Simply A Masterpiece

Memorable, crazy movie

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I apologize. I liked this "bad" film more than my peers.This film is a cheaply made slasher. It is a "part 2" although I doubt if anyone had seen the 30 minute short, part one. In that feature, preacher Jason Fry (Larry Baumer) kills a bunch of kids making crank phone calls. In this feature it has moved from 1988 to December 1989. Fry is convicted of murder and goes to the Hillside Asylum which looks like it is in a strip mall with a sign taped to the window. Fry escapes by killing his doctor with a candy cane and then goes after the parents (and sister) of those pranksters that he killed.The acting was bad and at times funny it was so bad. The film was supposed to be taking place in Wilkens, Tennessee, but was clearly filmed in the town of Linden, New Jersey. They went out of their way NOT to cover it up...New Jersey license plates, Linden jackets, and Nick's Family restaurant. Plus the fact no one had a southern accent. One scene takes place in a Yankees bar with a Mattingly "Hit Man" poster and a picture of Thurman Munson. The bar also had a Russian flag, later we see a German flag in a home. I am still trying to figure that out. Then there was the Burt Cummings joke. Of course how many people know Burt Cummings was part of "The Guess Who" and was a porn addict. So when the guy tries to rent porn and tells the lady to put it on Burt Cummings tab, and Burt will be angry if he doesn't get his porn...who got that reference? There were things within the film I am sure the naysayers missed, but which I appreciate.Now the killer, a "victim of this evil society" was full of bad puns and bad humor, yet he spouted out lines in Freddy fashion, although nowhere near as good. While they ignored the fact we could see the plates, they did pay attention to the era and especially the electronics of that age, turning them and MTV into a joke, tossing in a Bollywwod song and dance in the middle of the feature, MTV fantasy style.Fry's Bible is his "precious" as he rips out a page for each victim and places it on them.The movie is not for everyone. For bad film lovers who look for dumb details and obscure references, this one has them.Guide: F-words. No sex. Nudity on centerfold and poster...back when Playboy had nudes.

So much about "The Bible Belt Slasher: The Holy Terror" doesn't work, I will get to that in a minute, one thing that does work here is the story its self. It is a great slasher set-up with a truly psychotic killer. I didn't recognize any mess-ups in the story arc, the base tale and the back story of the killer seemed cohesive, and the continuity is definitely there. Most of the hot mess comes from over-stated scenes with over exaggerated line delivery. That being said, what should have been acting that should have made me turned this off, actually became entertaining. Almost as if Creanzo was aiming for a tongue-in-cheek, spoof-like quality. I am not sure, but for some reason what doesn't work with the acting and character development is part of what makes "The Bible Belt Slasher II" so bad it is almost so good. Now the special effects and 80's "staging" of this film is a hodgepodge of hit and miss. When Creanzo has an obvious control of the environment, "The Bible Belt Slasher II" looks and feels totally 80's, but outdoor scenes and moments when scenes are at the mercy of its environment the 80's become blended with the now. However, once again, as with the acting, instead of turning me off of this film, it becomes entertaining. Like a game to spot what doesn't belong-and trust there is a lot in here that is not even close to the 80's. Still the mash- up of decades feels like some sitcom parents flashback to their teen days. The film has a couple of things that demand respect, the full on use of practical gore effects and blood without pulling away from the death scene is commendable-and it works. There is a lot of splatterfest happening in "The Bible Belt Slasher II" that will please any fan of low budget / homegrown/ SOV horror fans. Plus the cast and Bradley Creanzo seem to be on the same page as far as vision and passion for making this movie happen. The things that most horror fans will hate about this one, like the silly one-liners and hilarious character portrayals, are the things that I found entertaining. A few scenes are worthy of a good laugh, sometimes intended, sometimes not. Overall, "The Bible Belt Slasher II: The Holy Terror" is not gonna go over well, but for many this is gonna be one of those bad movies that make its way to cult status. Oh and it happens during the Christmas holiday season so that is a nice additive. The music and soundtrack is the other element of this movie that works. The music screams 80's hard rock which pulled me back to my youth, and the instrumental is classic slasher/giallo sweetness that creates both the mood and atmosphere needed to put this thing in retro status. "The Bible Belt Slasher II" is a cheap, fun, slasher that really can be entertaining if you don't take it serious.