The Daily Dig: Killing Spree (1987)

A prototypical schlock horror film, “Killing Spree” packs gore from floor to ceiling with plenty left over to bury in the backyard.

A jealous husband lets his nightmares get the best of him and kills everyone who comes in contact with his new mistress. Let’s dig into 1987’s KILLING SPREE, directed by Tim Ritter!

As I See It

The reported budget of $75,000 is mind-boggling. Watching the finished product, you have to wonder where the money went, but it’s easy to say that today, when we have a 4k camera in our pockets.

I have to say that there are some really interesting shots that Ritter pulls off. They could easily go unnoticed, but some of his use of POV (undoubtedly inspired by Dean Cundey – Halloween 78) feels fresh and experimental in an interesting way.

The recurring “head” jokes feel like the type of stuff you come up with when you and your friends have indulged beyond your tolerance level, and it makes for a genuine laugh-out-loud scene. I imagine it was a blast to shoot with those massive lips.

Tom’s murderous misogyny is unrelenting as he eliminates anyone who would threaten the sanctity of his marriage and even decapitates his best friend’s barely legal girlfriend after scolding his friend for fornicating with a recently turned eighteen-year-old.

Tom’s fantasies are basically the types of scenes you would see that set up porn. The type satirized in Kevin Smith’s underappreciated Zack and Miri.

It’s not all one-sided, though. Asbestos gets in on the provocative action with a g-string that says “Here’s the beef” on the front and “Here’s the buns” on the back. A reference to the memorable Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” commercial from the early eighties.

This is the type of film that midnight movie screenings were made for.

Famous Faces

Asbestos (it must be a family name) Felt (Tom Russo) played the same character in Ritter’s film Creep, which I have yet to see, so I’m not sure if it is just a cameo or he’s revived for more absurdity.

Courtney Lercara (Leeza) was in a handful of slashers: Night Ripper!, Slaughterhouse, and the 2024 Brinke Stevens and Michelle Bauer romp, Grandma.

Of Gratuitous Nature

The gore is certainly gratuitous, but there’s no mistaking it for a snuff film. It’s so over the top, you can’t help but laugh at the violence. With such a sexually charged plot, you would expect a decent amount of skin, but even the shower scene avoids nudity.

Heartthrob

The burned cowboy zombie is fantastic and almost completely unreadable on film. Every second of practical effects is nostalgic for me. It brings me back to the seminal moments of flipping through colorless gore photos in Fangoria.

PS – Special makeup effects artist Joel Harlow went on to have quite a career. He’s credited on some absolute blockbuster films, including Marvel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Christopher Nolan’s Inception, and many, many more.

Ripe for a Remake

Sometimes you have to just let things lie the way they are. It’s by no means a perfect film, or some untouchable masterpiece, but Ritter squeezed as much juice out of this as he could. We’re the beneficiaries of that effort.

Spawns

No progeny to report.

Where to Watch

Terror-Vision put out a “Budget Video Edition” for an affordable $17.99 (currently listed for $14.99 as of publishing). It was sourced from a VHS and includes a healthy amount of extras, including two making-of features that both run over sixty minutes. Killing Spree will prove very tricky to watch via streaming unless you can hunt down an online source.