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 LUCKER: THE NECROPHAGOUS (Synapse
Films) 1986/2007. Synapse Films.
Exploitation/Slasher/Horror. 68 Minutes (Alt. Version 74 Minutes). Not
Rated. Nudity/Graphic Sex/Gore. Color. John Lucker is a deeply disturbed
serial killer. After getting locked up for a few years for murdering
eight people and defiling their corpses, he manages to escape. He
flees to the city to put an end to his morbid fascination with the girl
who survived his first rampage.
This review encompasses the "Director's Cut," but I
thought it was very gracious of Synapse to also include the original VHS
version on this DVD as well. The plot for this film doesn't exactly tread
new ground, but the elusive history of this film adds a certain mystique
that is hard to deny. I'd also like to mention the addition of heavy
amounts of necrophilia extremely effectively, definitely unlike any other
film I've ever seen. With that being said, the quality of the film
itself was pretty poor. I can't say that's a complaint because it
really added to the gritty grindhouse feel of this film. The
directing was a little bland, but it seemed to click whenever things got
violent. The lighting was good for being mostly natural and I thought
the soundtrack was badass. However, the editing was choppy and the
sound was horrible. For the most part, I could say this film was hit
and miss. Do I think the "Director's Cut" is worth sixty
eight minutes of your time? No, the "Director's Cut"
barely makes sense and sixty eight minutes seems a lot longer when you
have no idea what's going on. If you're going to watch this film at
all, watch the aforementioned seventy four minute VHS version. It has
an English language track with Dutch subtitles, but at least it makes a
little more sense. It's too bad this film ran into obscurity because the
original version was a pretty decent flick. At least Synapse was cool
enough to put this DVD together. Plus it was fun, from a
creative aspect, to see what the director produced with the
materials he had left over twenty years later. - Morgan Suszek
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