Do Not Kill It

Do Not Kill It

You know what, let me say this view for once and how many times you have heard this for the first time, it will be the most endearing sentiment. Mendez is an ace filmmaker. He is surely one of the best of the genre and worth to be tagged as MIDNIGHT CINEMA’s modern Guru for all admirers of mid-night cult movies who are also psychedelic lunatics.

Why? Because the nostalgic childhood sense of gory movies for these subculture type fans lays deep in existentialist roots that dominate such movies. Sadly, a large degree of this sub-genre is unfairly stereotyped as being crap, hastily made, cheap skate, lukewarm and clichéd films. Admittedly yes, it is cruel to say so because memorable midnight cinemas, for example, won’t come out easily without an Artist’s creativity.

So be it. Regardless if its range zero budget flicks like Gravedancers, Big Ass Spider or Lavalantula, or simply the best most recently released movie on DVD, Mendez is a pro, unbelievably good at stuffing mediocre flicks with energy and imagination. Don’t Kill It is a living masterpiece filled with unbelievable action and adrenaline.

Written off and co-directed with Robert Olsen and Dan Berk, appearing in the film a few actors such as Kristina Klebe (who played the role of the FBI agent) or Dolph Lundgren (who starred in The Expendables), among others actors, the plot turns around a demon known as Jebediah Woodley (Lundgren) and FBI agent Evelyn Pierce (Klebe) returning home in order to track down a serial killer that seems to be shedding its skin too quickly for local jurisdiction.

The thunderous and horrifically explosive jokester Woodley has to eliminate not just the gores but an entire demon that is indulging in an egregious multi-murder as this small town has a strong religious affiliation and in short, many murders to sustain it. Both the perspective of the FBI and the maniacal monster are baffled and perplexed by the question of how many lives it will shatter in its furious journey before reaching this rural area. But in order to solve the case, they also need to take care of their teammate.

Warning: A complete slaughters which is realistic only and fantastically hilarious at the same time. Why is this concept so appealing that no one has been able to put forth in all the other reviews ? In my perspective, this was a great entertainment film and it got even better with every subsequent viewing.

It was a roller coaster of emotions, I laughed, I smiled, I cringed in shame and I cheered out loud, “hell yes!” There are problems, of course, but who gives a damn? Mendez, crew and the cast are brilliant and manage to blend the corniness common in pop horror films into a work that avoids chaos! Some of what was shot in Mississippi worked, it offered a quaint and religious small-town atmosphere that sets the stage for a one-sided battle between an over-the-hill demon hunter and one more demon who feels like they’ve got something to prove.

For most of the film this stage gets constructed with violence, lots of it, accompanied by body parts and blood splatter effects and very solid and attractive practical and computer-generated effects which are not what one expects from a typical ‘Midnight Movie’, making you root for the screen at various points.

The kills have a signature to them, each unique and the monotony of not having one type of kill even when there is a lot of action. One is even shocked to see a shotgun blast ripping off the heads of the town’s locals, which is immediately followed by KILLING the nearby heads which had no honor.

Mendez and his deputy directors know how to draw out, undertake, direct and compose chaos, even in group kill scenes that, for me, fall into the same category as the film Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Yes, this film is not for the faint of heart. However, this is balanced out with just enjoyable and fitting performances from most of the cast members including Klebe who is stellar as the agent bringing in her signature toughness, sass and tenderness which have all been essential parts of her thriving career in films. Lundgren, as had been in the first one, breaks the mold of the Indiana Jones when he is physical while, of course, being in so much badassery! His age shows in the way he handles situations, operating on a much more controlled and sophisticated level than his younger days.

He’s incredibly witty which is an important element when playing his role as a hunter and a violent road warrior. He does it all, whether it’s kicking enemies, shooting a net gun (which I just think is cooler than other props), or delivering loaded sarcastic lines including ‘Merry Christmas’ to pretend to be nice. Overall, he’s a great character with a great personality. It’s not a mainstream choice for a film, but one that works. Mendez brings experience that only Mendez’s film could get away with.

I will not hide my sentiments when discussing the demon. Its design is, simple for a reason, effective in terms of a character stance and does not distract from the performances present in the film. I remember thinking that there was a lot more to push the boundaries with Mendez but after watching the movie plenty of times and seeing it from Mendez’ perspective, I appreciate the approach he and colleagues took to make the demons rather than elaborate designs violent actions, black eyes, and screeches. In conjunction, over the work of sound and score helps to combine the characters and scenes as optimism is brought from the simple though effective score by Juliette and Sean Beavan and long trend provides the necessary mood and even defines them.

It is, yes, clear that the camera work and some FX influence may be scarce at times but the way Losada portrayed the cinematography and the movement within the shots means so much. Of course, they will be disappointed to learn this is not as campy as something they might expect having watched Mendez’ previous work, with the fictitious love thing between Lundgren and Klebe being somewhere in the ballpark of a 1980s horror slash escapism buddy cop flick.

Sure, many would argue against it but for what Mendez Loidel I am sure had to work with who cares about that and let’s just enjoy this work of art which is full of blood, large body count, jokes and crazy love behind it. One of my favorites and a film I would gladly recommend for any horror fan is Don’t Kill It as this year feels like a harsh reminder that there’s so much more this film will offer the viewer and thanks to its cult status shall only grow older. It certainly is totally and completely self explanatory, a film that is pure carnage and anarchy! Support indie horror and grab a copy.

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