Now, while this movie is about one of the most brutal mass killings ever, much of the most brutal violence is either off screen or implied. It is not a terribly bloody movie, so if you are looking for a graphic gorefest, you would best look elsewhere. This is also probably tied back to the budget.
What Speck succeeds at is creating an interesting looking film. The budget, sorry to keep bringing this up, is well hidden by the surprisingly excellent cinematography. There are a lot of interesting angles and compositions. I am not kidding here, it looks good. It is also accompanied by incessant creepy atmospheric music, not really a score, but effective music that works for the film. Those technical elements, the convincing women, and the creepy presence of Cole, all work to the film's advantage, although they do not make it a good movie, just one that is interesting in its execution.
What really brings the movie down are its rather slow pacing and its awful screenplay. Most of the dialogue is delivered as internal monologue by Speck. As I listened to it, I have to wonder if the writers actually read what they wrote. I have a strong suspicion that they just loved their work and never went back to proof it. I mean half of the things that Speck says are almost immediately contradicted in the next line. Sure, this could be on purpose to demonstrate how unbalanced the guy is, but it just strikes me as awkward and plain poor writing.
In the end, the movie is worth watching for the credible, if thin, performances, and the interesting look the filmmakers were able to achieve. However, its lack of forward momentum and the poor narrative counterbalance that, so that while it is worth it, you have to be ready for it.
Audio/Video. Not the best, not the worst. It is a low budget movie, it is a low budget disk. Audio is presented in stereo and does the job and won't tax your system. Likewise, video is presented in widescreen format and does the job without any glaring issues.
Extras. Two trailers are included, one for Speck and one for Birthrite. I would have liked a commentary, or something.
Bottom line. Not bad, it is a cheap disk to pick up, or toss in your Netflix queue. It is not a movie to watch to learn about Speck, but it has nice atmosphere and is worth a peek. Just keep your expectations low.
Mildly Recommended.
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