Laugh Killer Laugh (2015)

I had no idea that Kamal Ahmed, one of the Jerky Boys, has been writing and directing low budget films for a number of years. This grindhouse throwback to the gritty NYC 1970s crime flicks, the likes of of Abel Ferrara or Larry Cohen, is fun for fans of that subgenre, though I'm not sure others will get much out of this film. The excellent William Forsythe plays a hit-man who follows a woman to her creative writing class (taught by the big brother from "ET") where he begins writing stories based on his crimes to impress her. It's an interesting set up, that felt very Larry Cohen-esque, but the characters and plot never really grabbed me. The film seems more of an exercise in style, with the players acting out film archetypes rather than fully fleshed out characters. Tom Sizemore even shows up, in true B-picture fashion, for what must have been a one-day shoot talking directly to the camera and not interacting with any other actors. Still, when all of this is packaged in an obvious nostalgia piece, right down to an amazing retro style title sequence and score (by Scott Hampton), this film is enjoyable enough for fans of films like "Ms. .45" or "God Told Me To."

Kamal Ahmed tried to make an ambitious movie but in my eyes he just failed. Despise William Forsythe that tries to make the movie a bit interesting the rest of the cast doesn't bring much to the movie. And also the story is just too slow and sometimes makes not much sense to make it enjoyable to watch. I even fell asleep for the last five minutes and I even didn't bother to rewind to watch those five minutes over. I couldn't care less how it ended. It's one of those movies you watch once, without much interest, and that you will completely forget about in a month. I'm even going to write the title down so that I don't forget I already watched it and that it wasn't good. Don't want to make the same mistake twice.

William Forsythe does more with facial expressions and reactions (and nonchalance) than actors who might have played this role in a ham-fisted way. The 180 degree turn of the role gave him a chance to sink his teeth into it. The writing is excellent which is how he got Mr. Forsythe in my opinion. We are sensing something bad is going to happen and it does. The directing is a bit much with the camera at moments but forgivable for a maiden voyage. The editor may not have been given the shots required for smooth transitions and the music is 70's TV-esqe. The D.P. is also excellent. Three stars. I will look forward to another film by this filmmaker. Congratulations!

This was totally worth the watch for me. I think I connected to this film as a New York City native and maybe an understanding and compassion for the everyday New Yorker that lives removed from Manhattan's isolation is required here. Frank Stone, to me, is the story of that interesting person that so perfectly fits in the scenery a crowded NYC subway car or eating a midnight meal in a pizzeria, the kind whose story you will wonder about the whole way home. In a sense, Kamal Ahmed is kind of a Raymond Carver, an everyman's filmmaker in an era of comic book blockbusters and spoof sequels. Laugh Killer Laugh isn't without it's flaws, but I'd be hard pressed to find a movie that has made every viewer happy. Laugh Killer Laugh is a simple and entertaining film about love, loss and revenge.