Plot: A sadistic serial killer is stalking the streets of Virginia Beach, but his latest victim has managed to survive the horrific encounter. After an obscene phone call leads to a home invasion, Melanie (Tara Buckman) is attacked and brutalized, but the trauma has wiped her memory out. She can’t even recognize her own life anymore, let alone be able to identify the man who assaulted her. The killer continues to prowl and even taunt Melanie in the wake of the attack, while a mysterious stalker Axel (Peter Hooten) also appears and starts to harass her. This leads to an unusual relationship, as Melanie wants to kill herself, but Axel refuses to allow her to do so and insists that he will kill her, but only when the time is right. Is Axel really the man under the killer’s mask, just toying with Melanie’s emotions or is the real murderer someone else and how in the hell will all of this be resolved?

Entertainment Value: This is an absolute masterwork from Claudio Fragasso, a wild, insanely entertaining movie that never ceases to baffle and amaze, reaching surreal heights most films could only dream of. The narrative of Night Killer seems simple at first, a masked killer on the loose, but the movie soon spirals into one strange twist after another, creating this fever dream atmosphere. I was enraptured by this one, as it has enough craziness and awkward moments for a dozen movies, hardly no time and a steady flow of mind melting scenes. This is also one of the rare cult films where almost every element is somehow twisted or outlandish, including the characters, where even the smallest role seems memorable. I loved the nerdy, yet bad ass cop, but Night Killer is packed with colorful characters, most of whom are given at least few chances to let their magic shine. The pace is brisk and unlike a number of cult favorites, there is almost no moments of normalcy in this one, so we’re treated to a parade of off the rails madness for the entire duration. The movie is even able to deliver a suitable finale, which is quite a surprise, given how outrageous the rest of this picture is. I can’t recommend Night Killer enough, it is immense fun and Claudio Fragasso has graced us with one of the wildest, most mystifying movies of all time.

This movie has some nakedness, as our leading lady can’t seem to keep her breasts under wraps. If she needs to make a phone call, her breasts sneak out of her shirt, no matter what she does, those pesky breasts make an escape. This includes an epic sequence where she performs a wistful monologue in front of a mirror, while caressing her breasts in tender fashion. The movie has several topless scenes, but that one takes the cake, without question. We’re also gifted a man in a bulging speedo, after he is forced to strip down at gunpoint. There’s some violence as well, such as numerous splashy fistings that leave gaping wounds and some slash attacks, all fueled by our masked villain’s ample talons. The dialogue is hall of fame level stuff, an insane script brought to life by a cast that pulls out all the stops. This is pure magic, quotable and brain crushing lines that never stop coming, while the melodramatic, over the top performances make things even more awkward. The interactions between our leads are enough to send the score into the stratosphere, but Night Killer has gold across the board, a treasure trove of odd, off the wall dialogue and performances. The movie also scores big in the insanity department, as few scenes have even a shred of normalcy and even the more routine moments have some kind of strange slant involved. The dialogue, characters, and performances are all wild enough to ramp up the score, but then we have the pills on the beach scene, the obscene phone call, full body waxing, rubber mask seduction, attempted murder as foreplay, soap opera style family drama, the wacky finale, and of course, the outrageous scenes between the two leads.

Nudity: 3/10

Blood: 5/10

Dialogue: 10/10

Overall Insanity: 10/10

The Disc: Severin Films has given Night Killer the royal treatment, with a new 4k scan sourced from the original negative. This is a wonderful time to be alive, as the movie looks beyond fantastic and exceeded all of my expectations, even based on Severin’s excellent reputation. The image is clean and sharp, with much stronger detail than I anticipated. The movie has bright colors that are well replicated here, such as the visual wonder of that vivid blue speedo. This is the kind of presentation fans have dreamed of, a terrific all around release. On the extras front, we have interviews with director Claudio Fragasso and co-writer Rossella Drudi, as well as the film’s trailer.

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