‘Everybody dies…’
Murder Party is a 2007 American comedy horror film written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier (Green Room; Blue Ruin). The Lab of Madness production stars Chris Sharp, Skei Saulnier, Bill Tangradi, Beau Sia and Beryl Guceri.
Plot:
A random invitation to a Halloween ‘murder party’ leads a lonely man into the hands of a rogue collective intent on murdering him for the sake of their art, sparking a bloodbath of mishap and mayhem…
Release:
Murder Party is currently available to stream via Netflix
Reviews:
” …it is very, very funny. For a collection of mostly inexperienced actors […] they handle comedy like pros. Where Murder Party goes slightly astray is when it tries on its horror movie costume in the third act. It’s not that it’s poorly done, it’s just that it feels a bit stale after the fresh and funny opening acts and it comes way too quickly.” Bloody Good Horror
“Murder Party is a dark and delirious tale that enjoys upending expectations at every opportunity. While it won’t fulfill anyone’s desire for another mindless slasher, it’s a witty postmodern deconstruction of artistic needs and bloodthirstiness. It’s the perfect antidote to the common horror film.” Can’t Stop the Movies
“The final wrap-up of Murder Party will definitely be a treat for gore hounds, with the producers still making smart, funny choices as the body count rises […] By the time the credits roll on Murder Party, you know you’ve seen something unique in the horror genre.” Paul Mavis, DVD Talk
“The satirical poke at the arty crowd is pretty obvious and not as witty as it might like to be, but there are comedy moments that work well and they all involve the hapless Chris as the intended victim. It’s low budget stuff so the acting isn’t great and it’s a bit slow to begin with. The gore is pretty inventive if you stick with it for the bloody finale…” Eat Horror
” …the bulk of Murder Party is rather chatty, highly amusing, but chatty – it’s kinda like The Breakfast Club for psychopaths. But then the murder in Murder Party finally kicks in and it’s glorious. For everything this movie spends time setting up, it pays off in the end – big time! The end credits rolled and I felt completely satisfied. It’s funny, it’s gory…” Film Threat
“What starts off as a black comedy, with the self-absorbed creatives bickering among themselves, quickly turns blood red as the evening progresses; the messier things get, the funnier they become, with gag reflexes trading time with belly laughs. The fantastic cast […] exchange barbs and shards while Saulnier’s camera floats and dances in time.” Horror 101 with Doctor AC
“While 79 minutes isn’t exactly a great deal of time to party hard, Saulnier grabs the opportunity with both hands and is assisted no end by a colorful and distinctive cast. The exchanges between our artists are incalculable, dialogue sharp to the power of Mach 3, and gut-busting pratfall hyper-abundant throughout. Indeed not a solitary minute feels wasteful…” Rivers of Grue
“Once the axes fly and chainsaws start revving, it’s a gory good time, but even some of the stalling tactics (like the game of “Extreme Truth or Dare”) are clever and fun. The last act, which takes place outside of the warehouse location is like going down a rabbit hole of nightmarish lunacy. Saulnier also makes a handful of funny jabs at the hipster art scene…” The Video Vacuum
Choice dialogue:
“When our masterpiece is complete, and the Coroner’s report is back in, it will say the cause of death is art.”
Cast and characters:
Chris Sharp … Christopher S. Hawley
Kate Porterfield … Ticketed Lady
Tess Porterfield Lovell … Ticketed Little Lady
Puff Snooty … Sir Lancelot (cat)
Damon Lindsay … Subway Rapper
Macon Blair … Macon
Stacy Rock … Lexi
Skei Saulnier … Sky
Paul Goldblatt … Paul
William Lacey … Bill
Sandy Barnett … Alexander
Bill Tangradi … Zycho
Sampson Saulnier … Hellhammer
Beryl Guceri … Photo Assistant
Michael Clomegah … Party Doorman
Beau Sia … Cicero
David Zellerford … Lover Not Fighter
Malin Bergman … Painted Lady #1
Amanda Bryan … Painted Lady #2
Heidi Edwards … Painted Lady #3
Kerry MacDonald … Painted Lady #4
Christian Antonias Mueller … Gas Mask Man
Andre da Costa … Art Critic #1
Alton Du Laney … Art Critic #2
Melanie L. Sullivan … Art Critic #3
Filming locations:
Brooklyn, New York City, New York
Technical details:
79 minutes
Aspect ratio: 1.78: 1
Audio: Dolby SR
Trailer:
