Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Day 54

Movie: A Bucket of Blood aka The Death Artist
Starring:Anthony Michael Hall, Justine Bateman
Genre: Comedy, Thriller
Year: 1995
Format: VHS 


Plot: A group of Beatniks hanging around a art cafe have no idea that their latest artistic genus is actually a murderer.

This is a remake of a 1959 Roger Corman movie called A Bucket of Blood.  The 1995 remake was a made for tv movie which when aired, shared the title, but was released on VHS under the alternative name of The Death Artist. 
It is silly at times, but somehow opens up the world of loner Walter Paisley. A busboy who longs to be taken seriously by the people who's world he hovers around every night. One small accident with a cat leads him to become the hottest thing the neighbourhood has ever seen. 
Even though it's a dark comedy, it still holds a stint of truth to it in how it portrays the artistic community that was reinventing itself in the mid 1990's. 
The fact that it is a remake of a throw back to a much more innocent time in film, does not take anything away from it's undercurrent of ego.  Everyone who has ever been told they were not good enough or original enough will be able to identify with the lead character's feelings of shame, loneliness and desperation.

What do I think I learned from this film?
It's never enough to put your blood sweat and tears into something, you have to be willing to stand your ground.  To say you live and die for your art is just a phrase to most people but a few do take the legend too far.

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