Strawberry Flavoured Plastic — Strawberry Flavoured Plastic (DVD)
Strawberry Flavoured Plastic is the first feature film from New York City-based Colin Bemis- who directed, wrote and produced the film. And while one can admire the pictures fairly convincing acting, relatively well-lensed shots, and interesting editing- for the most I found the film very much of a let down- really lacking in any suspense, shock, or engagement.
The film's plot follows two decidedly smug middle-class film-makers, who are making a doc about 30 something Noel Rose(Aidan Bristow). Initially he tells the pair he’s been let out of prison early from a fourteen year crime of passion- then it’s revealed fairly soon he never went to prison, but is instead an active serial killer who's been killing since his teens & remains uncaught. After this revelation, the pair decide to carry on filming- with them getting more involved with Noel’s life & killings.
The film is largely based around lengthy interview monologues with the killer, with the addition of fleeting found footage stalking footage, at work footage, and skype chats between the two filmmakers & the killer. The main positive here Bristow- whom plays the mainly low-key and largely controlled emotional killer with a Joaquin Phoenix-like intensity. Aside from this, there’s not an awful lot to prise here.
So let's move onto the negatives- firstly the two films makers come across largely smug, arrogant, and un-likable. The monologues, while at times offer up tidbits of plot keep you semi curious- for the most part feel overlong and indulgent. The fleeting break-in 'n' stalk footage- really lacks any tension or chilling mood, and instead feel like decidedly dull/cliched- sure there are moments of attack, and one moment of blink-and-you’ll miss its gore. The plot itself feels contrived and more than a little predictable, and worse of all the filmmakers never seemed particularly shocked by Noel's hobby- with only once or twice the pair rising between smug and bemused looks.
There are a few effective & largely great serial killer movies in the found footage format that manage to portray killers in an unsettling and compelling manner, with little or no gore- think the two Creep films, or The Poughkeepsie Tapes- the latter which really perfects the serial killer found footage/mockumentary form. So the lack of gore is not a issues here, what the main issue is the zero suspense, tension, and unsettlement. I’d go as far to say this almost feels like a serial killer take on Post horror- so really the whole thing has been sterilized of its traditional elements, and replaced with arty pacing & trying to be clever, but ultimately clichéd plotting.
The main extra here is the commentary track- and unfortunately this deepens the feeling of indie smugness of the whole project- the track features Bemis, and two of the actors from the film. It switches between the three talking over each other, and silence- there are a few moments of interesting facts, but largely it’s a decidedly chaotic & muddled track. We get an original trailer- which made me want to see the film in the first place, but like many Post, horror trailers misleads you about the tone/ content of the film.
I was so looking forward to Strawberry Flavoured Plastic- as I’m a huge fan of the serial killer genre, as well as well-crafted found footage/ mockumentaries- but sadly I came away from the film feel very disappointed & let down. I guess if you’re a fan of the whole Post-horror thing, and fancy a Serial Killer take on this, then maybe you’ll get something from Strawberry Flavoured Plastic- but I’m afraid it wasn’t for me.