TAD Series – Murder Party

A lonely guy gets a random invitation to a Halloween party. When he arrives he realizes that the only treat he’ll be getting is murdered at the hands of a group of artists who want to turn his death into an art project.

Written and Directed by – Jeremy Saulnier

Starring – Alex Barnett, Macon Blair, Paul Goldblatt, William Lacey, Stacy Rock, Skei Saulnier, Chris Sharp, Beau Sia, Bill Tangradi

Finally back to the TAD Series, I’m trying to get to the 2008 round of films as a portion of the lineup for 2009 will be announced in 5 days. Murder Party showed as part of the 2007 TAD and was a great movie. It’s got just the right blend of comedy and horror and the lead character, Chris (Chris Sharp) is perfect as the lonely loser who gets caught in the middle.

When a group of art students decide to film a murder as an art project it starts out on the right track. Slowly they start to argue among themselves about the method they should use. Poor Chris is tied to a chair and has to endure the bickering between the group as they begin to get more intoxicated and a little more violent towards each other.

There’s lots of shots at the art community in general, especially at the end of the film where a bloody chase ends at an art show. Since it’s an art show, everyone pretty much ignores the bloodshed, assuming that it’s part of the show. The final moments of the film had me laughing so hard and it was a fitting end. I loved some of the costumes that the art students were wearing, referencing some great films and looking good in the process.

The interactions between the characters are hilarious at some moments and I found them satisfying as I hold this weird grudge towards people who view their life as ‘art’. It’s hard to explain but it’s like watching your worst enemy being made fun of. There’s some sort of sick joy in there and I soaked it in. The film has a pretty short running time so it moves along at a quick enough pace to keep your attention but slow enough to make sure you get to know all the characters. Once the bloody accidents start happening and, one by one, the art students begin dropping off we’re treated to some interesting and funny death scenes.

A great addition to the lineup that year and it was one of my favorite slasher flicks showing that year. It’s got some smart writing, a great idea and a bloody finish that left the audience cheering and laughing. A great experience made even better by the crowd at the fest, of course!

Under the marquee – Will