H6 – Diary Of A Serial Killer (Tartan)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C- Film: C-
A
convicted killer somehow gets to own a brothel and brings it back to life as a
torture, rape and murder center in Martin Garrido Baron’s violent and violently
predictable H6 – Diary Of A Serial
Killer (2005) which is simply another acted-out snuff film not-so-cleverly
disguised as a horror serial killer thriller.
However, the lack of suspense once again along with the lack of ironic
distance and not even the least bit of ambition in trying something different
with the dumb and depraved Martin Garrido screenplay.
The
killer (Antonio Frau) has a drive to “cleanse” people, but he is never even
partially developed and all we get is a series of set-up-mutilate-and-kill
segments that are very similar and similarly stupid. Even the diary is unoriginal, looking like a
really, really, really bad rough draft of what David Fincher finally came up
with in his great thriller Se7en. Fincher has another serial killer film coming
up and I bet it will be far better than this mess.
As for
snuff films, for those who don’t know, they are illegal films people shoot to
show others being mutilated, tortured, raped and killed in all kinds of
manner. Joel Schumacher’s 8mm was a great comment against
them. This whole cycle is the equivalent
of the same thing, except we are watching actors, but just to make a buck these
films are made to capitalize on that potential desire. The unstoppable freedom of The Internet has
something to do with this, but did not cause this to begin with. After watching this, the Saw films suddenly seem less exploitive, which says something
considering how dumb they are.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is lame, dark, color poor, detail poor
and offers poor Video Black throughout.
Sergio Delgado’s cinematography shows every way NOT to shoot a film, but
for this cycle of snuff, this debased look is all the rage. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 mixes have
a defect where they steer the center channel to the Front Left channel, so the
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix is the best by default and still lacking. Extras include the trailer for this and seven
other Tartan releases, plus interview with the cast and director.
This
cycle is not dead yet, but when it is, someone should hold a party.
- Nicholas Sheffo
