I had no idea there were so many movies about photographers who are serial killers. My god, just look at the Killer Photographer label, and you'll see how many VZ1 movies contain this trope. Ridiculous... but it's getting to the point where we've covered so many, we might as well try and see them all!
Albert (
Jon Wachter) is a lonely, mentally slow hot dog vendor.
He works the late shift where he's routinely mistreated by drunk customers.
Albert secretly obsesses about Lexy (
Adrienne Gori), a girl who used to work at the hot dog stand with him, but has moved on to better things.
When a drunk customer gets too belligerent, Ivan (
Theodore Bouloukos) steps in to help out Albert. He's a photographer and invites him to his studio.
Albert shows up to Ivan's studio where Sarah (
Tina Tanzer) is being prepped for a photo shoot.
Albert is to pose with Sarah.
It's awkward.
Ivan has Albert stick a garbage bag over Sarah's head and pretend like he's strangling her.
Albert begs Ivan to teach him photography, but Ivan isn't so generous with his time. Instead, he goes and screws Sarah.
Ivan can't believe how well his photographs turned out; Albert is perfect for his bizarre work. However, Albert won't agree to pose again unless he teaches him photography skills.
Ivan provides some rudimentary lessons in photography, and loans him a camera. In return, Albert agrees to pose again. This time he's covered in blood, and called "The Demon Butcher of Meat Street".
He's to pose with a girl (
Marseille Morillo) made-up to look like a pig. Inspired by Albert's real job, the girl represents a hot dog.
Again, it's real awkward.
The pig girl finally refuses to do this. Not because it's ridiculous, but because she's a vegetarian.
Albert just stands there looking like a bloody psychopath.
Albert takes some of Ivan's advice and musters up the gumption to bring a woman back to the studio. It's a crusty prostitute (
Teena Byrd), but it's something.
She shows Albert her boobs, and he promptly puts a bag over her head and kills her. It's uncertain if Albert really is aroused by this, or whether he's just stupidly parroting Ivan's faux fetish photography. In other words, if Ivan had been a still life photographer, maybe Albert would just be taking pictures of fruit.
The best scene in the movie. Albert can't understand why all his pictures turned out blurry. He goes to a camera store where the clerk (
Peter Trojgaard) marvels that he can't even use a Polaroid without fucking it up.
Searching the streets for his next model, Albert finds a girl (
Sarah O'Sullivan) blackout drunk.
She carries the girl back to the studio.
Still unconscious. she's tied up and a bag is put over her head. Albert manipulates her arms using a rope like a puppet string.
Then he pulls down her blouse.
Then he cuts her up.
Ivan runs into Lexy, who's now homeless and doesn't seem to be doing to well. Albert offers to take her to "his" studio.
When he arrives at the studio, Jackie is there and humiliates him. In front of Lexy, he's chastised for entering the studio without permission. So, while Lexy is outside, he kills Jackie.
Lexy is invited back in, given a bridal dress to wear... and a garbage bag for her head. Uh-oh.
Albert lustily takes pictures of his dream girl.
As Albert begins to strangle Lexy, the police put a bullet in his head. They'd been tipped off by Nancy, who had received a panicked call from Jackie.
At Albert's funeral, Ivan and Lexy are the only two in attendance. We find that Ivan is a bit of a psycho himself, wishing Albert had killed Nancy instead. He curses Albert and vows revenge.
It ends with Ivan taking Lexy for a ride in his limo. Presumably, this will be how he enacts his revenge upon Albert. THE END
Initially, I was worried this was going to be awful, but it grows on you. The actors playing Ivan and Albert are quite good and well suited for their roles. At times, it has an early eighties feel [ie Maniac (1980)] with its grimy city streets and bleak vibe. However, it could have used more sleaze and gore - I mean, c'mon, are we really above it? Trying to avoid "resorting" to exploitations elements is a bad move for a movie like this; which sadly makes this rather forgettable. A good film, mind you, but one in need of a few jolts, shocks and trash to kick it up a few notches.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆6/10
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