Bloodletting (1997)

BLOODLETTING is a very cheap and uneventful indie horror flick from 1997. That means it was shot on video and feels very dated, more so than Hollywood fare from the same era. The plot is about a maladjusted young woman who tracks down a notorious serial killer and becomes his apprentice, but don't go in expecting lots of gore and frightening incident; this cheapie is all about the chit chat and little else. The film tries for quickfire dialogue a la Quentin Tarantino but the writer isn't adept enough to carry it off and although the acting isn't the worst, it's not enough to make this remotely good.

A girl who tracks down the assumable killer of her best friend. She wants him to teach her how to become a serial killer. The story of Bloodletting is somewhat weird, but it sure does draw attention. High hopes, but very disappointed: Bad camera, bloody horrible acting, fake blood: it all makes you reconsider the story. If there is one word to describe the movie, which is hard, awful would be praising; it is complete and total crap. While the minutes are ticking away, the movie loses its credibility. Making love on a bed where a dead body is: OK. Killing for kicks and orgasms: fine by me. Tearing of somebody's private parts, including jeans: no way. 'Waste your bucks on something else' I thought. Like hell continues, the ending is also terrible and terrible. If I had to make this movie, I would start it. The film is doomed to fail.

------- WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD -------Bloodletting is one of the better low budget horror flicks to come out in the 90's involving the serial killer theme. The main characters are Butch and Serena. The basic plot involves a demented tale of murder and mayhem with many twists and shocks.Bloodletting was not an easy film to make. It's shooting time was only 3 or 4 days with a very meager budget. There was high tension on the set throughout filming and several friendships were tarnished for years. It's amazing that the final cut turned out to be a decent little movie, although it's not without mistakesA newly released official DVD of "Bloodletting" is packed with many bonus features. Although the picture and sound are nothing to rave about, it looks as good as it will ever look on DVD, especially considering it wasn't shot on 35mm film. It is presented in Full Frame, which is it's original aspect ratio. The new sound remix is leagues better than the old vhs edition. Now for the actual special features:It includes the short film "I've Killed Before" which was shot before Bloodletting and also starred Ariauna Albright & James L. Edwards. This is basically a shortened version of Bloodletting with some minor differences in the story and names. Shot on video, it had a poor production that made the final product suffer...however it is still entertaining, if only to compare with the later Bloodletting.A new and interesting "Making Of" feature sheds some light on the problems that plagued the production. Some deleted scenes are also worth it to buy this DVD. Trailers for Bloodletting and many other Tempe movies are also included. A still gallery is also very nice, with production photos and artwork of the various old vhs editions. A large section of Text Reviews from various sources are also included.The DVD does include an inner insert with notes from Tempe's J.R. Bookwalter. Perhaps the nicest feature is the DVD-ROM feature. If you place this in the DVD drive on your computer you can access the FULL SOUNDTRACK for Bloodletting (previously for sale on CD) in high-quality MP3 format!Not everyone will enjoy Bloodletting as much as some. Several scenes could be quite offensive to certain people. Especially the baby killing scene and the grotesque scene paying homage to Wes Craven's classic "Last House On The Left". But, if you're a fan of low-budget horror then you really need to check it out......

The film, though interesting, is marred by some initially bad acting by the female lead (who does eventually get better, though). The script is sometimes too wordy for its own good, and after a while you wonder why these people are still talking and not doing anything. The whole serial killer angle is rather silly. The film suffer badly from lame direction; the film's cinematography ranges from poor to just incompetent. Yes, it's a low budget movie, but that really doesn't excuse the filmmakers from making a film that has some LIFE.