Natural Selection (1999)

Maybe I'm just not the guy who should see this movie. I'll tell you, I'm so sick of movies that have murders in them that I might have to just stop going to the show. I really can't take one more image of blood splattering, dripping, draining or oozing. It's beginning to turn my stomach. What's the opposite of being desensitized. That's what's happening to me.

"Natural Selection," a film made right here in Austin, thinks that serial killers are ripe for spoof. The filmmakers apparently think they are making a profound and insightful commentary of serial killers as the fit in the modern glossary of media hysteria and modern society. There's nothing new or insightful about it.

At first the film is amusing. The acting is so over the top as to become caricature. We know when someone is going to be a killer, because they act normal. Everyone else here is a cartoon. David Carradine is cast into the role of FBI agent. Imagine if John Carradine played Agent Cooper on "Twin Peaks" and you have a pretty good handle on his performance and character here. At least, though, Carradine makes it his own. His performance is really the only interesting thing in the film. Too bad the script begins to horribly mistreat him towards the end. Darren E. Burrows (of TV's "Northern Exposure") plays a 30 year old college student. His character is an extension of his Ed on TV, for a while at least. Bob Balaban is cast as a psychiatrist who writes books on serial killers but, upon being interviewed, it is obvious he knows absolutely nothing. Stephen Root (of TV's "Newsradio") plays a grieving parent. There might be a few other familiar faces but I'm already trying to block this film out of my mind.

See, one of the big problems with "Natural Selection" is that it doesn't know where to draw the line. For example, it doesn't just do the obvious mocking of "victim's family members" as media whores, "Natural Selection" actually mocks grieving victims. Roots' character is handled so poorly. They try to make it funny and grieving parents are not, I'm afraid, a subject that should be mocked. True Texans and true parents of murder victims should picket this film just for this portrayal. It's vulgar. I imagine that the filmmakers will say that it was their intent to mock everything about the pop cultural phenomenon of serial killers. What would be next, a send up of Columbine? (For all you who think that's a good idea, see "Heathers." There. It's been done. Now, take your medicine and go to sleep.)

And here is the filmmakers idea of black comedy: The guy who is the serial killer, after it is set up that he is the serial killer and such, it turns out he's a... Mailman! Hahahaha... hum.... Get it... Get it!

Hey, at first the film is funny. But then it gets bad. Really, I should have known from the start that it was going to be wrong because it's partially a fake documentary TV show or film or something. This contrivance is so overly done and so lazy a storytelling device, it's a sure clue the filmmakers have no imagination and nothing new to say. When the blood starts splattering in the film, you realize that they are falling victim to the very societal "morbid curiosity" the film itself is supposedly trying to decry. A true black comedy about serial killers would have no blood, no poorly enacted murders, no silly special effects. (Write that down all you would-be filmmakers). "Natural Born Killers" is the exception that proves the rule.

I will say this for the film: It looks professional. It's slick and well-crafted. It looks like it was made in Hollywood. There is nothing cheap, phony or low-budget about it. I don't know what the budget was, but they could afford a couple of "name" actors, so they must have had some money.

Oh, I wanted to like this film so badly. I laughed for a good 20 minutes into it. And then it got to be too much. But, if you think serial killers are ripe for a black comedy film expose, well, go rent a few John Waters films. But if you think a black comedy film about serial killers is your cup of tea and you want to support Austin films, then, I guess, see "Natural Selection." If you find yourself laughing at the jokes about serial killers and the derogatory gay references that pepper the film, perhaps you are the person this film was made for. It wasn't made for me.

Notes:

Carradine's daughter and wife have small roles in the film.

Score by Charlie Sexton, among others. A song by Punchy appears on the soundtrack.

Personal note:

David Carradine introduced the showing I saw at the Dobie on 2/4/2000.

Report Card

Script: F

Acting: B-

Cinematography\Lighting: B-

Special Effects\Make Up: B-

Music: A-

Final Grade: D-