Murder Rock (Special Edition)

[Nobody]

Murder Rock (Special Edition) By Lust del Carrion

Directed by: Lucio Fulci
Released by: Shriek Show
Approximate Running Time: 90 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Region Coding: NTSC Region 1

At the Arts For Living Center in New York City, students are practicing dance routines to perfection for an upcoming production. However, they unexpectedly find out that only a few of them will be slected for this upcoming production. The selection process seems to be messy though, as the students start to end up dead at the hands of a mysterious killer who pierces women's breasts with a hatpin, puncturing their hearts. As accusations start being thrown left and right by students, everyone turns into a suspect.

Murder Rock is a very unique film when set along side Lucio Fulci's other works. It is not filled with gore and it has a very different atmosphere than most of his films. Fulci has done a few giallo films, but Murder Rock is unlike any of the ones he has done before; i.e. Don't Torture A Duckling and The New York Ripper. It bares a close resemblance to its slasher relatives, but it is much more unique and much better. The film is very smooth, and it showcases some excellent photography, courtesy of Giuseppe Pinori. The soundtrack by Keith Emerson is absolutely amazing. Emerson's music along with Giuseppe Pinori's photography and Fulci's direction, makes for one great film.

The dance scenes with Emerson's music are really great. Most people feel that there are to many dance scenes, and that they take away from the film. It probably is true that there are more dance scenes than necessary, but the music is so catchy that I don't mind them at all.

Fulci adds some great suspense to the film during the kill scenes. The ones that take place at the dance school are terrific. The lights flashing to the sound of a heartbeat, as the killer comes closer and closer to his victim, will have you watching with full attention. There is very little blood when the killer strikes though, and it seems as though Fulci may have been going for an almost made-for-television type movie. The lack of blood/gore doesn't ruin the movie at all though. If anything, it makes the film better.

Shriek Show has once again put together an awesome package for Fulci fans. This 2 disc set is loaded with extras. The first disc contains the film, trailers and a great commentary with Giuseppe Pinori and journalist Federico Caddeo. The second disc has an awesome featurette on Lucio Fulci, titled Tempus Fight. There are also featurettes on Giuseppe Pinori and Ray Lovelock. A third featurette is on Ray Lovelock talking about Lucio Fulci and how he was to work with on Murder Rock. Overall, this is definitely a DVD package worth adding to your collection.

Extras

Disc 1:

* Original trailer
* Shriek Show trailers
* Commentary w/ director of photography Giuseppe Pinori, moderated by journalist Federico Caddeo

Disc 2:

* Featurette Tempus Fight an inside look at director Lucio Fulci directed by Daniel Gouyette, featuring: Italian horror icons Claudio Argento, Dario Argento, Luigi Cozzi, Ray Lovelock, Dardano Sacchetti, Claudio Simonetti, Sergio Stivaletti and Antonio Tentori.
* Portrait of Guiseppe Pinori (director of photography)
* Portrait of Ray Lovelock (lead actor)
* Lead actor Ray Lovelock on Lucio Fulci's Murder Rock
* Photo gallery

Score

Film: 4 out of 5
DVD: 4 out of 5

[GL]

Picked this up today, so when I get around to it, my thoughts.

[Nobody]

Yea, not for everyone. Its very different from Fulci's other films. It doesn't fit in with his later gore/zombie films, and it doesn't really fit in with his early giallos either.

[GL]

It's Eurohorror and from one of my favorite directors, so this should be decent enough.`

[Nobody]

I hope you enjoy it at much as me then.

[GL]

Finally got around to this one yesterday (but the review isn't approved yet, so I"ll send it over when it's approved) and like I originally predicted, it was decent enough.

The kills are the best part, and are quite suspenseful. The nudity is nice enough (thank you, Olga!!!!!) and the mystery side of it is very well played out. A lot more emphasis on clues and solving crimes rather than just wandering around and catching the killer in the act. The final reveal on the killer is pretty sweet and does come as a nice shock that is 100% against expectations. And the disco/electronica/whatever you wanna call it soundtrack is topnotch and very catchy.

The downside is that it's a little too slow for some. Most giallos move a lot faster than this one, and while the mystery angle is nicely played, everynow and then you want more clues (or murders, for those playing the home game of "What's that mean?") and there could've been a lot more murders than what we were given here. That could mean a little more gore, as the fact that all the kills are done in such a bloodless way is a major weak point. Vary a little (it's just like the old addage: no one wants to go to an amuzement park with 20 merry-go-rounds and one roller coaster) and could've also used a little bit of that in the end as well.

Right now, it's at the bottom of the Fulci pole, but with Zombie 2 and 3, City of the Living Dead and House by the Cemetery running against it, it was bound to be there anyway.

[Nobody]

Yea, it is definitely not Fulci's best, but I enjoyed it. Something new from the man. Im glad you seemed to enjoy it quite a bit too. I agree it can run a bit slow sometimes, and the clues were pretty limited. It's a fun flick though.

[GL]

Well, the review past, but rather than posting the link, I'll just re-paste the vital parts of it:

The Good News: There is a couple of nice moments here. The mystery itself isn't bad, and the weird inclusion of the dreamed-of maniac adds something fairly interesting. It’s the best part of the film, since it really does show some spark of originality within the film. The whodunit nature of the film is brilliantly played out, and the final reveal is effective. The fact that it’s so unexpected and comes out of the clear blue is a great help, giving it a smarter approach. The murders are undoubtedly what makes this one shine, and there are several standout set-ups in here. The several kills in the beginning center are a perfect example, as the killer’s point-of-view is mixed with a claustrophobic setting and the ingenious use of a strobe light to give it a little extra. That flashing light in the background does work quite well and builds a really great atmosphere for the kills. The later scene in the apartment is the real suspense highlight, and it plays out really nicely. The fact that songs during the dances aren’t that bad is a good thing, and it makes the scenes a little more enjoyable.

The Bad News: This is overall a really decent film, which means there’s some hard-to-digest moments. The drawn-out pacing is used to maximize the suspense, but the slow-going nature of the proceedings actually has the opposite effect and grinds the momentum to a halt. It hurts the film greatly, as the middle section is a long, overly drawn-out series of investigations that take away from the killing. This is a major gripe against the film, and it harms it the most. Although it's a cheap shot, the lack of gory slayings hurts the film even further. The method of killing is the major reason, as there’s hardly a chance for it to happen, and that really neuters the potential for it right at the start. Overall, the slow pace is what kills it more than anything.

The Final Verdict: Far from being a traditional Fulci film, this is a rather mediocre effort here. It’s nice to see him doing something other than the normal gore set-pieces and try out something else, but the result is a very slow and boring film that will only appeal to the most hardcore Fulci collectors and European fans, while those that don’t like them as much are advised to seek caution.