast at their finest in a white trash stand-off where every character betrays the other and some people aren't quite as dimwitted as you thought. It reminded me of John Carpenter's main theme in THE THING '82---"Who can you trust?" Why no one, even family! This movie is brilliance on a budget, Friedkin holding onto his crown as simply one of the best American film directors ever to live, and aptly demonstrating his unending, incredible talents with a masterpiece of independent moviemaking at the age of 75! The extras on the DVD chronicle some of the incredible hurdles Friedkin had to make to get this film made (stuff that would make even a young newbie throw in the towel for sure), and I'd strongly suggest checking those out along with his astounding, inspiring new autobiography, THE FRIEDKIN CONNECTION.
Director William Friedkin, no stranger to intense controversy, delivers a pulse-pounding white trash mix-mash of BLOOD SIMPLE and LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT in this largely underrated misunderstood gem. When a movie opens with a guy pounding on a trailer's door in the rain and when it's shoved open, we get a FULL-ON SHOT of lovely actress Gina Gershon's naked snatch, you know you're watching something where the normal, safe MOVIE LAWS do not apply! Gershon plays the door pounder's evil stepmom (!!!) with sheer relish and sexual abandon (which includes loads of teasing nude shots and an incredible scene where she has to fellatio a chicken drumstick at gunpoint---I'll never look at KFC drumsticks the same, and be sure to see the UNRATED EDITION of this film for the full impact!) as the plot kicks off amidst this stormy night in the trailer. Stepson Chris talks to his dad Ansel about a problem he has---he owes money to a local drug lord that is going to cancel his ticket unless he coughs up the dough in a couple of days. True winner Chris has hatched a plan to kill his REAL mother and collect on her insurance money--- he's heard through the grapevine that the payoff will go to Dottie, his younger sister, who lives with daddy Ansel. Chris wants everyone to assist- including Ansel, stepmom Sharla (Gershon), and sexy young sister Dottie (played with alluring, innocent sexuality by luscious and captivating Juno Temple). These White Trashers all agree the world would be a better place without estranged Mom, and splitting up the $50,000.00 insurance money would be a boost for all of them (life is cheap in Texas, eh? That's about $10,000.00 a piece for each individual!). Of course, none of these Simple Trashers have the guts to kill mom themselves, so they hire local cop Joe, known as KILLER JOE on the streets, who also happens to moonlight as a hitman. Joe is underplayed to wicked perfection by Matthew McConaughey, who is so subdued and downright evil but you can't help but LIKE him as he utters some of his first lines to our group: "Your gonna pay me for a service that I'm gonna preform. Your gonna give me the particulars of her schedule, her habits. I'll act on them accordingly. I won't give you any details on those activities because the less you know the better for everyone involved." Not since David A. Hess calmly invoked his son Junior to commit suicide in LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT '72 has there been a villain this tricky, sly, and evil. This is truly what Lucifer in the snake must've been like, tempting Eve. Things get out of hand when our hiring group can't afford to pay Joe up front, but all agree to GIVE him young Dottie for his sexual needs any as a retainer. It doesn't matter that she's a MINOR and a VIRGIN, this family just WANTS THE MONEY! The sex scenes with McConaughey and Juno Temple are incredibly difficult to watch---McConaughey is so twisted, sick, and SLICK in luring this young innocent into what is essentially rape that I'm actually surprised they got away with depicting such a thing in mainstream cinema! Only a mad dog director like William Friedkin could pull such a thing off in this politically correct age. Nineteen-year-old Juno Temple jumps into her victim part with fevered ghusto, giving us unabashed full-on nudity and a doe-like innocence that makes you cringe as you watch---and trust me, you cannot tear your eyes away from the situation! But of course, all is not what it seems as the proceedings unfold and the brilliant script by Tracy Letts (based on his decades-long running play) throws us twist after twist and double-cross after double cross. Suddenly everyone is screwing everyone over and NO ONE screws Killer Joe over after a job has been completed. The ending is pure brilliance: shock and awe---Friedkin and his cast at their finest in a white trash stand-off where every character betrays the other and some people aren't quite as dimwitted as you thought. It reminded me of John Carpenter's main theme in THE THING '82---"Who can you trust?" Why no one, even family! This movie is brilliance on a budget, Friedkin holding onto his crown as simply one of the best American film directors ever to live, and aptly demonstrating his unending, incredible talents with a masterpiece of independent moviemaking at the age of 75! The extras on the DVD chronicle some of the incredible hurdles Friedkin had to make to get this film made (stuff that would make even a young newbie throw in the towel for sure), and I'd strongly suggest checking those out along with his astounding, inspiring new autobiography, THE FRIEDKIN CONNECTION.
