Movie Review: Killer Joe (2011; Voltage Pictures/Lionsgate)

...it's a bygone truth in considering that the impact...the very vibrancy of the hero of the story is directly proportionate to, reciprocative of...and in most cases...is outright dependent upon the often times greater impact and vibrancy of the villain. Let's face it: we have certain expectations, when it comes to the hero, and without fail...unless that hero takes total leave of his senses...the hero typically performs as expected, with no real surprises; however, without a worthy and polar-opposite comparable adversary, the hero really has nothing to do, right?? The old story of 'there's no good, unless there's bad...and vice-versa. And how about the villain?? A picture of self-interest...relentless...conniving...often times, violent...clearly knowing right from wrong, but not caring...quite literally carefree, in fact. And there's no denying that in each and very one of us, there's a spark of envy, in that respect...though, it's intervening morality, which keeps us 'normal people' in check...

Movie Review: Kill List (2012)

Certain movies gain attention for shock value or twists and turns. Kill List was getting this kind of attention before I even heard of it. At first, it's hard to figure out where that comes from, but as the story plays out, things start to get confusing, but not just for the viewers. Our two main characters get lost in the chaos as well.

We start with Jay, a man who has a tumultuous relationship with his wife due to money issues. Jay hasn't worked in eight months, and cash is dwindling. They try to hide their struggles from their preteen son, but he sees it all. After a dinner with his best friend Gal, Jay decides to return to work. It turns out that the two are hitmen, and they are tasked with a list of victims.