HEAD CASE: Director's Cut - Review by Tony DeFrancisco, FatallyYours.com
HEAD CASE: Director's Cut - Movie Review (fatallyyours.com)
Review by Tony DeFrancisco
A few months ago I saw Amateur Porn Star Killer (review), and for the lack of a harsher word, I hated it. I hated everything about it. I hated the camera angles. I hated the characters. I wished each and every one of them died of a painful death. I wanted each copy of the film to be destroyed so no more human eyes can see it. And since then, I haven’t hated a horror film at all (Yeti: A Love Story[review] does not count, for your info).
Until now.
A little bit of back story behind Head Case. The film and I go a long way – back to the Cadillac ages, perhaps. Anyway, I was supposed to review the film back in November, but someone involved with the production sent the wrong disc (a “rough cut”). So, seven months later, I was surprised to see the “director’s cut” in my mailbox. They must really like me if they go all out for seven months, eh? Yeah, I’m sure I won’t get any love after this review, because Head Case sucks.
The film is supposed to be a “snuff documentary,” looking into the lives of two serial killers and their families. Wayne and Andrea Montgomery (Paul McCloskey and Barbara Lessin) are happily married on the outside, with two kids (Bruce De Santis and Emily Spiegel) that are not aware that their parents are cold-blooded killers. Their M.O…they don’t have an M.O. They decide to kill whenever they see fit to kill someone. I’m still surprised that these dumbasses of serial killers even know how to work a camcorder, let alone know how to kill someone (which kind of explains that half of the deaths are by feeding their victims laundry detergent behind their backs).
The best I can give this film is that they don’t cheat us with the video angles. Being shot on a camcorder, Head Case should have been one of the shakiest of shakey-cam movies. The film is based off of “home-video footage” in chronological order, but we can never be sure if the director tries to mess with us on that observation. It may be in chronological order and may not, but it is up to you to decide. (The director put the film in chronological order, but to make it seem more like real home footage, they probably threw a few scenes where they don’t belong, making some of the film nonlinear.)
Everything else, however, doesn’t catch a break.
At the beginning of the film, we see this family as just like an every-day family. They have their siblings that fight over who is the favorite and the two adults that go on and talk about every day things. In the second half of the film, the family gets torn apart. It is at this time when I find the film completely unbelievable. It isn’t surprising that these filmmakers didn’t know how to end the film, especially when one character abruptly leaves.
The characters are believable for the first twenty minutes, but then when you closely examine them, you find that they are nothing that they should have been. McCloskey looks too much of a turd that isn’t covered in shit and Lessin just comes off as annoying. Their children look more like serial killers than these two do. Maybe the director could have convinced us a little bit more that these guys were killers as opposed to Star Trek geeks.
Head Case is terrible. I wouldn’t go as far to say that it is worse than Amateur Porn Star Killer, because nothing is as bad as that (except for Yeti), but it is definitely something I’d never want to watch again.
HEAD CASE: Director's Cut - Review by Brian Morton, RogueCinema.com
HEAD CASE - Movie Review(roguecinema.com)
HEAD CASE: Director's Cut (2007)
Review by: Brian Morton
Review Date: 6/2/08
Last September I saw an early cut of the new Anthony Spadaccini movie, Head Case, and it was very good. Well, Anthony sat down and recut the movie and what I liked before I love the second time!
The director's cut doesn't really add much to the story of the twisted Montgomery's, but what it does add really makes a difference. Head Case is really the tale of Wayne Montgomery and his wife Andrea. Wayne is a serial killer who retired when he started a family, and now, 16 years later, he's decided to take his hobby back up. And, Andrea, being the supportive spouse, decides that she should be involved too. The movie is all 'taken from the Montgomery home movies' so the cinema-verite style works very well for the film. We follow the Montgomery's as they begin their gruesome little hobby, as they perfect their technique and even as they have to handle a family situation when their daughter catches them dismembering a corpse!
The main difference between this version and the original is very minor but makes a great deal of difference. There's a short segment at the start with Wayne explaining why he's shutting down his hobby, and there's a segment at the end that leaves this wide open for more horrific adventures for the Montgomery's. I enjoyed the original a great deal, but this version is much better, there's some added grue for those who enjoy that sort of thing (myself included in that number) and the ending left me really wanting to know what was next! Back in September, I gave this a solid three and a half cigars, but I have to say, the slightly different cut made the difference to me, this version rates a full four out of four cigars! You can find out more about Head Case by heading over to the Head Case MySpace page, or, you can visit the Fleet Street Films MySpace page to find out more about all of Mr. Spadaccini's movies, I've seen many of them and they're all very good! So, until next time, when I'll still be cringing from the sound of Wayne Montgomery sawing through a spine, remember that the best movies are bad movies.
HEAD CASE: Director's Cut - Review by Felix Vasquez Jr., FilmThreat.com
HEAD CASE: Director's Cut - Movie Review (filmthreat.com)
| HEAD CASE: Director's Cut |
  |
| 2007 |
 |
| Rated: Un-rated |
| Running Time: 106 minutes |
| Review by: Felix Vasquez Jr. |
| Review Date: 5/9/08 |
| Production Company: Fleet Street Films |
I was able to see the early print of Anthony Spadaccini’s “Head Case” last year before most other people, and it was a significant departure from his typical mold of film making. The director has been keen on developing strong socially conscious semi-documentary dramas about homosexuality and the undercurrent of prejudice and homophobia in America with well-deserved acclaim, and it was interesting to see him stray from that routine into a hardcore horror flick.
After watching the original cut the first time, I thought it was good, but it needed a definite cosmetic trim. The early cut was longer than it needed to be, the scenarios were far-fetched and middling, and it needed a healthy explanation of events. This new cut is just what the doctor needed, and Spadaccini makes some considerable improvements along the way, even if some of the flaws from the previous cut are still here.
“Head Case” is an entry into the found footage fad attempting to twist the typical formula by featuring two of the most unsuspecting folks on film who happen to be vicious psychopathic killers with a fetish for taping their victims and mutilating their corpses for show. Anyone looking to get on their high horses should avoid this at all costs, since this is simply just a torture film, but it’s admittedly fascinating in its premise since Spadaccini casts average looking actors to portray the Montgomery’s, wholesome parents with children by day who happen to be sadistic, voyeuristic murderers by night.
In spite of the need by the director to grab as much cringe-inducing gore as possible, the style on which he films is bleak, and gives the movie a startling gloss that posits the footage to seem very genuine. “Head Case” is a series of scenarios that shows the apparent sexual thrill these murders give them, shedding light on an apparent suppression normality and monotony wreaks on these individuals. Spadaccini is more prone to pointing the camera on husband Wayne (played with sly charm by Paul McCloskey) who treats his victims like game to a hunter, and lashes out like a child when he goes through a long period without the sadistic activities.
Spadaccini wisely trims the movie by twenty minutes, and cuts many scenes mercifully short. The Thanksgiving scene is trimmed considerably, as is the inevitable tedious confrontation in the climax, and there are much more moments of carnage conveying the lengths of their madness. The moment where their daughter walks in on one of their murders is still rather disturbing to sit through and her fate is emphasized well.
The caveats are still present though, even with the director’s attention to them. Why is Todd so banal about his sister missing? Why are Wayne and Andrea hardly ever questioned about their daughter’s disappearance? Why does no one draw attention to Wayne’s camera at all? And why are strangers so submissive to Wayne and Andrea’s orders? On the same level, Spadaccini still never quite focuses enough on the familial aspect of Wayne and Andrea to convince us that they’re leading double lives, and the inevitable fate of Monica has little impact, because of the under development of her character.
Nevertheless, “Head Case” is a very effective and strong effort from Spadaccini and the hefty trim makes the movie much more accessible and entertaining.
HEAD CASE: Director's Cut - Review by Lillian Patterson, Cinema-Crazed.com
HEAD CASE: Director's Cut - Movie Review (cinema-crazed.com)
HEAD CASE: Director's Cut (2007)
Rated: Unrated
Genre: Horror Mock Documentary Thriller
Directed By: Anthony Spadaccini
Running Time: 1.46
Review by: Lillian Patterson
Review Date: 5/6/08
Special Features: Not announced.
THE GOOD: Have you ever thought to yourself, "Damn, my neighbors (family, parents, friends, etc.) are crazy?" Want a cure for that thought? Watch "Head Case" and see what "crazy" really looks like in all its banal glory. I say "banal" because the thing about Wayne and Andrea, the older married couple featured in this film, is how maddeningly normal they are. They converse calmly about everyday things, raising kids, fixing holiday meals and the like, in this semi-bored manner that sets the viewer at ease, but at the same time they lure innocent people into their home and commit violent acts of murder, filming these slayings for future viewing pleasure the way some families film birthday parties and vacations. The footage looks real too, it's not slick like some other movies that pretend to show real amateur video footage. If you recall my review of the premier edition of this film, my only real complaint was the lack of gore in the movie.
| If that was your concern, have no fear, pick up the director's cut. There's definitely more grue this time around. Want to watch someone feed body parts down a garbage disposal, getting angrier by the minute when it doesn't work? This is the movie for you! Not only does this scene highlight the icky nastiness of the movie (yay, more blood!) but it displays the most disturbing thing about the couple: they don't see vicious murder as anything out of the ordinary. |
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They converse about in in the same calm tone they'd use to discuss home repairs or bills or any other everyday subject. In fact, Andrea shows more emotion when Wayne forgets to put a coaster under his drink than she does watching Wayne suffocate or dismember someone. As for Wayne, he considers murder a career. More than once he makes statements like "this is what I do" and "this is what I'm good at." He really is good at it too, this detachment from any human morals or emotions serves him well when he hacks away at his victims. The extra blood this time around was enough to turn my stomach, and hearing Wayne and Andrea's daughter scream as they "punished" her for walking in on one of the murders is truly disturbing. It's rare for movies to actually be disturbing in a culture where we've seen pretty much everything, but this movie achieves a level of "disturbing" that impresses me, and the director's cut contains more of what makes the movie great in the first place.
SUMMING UP: Check out the movie stills on the page and then do yourself a favor and check out the movie, too; even better this time around.
a/s/l: A Tale of Online Dating - Review by Brian Morton, RogueCinema.com
a/s/l: A Tale of Online Dating - Short Review (roguecinema.com)
a/s/l: A Tale of Online Dating
2007
Review by: Brian Morton
Review Date: 3/1/08
Online dating is one of those things that completely confuse me. Perhaps I'm too old to understand, but I definitely understand the downside. And, if I didn't, then Anthony Spadaccini's short film, a/s/l: a tale of online dating, would give me all the info I believe I need.
The tale here is a cautionary one, the story of two less than perfect people who are online dating, as they chat with each other, they imagine what a real-life meeting would be like and, as the man looks into his future, he already has commitment anxiety! This is a funny little movie about online romance and imagination. Both stars are perfectly cast, Barbara Lessin is great as the woman, but it's really Jay Cusack as the geeky guy who sells the movie. As in real life, it seems that online dating is territory is more comfortable to women than men!
a/s/l: A Tale of Online Dating is a great little movie that will have you laughing, and maybe rethinking that online dating service subscription! You can check it out for yourself by heading over to the Fleet Street Films YouTube page, it's a fun little short that will make you laugh, I promise! I'm giving a/s/l: a tale of online dating four out of four cigars, because it made me very thankful that I'm married and won't have to ever deal with this style of romance for myself! So, until next time, when I'll be using my computer for 'other' purposes, remember that the best movies are bad movies.
ROOM FOR RENT - Review by Brian Morton, RogueCinema.com
ROOM FOR RENT - Short Review (roguecinema.com)
ROOM FOR RENT
2007
Review by: Brian Morton
Review Date: 3/1/08
Anthony Spadaccini may be the only person in the country not only making silent movie, but making them well and making them fun! His short, Room for Rent, is not only amusing, but also lends itself as a great addendum to Anthony's darker films.
The short (clocking in at less then 4 minutes) is basically a tale that any of us who have lived with a roommate can identify with. Two roommates are preparing dinner, one a healthy meal, the other fast food and take-out. First they compete for counter space, then they compete over a glass of water, all while one roommate refuses to put down the phone. As the meal becomes more and more frustrating to the healthier roommate, she reaches her limit and takes action!
What the action is, I'll leave for you to see for yourself, but let's just say that it's something we've all wished we could do to an annoying roommate! Room for Rent is a fun short that has won that won lead actress Barbara Lessin a Best Actress award at the Philadelphia Film Race, a competition that challenges filmmakers to write, shoot and complete a film in 12 hours. I'm giving Room for Rent 3 and a half out of four cigars, it's not perfect and some people will be annoyed by a silent movie, but this is fun and worth your time. You can check it out for yourself by heading over to the Fleet Street Films YouTube page. So, until next time, when I'll be waiting here silently for another movie to begin, remember that the best movies are bad movies.
HEAD CASE - Review by Brian Morton, RogueCinema.com
HEAD CASE - Movie Review (roguecinema.com)
HEAD CASE
2007
Review by: Brian Morton
Review Date: 9/1/07
Over the past year or so, I've seen almost every movie put out by Anthony Spadaccini at Fleet Street Studios, and I have to say, Anthony has his own unusual style and it's been fun seeing his skills increase and improve with each movie. Well, Fleet Street and Anthony have done it again, taking Anthony's particular verite style and combining it with a recognizable genre to create something new, different and very cool! It's called Head Case and it's a new take on an old tale.
The story here is about the Montgomery's, a seemingly normal couple, with the exception that the husband (Wayne) is a retired serial killer who has decided that, now that the kids are getting older, it's time to take up his 'hobby' again. Only, now his wife (Andrea) has decided to help him out. The movie is made up of 'home movies' made by the Montgomery's as trophies of their killings. We watch as the couple decide how best to drug their victims, what tools are best to torture them with and, ultimately, we see their lives fall apart as the police get closer to catching them. Spadaccini's style compliments the movie very well, as a pseudo-documentary, Head Case works very well. The acting is pretty good, a little stiff at times, but that's really from the younger cast members, so I'll have to forgive that.
The only real problem I had with the movie was that it ran a little long and there wasn't as much of the 'killings' as I would have imagined from a horror movie. Don't get me wrong, what's there is grisly and great for gore fans, particularly a scene where Wayne is trying to saw through something that appears to be very hard and then he comments "who would have thought that a spine was so tough.", it really sent chills down my spine and then every stroke of the saw thereafter was like fingernails on a chalkboard, it was an extremely effective scene! I've giving Head Case three and a half out of four cigars, and it only lost the half cigar because it was a bit long. It's still well worth your time, if you're near a festival that playing Head Case, you'd be well served to check it out for yourself. To find out more about this cool new movie, head over to the Head Case MySpace page to find out more. So, until next time, when I'll be showing my own home movies, which don't have any murders on them, only me getting hit in the groin occasionally, remember that the best movies are bad movies.
HEAD CASE - Review by MvMMDI (User ID), MoviesMadeMe.com
HEAD CASE - Movie Review (moviesmademe.com)
| HEAD CASE (2007) |
| 8 / 10 |
 |
| Fleet Street Films |
| Director: Anthony Spadaccini |
| Writer: Anthony Spadaccini |
| Genres: Family Drama, Horror, Sadistic Horror, Slasher Film |
| Released: September 8, 2007 |
| Website: Official Site |
| Movie ID: 1350 |
Wayne Montgomery was Delaware's most prolific serial killer. From 1986-1989, he was responsible for the deaths of countless people, while maintaining a quiet suburban life with his wife Andrea. In 1989, he took an extended hiatus from his work to settle down and help raise a family. Last year, Wayne decided to come out of retirement to continue his life's work, with Andrea now joining him in his craft. The grisly details of Wayne & Andrea's horrific crimes were captured by Wayne's video camera, a sick, twisted way to relive the experience again and again. Hundreds of hours of shocking footage shot over a period of several months have been edited into a feature length film, with cooperation from the victims' families. This footage is now being presented as a feature length film from award-winning filmmaker Anthony Spadaccini.
So reads the official synopsis for the film, and to be honest, I couldn't have put it better myself. Unlike some (well, a lot of) other indie films who try to make their movie out to be more than it actually is with misleading descriptions and out-of-context quote snippets, Head Case delivers us exactly what it promises, and the result is actually a pretty disturbing film... to a certain extent, that is.
Just as the synopsis states, the film is made to look like a series of home movies shot by serial killers Wayne Montgomery (Paul McCloskey) and his wife Andrea (Barbara Lessin), and we watch everything from the two eating a Thanksgiving dinner with friends to Wayne mutilating the penis of a drifter in his bathtub. The film plays out not unlike one of the August Underground films, but with more emphasis on the psychological terror than the grotesque. You won't see anything in Head Case that will rival one of the infamous "gut bubbles" or puke scenes that made those August Underground movies so popular, but you will definitely get to know the characters a lot better, and sometimes, that can be even more disturbing than gratuitous violence and gore.
Now, that's not to say that the film is lacking in the gore department. There's actually a good bit of it to be found here (if the penis mutilation didn't give it away), but again, you certainly wouldn't mistake this for an August Underground film. These scenes are used to compliment the underlying story of two killers who just so happen to be your average suburban couple with two kids, a two-story house in a nice neighborhood, and a white picket fence outside. Therein lies the most disturbing aspect of the entire film: these killers aren't chainsaw-wielding maniacs, nor are they deranged psychos who get off on committing unspeakable acts on their victims. They could very easily be "that family from down the street" in any neighborhood, and personally, I find this sort of material to be far more effective than "traditional" horror.
I also particularly enjoyed Paul McCloskey and Barbara Lessin in the leading roles. These two may not have been the best of actors, but they do share a great chemistry with one another and in fact, their lack of Hollywood-esque acting talent actually lends some credence to the theme that drives the film along. When watching these people stutter, trip over their lines, and get a little mixed up on certain dates and events from time to time, it allows the viewer to believe that maybe, just maybe, this really is a legit collection of home video footage that someone put together for our viewing pleasure. After all, who delivers Oscar-worthy monologues in the real world? Who hasn't tripped over their words from time to time? This sort of thing wouldn't work in many other films (and in fact, it may not work here depending on your personal tastes), but personally, I enjoyed it and felt that it added a little something to the overall experience whether it was intentional or not.
Now, although I have given this film nothing but praise thus far in the review, I have to point out that it wasn't a flawless movie. My main issue with it comes as a result of the running time: the film runs for a little over two hours, and truthfully, it could have easily been cut down to ninety minutes. Some of the character development could have been trimmed down, as after a while, they sort of start repeating things that we've already figured out on our own (yes, I get that Andrea is borderline-OCD about cleanliness), but the most glaring error in this regard is the kill sequences. As an example, one of the murders features Wayne cutting up the remains of his victim, and at a quick glance, the effect looks highly convincing; however, the camera zooms in and lingers on the props, and as a result, the illusion is quickly shattered when we realize that he's simply cutting up a pile of meat from the butcher store. Less could have been so much more in this case, and - believe it or not - I also wasn't too fond of the number of kills found in here. When we watch the first couple of murders, it works: they're done with style and a disturbing amount of savage glee, and some of them were actually quite memorable. However, when we start hitting kills number six, seven, and eight and realize that not much is changing in regards to the actual execution methods, it starts to get a little repetitive.
Still, I do have to give director and writer Anthony Spadaccini praise for accomplishing what he set out to do with this film. It's appropriately vile and disgusting, and it's also terrifying on a level that most indie horror flicks could only dream of achieving. I still stand firm in my belief that a little editing could go a long way with this, but the overall product is still highly recommended. 8/10.
HEAD CASE - Review by Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema-Crazed.com
HEAD CASE - Movie Review (cinema-crazed.com)
| HEAD CASE (2007) |
 |
 |
| Rated: Unrated |
| Genre: Horror Mock Documentary Thriller |
| Directed By: Anthony Spadaccini |
| Running Time: 2.06 |
| Review by: Felix Vasquez Jr. |
| Review Date: 8/25/07 |
| Special Features: N/A |
MEMORABLE QUOTE: THE GOOD: There are those of us who live double lives. We have secrets, we put up facades, and of course, we smile just to hide the misery, or anger, or secrets that we don’t want known. Some of us can be seen plain as day, while others hide it well. What Anthony Spadaccini attempts to do is paint the picture of the All American family, and lulls us into a false sense of security. This is once again a horror movie about our next door neighbor and what they do behind closed doors. While they may look like the average Nuclear family, they’re indeed vicious serial killers. Playing on the frames of people like John Wayne Gacy who was a party clown and seemed pretty average, along with Norman Bates who seemed like a meek little man but was actually a vicious killer, “Head Case” is the chronicle of two people who would be the last you’d expect murder from. In their public life, they’re smart, average folks who raise kids with fulfilling jobs. But behind closed doors, they’re vicious predators preying on anyone they set their sights on. And of course, it sets us up for a brutal and vicious ninety minutes of killers with a taste for human flesh, doing what they do best. What’s most haunting about “Head Case,” is that our two culprits look like average folks on the street, and Spadaccini makes an extra point of noting this quite often, even in the opening where our couple discusses their plans, and which poisons can or can’t be tasted. This conversation and strategy is interrupted by their children calling in the background, which makes this scenario all the more gruesome, especially since Andrea seems to take such relish in discussing the taste of poisons. This entire film is chronicled by our two killers who record their traps, poisonings, murders, and inevitable cannibalism through a video as an obvious result of hubris for them to examine later. This couple is very strategic in the scenarios and traps they set for potential victims, as well, they’re very business-like in their preying as they get straight to business, and seem to approach this as any other profession. Of course, their children have no idea what they’ve done and possibly have been doing years before they were born. Spadaccini definitely approaches the horror genre with a natural finesse as the film is gritty and often times very stark with our couple feeding each other’s egos, and examining their skills while also grabbing a sheer thrill from the torture they inflict. They play with their victims and know them before the inevitable drugging, create sick games and different methods for the murders, and later on even memorize the victim’s lines and reactions and bemoan never collecting any artifacts from the murder. “Head Case” has a definite sense of humor about itself at times, but never so much that it becomes a comedy. Spadaccini strictly steeps his film into the horror genre and keeps the tension and brutality a constant, while giving us glimpses into their family life. The ensuing plot twists as the plot progresses are often very shocking, and we’re never truly given a defined set of principles or rules these people abide by, beyond enjoying the concept of death and torture. THE BAD: One of the many caveats of “Head Case” is that we’re never given enough sense of the characters to actually know them or be pulled in deep enough where we can feel connected to them, or hate them. Andrea is consistently reduced to nothing but her duties as a housewife and assailant, and really does nothing else beyond carrying the camera around and nagging Wayne. Meanwhile Wayne is probably the deepest character, but we’re never sure how to respond to him. He’s supposed to be a hollow shell, but then times call for him to sympathize, and then we’re pulled back and forth on what his character is supposed accomplish in this role as murderer. At times he’s submissive to his wife, and then dominant, then he’s dominant during his murders, and submissive on his methods when his wife badgers him, and he’s drawn much to uneven to really gain a full sense of what type of creature he is. Meanwhile, we’re given the average family motif, but there simply isn’t enough focus on their children and the family life that is a cover for their life behind closed doors; we see only one scene of Wayne and Andrea bonding with their children, and it’s much too fleeting a scene to provide the proper impact for the second half of the film where it takes a turn for the worse. Beyond that, the film is really about twenty minutes too long, where scenes tend to drag. The thanksgiving dinner scene is almost endless, the inevitable confrontation is sadly flat, and scenes of Wayne hunting on the street are almost fruitless. A good fifteen minutes could have been shaved off to where we felt a better sense of urgency, while we’re left with many lingering questions that are hardly ever answered. Did Todd ever really know what his parents were doing? And why did he complain about Wayne and Andrea’s apathy when he himself didn’t really seem to give a crap? Why would they carry around a camera everywhere they went, even during their hunts? Wouldn’t it draw suspicion? Why not bring along a hidden camera, or a camera in a bag? You figure a couple with enough know-how to cover up crimes would gather the technology for stealth while filming. Aspects like that were pretty ambiguous and irksome. SUMMING UP: The family that slays together stays together; “Head Case” is a surprisingly competent debut into the horror genre from Fleet Street/BPA Productions, and director Spadaccini with haunting performances, a sharp sense of dark comedy, and while it’s long in the tooth, and under-developed, it’s still a very strong horror effort, in the end.
Wayne: Pain is what I want.
This is the first technical horror movie from Spadaccini and Fleet Street, and he immediately challenges the framework of the traditional family. What if the Cleavers were actually serial killers behind closed doors? What if the Brady’s were actually Satanists? That would make much more sense. “Head Case” is very much in the vein of films like “Amateur Pornstar Killer,” and “Alone with Her,” in that we’re given a glimpse into the lives of killers through found home videos shown in chronological order.
