Lets get this out of the way right now. The Orphan killer does not kill orphans. He is an orphan. See? Much in the same way David Berkowitz was called the .44 Caliber Killer. He didn't actually kill .44 caliber guns, right? Ok, moving on...
There are obvious similarities between The Orphan Killer and Halloween. Both Marcus Miller and Michael Myers wear masks, kill people and are trying to kill their sister. Michael Myers' reason has been so convoluted to me now that i have no idea if he even knows why he wants to kill her any more. Whereas Marcus Miller's motivation is clear and simple: he believes his sister abandoned him at the orphanage where they ended up after their parents were killed, and forgot about him. Well, at least i know their mother was killed. You don't see what happens to the father and are left to assume he was killed.
The abuse he receives at the hands of the nuns that run the orphanage take their toll on Marcus. His mind deteriorates and twists the ideals of religion to fit his plan for revenge on, and salvation of, his sister, Audrey Miller.
Blame the nuns for the mask!
Years later, Marcus returns to the orphanage where it all started, and where Audrey now works, and brutally kills his way through everyone to reach her and bring on one of the best torture scenes i've seen on film.
It may have been in different ways, but they both asked for it!
The conclusion was somewhat predictable, and i say this in a good way. I was already hoping for a sequel by that point in the film, and the ending gives me hope to see one.
Yes, The Orphan Killer is an indie film. But not since Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi have i seen the line between and indie and studio film appear to be so thin. In fact, i can definitely say that TOK is superior to quite a few studio horror movies out there. To begin with, there are the actors. Diane Foster, who plays Marcus' sister Audrey, does an impeccable job. While some actresses overplay the victim role to the point where you want them to die, Diane reigns in her ability and releases it with maximum effect at the right moments. She does it right and i never once questioned her character. Ok, maybe at the beginning where i think her wardrobe for a Catholic school play was less than conservative. David Backhaus, playing Marcus Miller, did a fine job creating TOK's personality through his range of physical motions and minimal dialog. The other minor roles were well handled by the actors with Director Matt Farnsworth doing a commendable job by molding everything together into a nice neat package. Matt also played the role of Officer Mike Hunt. Mike Hunt. Get it? Say it out loud if you don't.
I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok!
I was happy to see that the effects in the movie were "real" and not cgi. Honestly, i'm sick of cgi! How hard is it to mix some stuff together to make a red liquid and spray it around a bit? All the gore was well-executed, pun intended, and felt satisfying, due in no small part to the use of physical props. It's obvious that the budget in the special effects department was not skimped on and that they had some talented artists on this production.
While i love the music featured in the movie, i don't think it fit all that well with some scenes. I would have appreciated a more moody or eerie song in some situations and the death metal that was provided sort of went against the visual mood. Even jarringly so a few times. Don't get me wrong, i love all kinds of metal, so i know there is a wide gamut of metal songs out there that may have been used more effectively, in my opinion.
Instead of nitpicking and exposing minor flaws and shortcomings, i'd rather focus on the positives about the film. TOK was positively FUN! So much so that within the first 15 minutes of the film, i totally lost that "uh-oh, what kind of cheesy indie film am i stuck watching now" feeling. In fact, i had soon gotten so into it that Marcus was instilling in me that feeling to cheer when the bad guy came on screen. Furthermore, i couldn't stop thinking that i needed to have that mask! After i mentioned this to my wife halfway through the movie, she patiently informed me that i have the mask. I had ordered the blu-ray/mask bundle and my immersion in the film had made me forget that little fact. Who knows what kind of magic there is in some movies that just pulls you in and makes you want to see it again as soon as the credits stop rolling. Whatever it is, The Orphan Killer has it!
You know this isn't going to end well, right?
As i mentioned, i bought the blu-ray/mask bundle which also comes with the soundtrack. I haven't seen the standard dvd version of the film, so i can't compare the quality. But i can say that the blu-ray, for the most part, looks and sounds very good. It sounded like the dialog was too loud during the first scene, but it balanced out soon enough. Other than that, the 5.1 audio mix was appropriately effective and clear.
TOK has a nice dark surreal look, however the HD transfer sometimes accentuates the limitations of the camera and gives a few scenes more graininess than what i think was intended. Most of the brighter scenes show good clarity and contrast. Overall, i'm glad i bought the blu-ray and i'm quite satisfied with it.
I was a teenage Marcus Miller
Bottom line is i enjoyed this movie immensely and have no reservations recommending it to anyone. As a matter of fact, i encourage everyone to watch this movie and see what indie horror movies are really capable of. The orphan Killers is available in several bundles including signed copies, shirts, masks, etc. I don't know how anyone could not get the signed blu-ray or dvd/mask/soundtrack bundle. But hey, as long as you get the movie, that's what counts.
Bullshit! Don't be so cheap! At least get the dvd/t-shirt package and support these guys so we'll see The Orphan Killer 2, dammit!
Be sure to visit The Orphan Killer on their website: The Orphan Killer
