The Turnpike Killer (2012)
Evan Makrogiannis and Brian Weaver
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Over a span of ten years the butchered remains of New York City women have been found dumped along the New Jersey Turnpike. The sadistic fiend behind these horrid murders has been coined “The Turnpike Killer”. His search for the “chosen one” has left a seemingly endless trail of bloodshed and brutality. NYPD Homicide Detective Lloyd is on the job but still,”The Turnpike Killer” evades capture. Keep off the streets at night, stay out of the tunnels and avoid the bridges. You cannot escape him when all roads lead to death.
At a glance there is a lot to like about The Turnpike Killer. It’s got that retro feel down to a tee. This is made even more prominent by the Retro 80s box you can get that comes with a VHS. As a matter of fact, if you purchase this movie that’s the version you need. It really drives home what this movie is trying to do and that could be lost if you simply get the DVD alone. What we have here is a movie that is a little on the brutal side. It’s low budget and that seems to work to it’s favor in this setting and presentation. I can say without question that this was a movie that reminded me of the classic 80s slasher Maniac in a whole lot of ways. It’s got some shocking stuff here and there and it only manages to lose it’s place and pace briefly here and there.
I think our lead is about as intimidating as a crazy man could be. This isn’t a sloth of a man with weird social skills, he’s fit, he’s muscled up, and his elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor. That makes the killer that much more dangerous. The movie does seem to sacrifice having a strong lead to root for in the place of more chaos, but some may like that more. I will say that my only real issue with the film is it’s twist at the end. It’s a little out of place and doesn’t add nothing of value to the film overall. If I’m not counting that and taking this for what it is and what it’s trying to be, I’d say it’s worth your time and worth a watch.
(6/10)
Chucks website
