100 Tears (2007)

Director: Marcus Koch

Writer: Joe Davison

Tagline: Everyone loathes a clown…

Actors: Raine Brown, Joe Davison, Georgia Chris, Jack Amos, Kibwe Dorsey, Rod Grant, Norberto Santiago, Brad Rhodes, Leslie Crytzer, Jerry Allen, Jeff Dylan Graham

Runtime: 1h 32m

Category: Slasher

Synopsis: For the past twenty years, the East Coast has been the target of gruesome murders by a killer known as The Teardrop Killer. No definable evidence has ever been found and dozens of people are still reported missing. It seems like there is no end to this killing spree while the FBI continues to twiddle their collective thumbs and build one hell of a case file. Lucky for them, up incoming reporters Mark and Jennifer have decided to veer away from the ridiculous confines of the tabloid world, and venture into darker territory. As their investigation snowballs, they stumble across some clues that point them in the direction of a traveling circus…that just so happens to be in town. New revelations form as they get closer and closer to finding out the truth behind The Teardrop Killer and his bloody mission.

Review: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, come one come all and read the very first review written about our first official DVD screener! Now for those of you who may not know what a screener is, I shall enlighten you. A screener is a DVD-quality copy of a feature film developed by the director, writer, or Production Company for distribution among reviewers, such as myself, and film festivals. They are NOT an illegal copy! The writer Joe Davison was kind enough to send us our very first official screener. We’re movin’ on up!

The story, as the synopsis reads, follows Mark and Jennifer on their whirlwind adventure in tracking down and cracking the mystery of The Teardrop Killer. I was honestly not expecting too much out of the story, sorry Joe, no offense. But I was treated to more than your average slasher-story. The story is well thought out, albeit compact, interesting, and overall enjoyable. The reason I mention it being compact is because it seemed like all of the information we were looking for was told in an instant. I do understand that you want to build suspense and not give everything away at the beginning but, I was just not expecting to be hit with so much information at once. I think it hindered the story somewhat in the fact that once the info started flowing, we had to start remembering names and scenarios that hadn’t been important since the beginning of the film…when they mattered the least. I don’t think that the story was bad at all, it was actually very good…just too heavy in that one spot.

The acting I was expecting to just completely destroy. Unfortunately…I can’t. I was very surprised to see as much commitment out of the actors as I did. They all seemed to hit the mark and make their characters relatable and understandable. Especially Mark and Jennifer; their chemistry on screen was fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed their conversations and they were able to make it feel like they were really together. It’s nice to see that sometimes; considering most films today are too hung up on scare tactics and A-list celebrities. I was also pleased with Jack Amos’ acting as the killer. Not a single word was uttered by this character…old-school! That character was the epitome of the old-school slasher character. Very well done!

The script was also not what I had expected. As many of you know, or at least may have heard, or are just finding out, I usually don’t mention the script in my reviews. The only time I do is if the script was awesome, dreadful, or just worth mentioning. Here…it’s worth mentioning. For a feature film to pay such careful attention to their characters, story, and their gore (coming up), and still dish out a solid script…that’s worth mentioning. It was not your average over-the-top or your occasional obvious-I’m-reading-from-a-cue-card script, but it was just a good script dropped into a vat of delicious milk chocolate fudge, served with a side of blood.

The gore…oh, the gore! Again, for those of you who know, or know of me, I’m a sucker for cover art. I will rent or even buy a movie if it has sweet cover art. Most of the time the cover art is the only good thing about the movie…not here! The cover art for this film lives up to the film itself with flying colors! Never in my sixteen months of reviewing have I ever been treated to such a well-blended compilation of everything that makes a horror movie. Most of the time you have to wait at least fifteen to twenty minutes for any good kill scenes in a regular movie…again, not here! Right off the bat, just like Barricade (2007), we get a full dose of what this killer is made of. No sugarcoating, no bullshit…pure, unadulterated gore! Get an eyeful! These effects were done with such precision at times that it almost looks real. Only a diehard would be able to produce gore of this caliber. I must say…one of the goriest movies I’ve ever scene.

Rating: 22. Overall this film was amazing! I would have liked to see some ballsier camera work though. It seemed like the shots, although not bad, could have been phenomenal given the chance. The only other thing that bothered me was Raine Brown’s character near the end of the movie. I don’t think it’s her, I think it’s just the way the character was written; almost like a Edwin Neal’s character as the hitchhiker from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Here’s what it is; it seemed like the character was trying too hard to be like the great characters before them. Does that make sense? Oh, well. As a final note (not a Final Thought…I’m not Springer!): this film embodies everything good about horror movies…and screw the critics on IMDb! As much as I love their site, there’s no way it could have only gotten a 2.2/10. That, my friends, is why I’m a reviewer…not a critic. (22of25).