Fantastic!

Don't Believe the Hype

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Head Case is a raw, gruesome (and at times, darkly comedic) 'found footage' style horror film about a serial killer who videotapes his crimes, while his wife watches (and occasionally participates). The film is unapologetic in its brutality and isn't afraid to go places some horror films won't. Paul McCloskey plays serial killer Wayne Montgomery with a dry, deadpan demeanor that is both creepy and endearing. His wife Andrea (Barbara Lessin) provides some of the film's comic relief, as she watches her husband commit murder after murder while commenting (and sometimes critiquing) his work. The familiarity of the characters hit home for me (I know people just like Wayne and Andrea), which added to the overall creepiness of the film. Head Case is certainly not for all tastes, but I liked it.

Apart from The Exorcist, Requiem For a Dream, and Marmaduke, there are very few films that genuinely disturb us. We first saw Head Case back in February of last year. We revisited it the other day and it still messes with our heads.For one thing, as we said in our original review, this does not feel like a proper film. It feels like a home movie. From the dialogue to the acting to the camera-work, everything about Head Case feels about a million times more real than The Hills.And while the gore can be plentiful and icky, the most horrific scene shows absolutely nothing but if you are "enjoying" the film up to this point, the sequence will absolutely chill you. Make no mistake, though. You will either love this film or hate it. There is no middle ground, and that is a good thing.We've become big fans of Mr. Spadaccini, and not just because he put a quote from our original review on the DVD cover. Every film of his that we have seen is unique, beautiful in it's own twisted way, and even if you don't like them, you will never forget them.And that is a good thing.

Head Case is a dark and chilling film, but if you solely take it in the context of a gratuitous horror film, then you are clearly going to overlook the main impetus Spadaccini is striving for. Although the acts of murder and vile mutilation are a major and indeed gruesome part of the plot, there is a more wholesome and intriguing aspect to the film which often neutralises its more shocking elements.The discourse between Wayne and Andrea is perhaps the strongest element of Head Case, and as much as it can be witty and incisive it can equally be cold and chilling. There are some wonderfully humorous exchanges between husband and wife and initially infers Andrea holds equal footing with her husband. But the more we observe their day-to-day activities we soon realise Andrea is nothing more than an interested spectator, and without the camera we could imagine her to be nothing more than a disinterested housewife. Spadaccini does capture this emotional dichotomy of the couple beautifully, such as when Wayne and Andrea are having a minor domestic argument in the bedroom, and Wayne considers the only way to soothe his wife's rising anger is to take her on a drive to find another hapless victim that will sooth his own.But when deconstructing their behaviour it seems fairly obvious this is not a gruesome tale of two serial killers, but a tragic tale of a married couple seeking to invigorate their sterile marriage. Both characters display an overt sense of emotional detachment that comes forcefully through when dealing with their victims. While Wayne dissects one such victim and discovers her to be pregnant, Andrea cannot find any maternal sympathy other than briefly pass the camera over the bloody carcass of the foetus. Ironically, this is the brutal turning point of the film when Monica enters the room to make the horrific discovery, and Wayne enacts punishment in the only way he knows best. From this moment it is clear who holds the real power in the relationship, because despite Andrea's pathetic pleas of "That's enough," Wayne can only see one way of preventing his dark secret from seeping out. I am sure Spadaccini will take criticism for this shocking moment, but does enforce who is in real control of the film, regardless of the critical character of Andrea: "Look at the mess you've made!"But these dichotomies often keep you interested in the film, much as the dichotomy of Crime & Punishment keeps you interested in the motivation of Raskalnikov, and whether he will seek redemption and salvation in a greater good. But if marriage and family have not saved Wayne, then it is doubtful his moments of familial good will outweigh his greater moments of sadistic evil. For a man who can lovingly take his son on a driving lesson but sadistically ignore the crying pleas of a soon-to-be butchered mother forcefully realises how far beyond redemption Wayne has gone, and the spiral of madness he is influential for leaves little possibility of a reconciliation by the close of the film. Indeed, when Wayne seeks to initiate Andrea into his sadistic world we know there is no hope for this couple, and the sooner this nightmare is destroyed the better it will be for all concerned. Naturally, Spadaccini has the last word on this matter.For an independent film Spadaccini has worked hard with many genres and movie styles; considering the constraints he must have been working under. He has done very well to provide a unique experience for the discerning horror fan, and I can appreciate why this film will not be to everyone's taste. But based on the characterisation, the humour and the plot, I do think Head Case has the capacity to become a cult favourite for many others. Following on with other comments, we are seeing here the development of a very talented writer and director, who seems to be able to inject something fresh and compelling into a very tired and overdone genre.

A very dark and twisted sense of humor runs through the entire film. The urge to laugh often replaced with laughter. Reminiscent of the Raimi classic "EVIL DEAD", and like that film we are seeing the beginnings of a great filmmaker. Such a combination is a very hard thing to get done on film. One example of such irony would be when the lead characters argue over whose turn it is to clean up a bloody mess. macabre, disturbing and compelling all words used by others to describe this work. We travel though the ordinary a most unusual elements of the lives of the Montgomery's. I will never see a cheese grater the same again. This film was one of the selections at the Newark Film Festival.