Haunted Monkey Paw Island: Silo Killer (2002)

Friday, April 26, 2013

Silo Killer (2002)

Holy moly! As soon as I saw the first scene I thought, "uh oh." Why don't I learn my lesson and watch the trailer before renting a movie?

A group of friends head out to the desert to camp and hunt. On the way they stop for gas and are told about an escaped killer from the nearby prison. A few of the girls want to go home, but the guys convince them any killer is going to be long gone. Who would want stay in the lonely, isolated, non-populated desert with the abandoned silo which is perfect for hiding from the law?

Soon the guys are hunting, the girls are hanging out at camp, and the two bikini girls who rode in the camper they were towing have wandered off to do some topless sunbathing. I never did figure out who these girls were. Were they hitchhikers? Did they know them previously? Did they pick them up at the gas station? Isn't it dangerous and illegal to ride in a camper being towed? There was room for all of them in the SUV's.

Nearby a killer in an old man Halloween mask carries an ax. From the movies title, you'd think he'd be killing in the silo but you're wrong. You'd also think there'd be lots of blood in a serial killer movie, but you'd be wrong again. All the kills are done off screen, which is probably because the filmmakers did their own effects (with the exception of hiring a pro for the gunshot scene).

Speaking of the gun shot scene, it involves two guys in suits who drive around the desert and keep burying things. We're never shown what they're burying, but it must be illegal because they don't like the Sheriff. The surprising thing about these characters is that they have nothing to do with the rest of the movie. They appear to exist only to pad out the running time because if you removed their scenes, it would make absolutely no difference.

There are scenes where the main characters have stupid pointless conversations, a running gag about Lyle having a different iron on t-shirt which states each activity he's participating in, unfunny dialogue, random talking, and long winded stories with lame punchlines. It seems like they were just making it up as they went along and - after hearing the interview with the director - they were. That is not a good thing.

The video is not visually appealing. Some scenes are washed out, others appear to have filters or after effects making the scenes swim in an overall tone of yellow, blue, or green. The sound appears to have been recorded live as there is sometimes background noise.

According to the interview in the DVD extras, the equipment for the movie cost around $16,000 and the production costs were $6,000. The film was shot in a month. The blood was corn syrup and red food coloring. At one point, they mention that when we see a characters legs have been cut off, they had dug a hole in the ground that he could put his legs into. No kidding. That's exactly what it looked like, too.

Also in the extras we have an interview with the guy who played Lyle, who states "Lyle is a very likable character." Really? He's not. I actually went back and listened to that sound bite a couple of times as I thought I had misunderstood him. Lyle is a jerk.

Now all the guys who are interviewed regarding their involvement with the film seem like nice enough guys. And it's cool that they were able to commit to making and completing a movie, but the problem is that it's not good. I commend them for their follow through, but not for their movie.

My favorite part was the directors interview as he inadvertently sums up exactly what is wrong with movie making today - they're too easy to make. You don't have to have any skill, creativity, or make an effort.

Here's an excerpt from the interview with Bill Konig, the director:

"Keith grabbed one camera. I grabbed the other.... We rarely looked at the script.... Most of the characters were making up a lot of their stuff up as they went anyway. I would just say Keith am I in your shot.... He'd say no. And he'd ask if I was in his and I'd say no. And then we'd say, alright let's roll and somebody do something funny or somebody cut somebodies leg off or head off. And we'll try to put it together and make a movie out of it."

"Basically in todays day and age with technology how it is today, any schmuck - as you can see - can make a movie because it's all there. It's all just pushing buttons now. We throw that camera on auto focus and just run wild with it and it does everything for you.... We don't have to do much, hit a button here or there, piece of cake."

So much for cinematography, writing, and artistic intentions.