Hectic Knife
This movie is not for me. I’m just going to say that up front. If it is for you, more power to you, because I can understand why someone would enjoy it. I’m not one of those people. As I was watching Greg DeLiso’s film, however, I wrestled with a question of whether it’s, in fact, bad, though. I’m not quite sure if I would say that.
Hectic Knife is the hero of the film, and he is played by Peter Litvin in exactly the absurd, tongue-in-cheek tone DeLiso and he set in their screenplay. He is a vigilante hero who uses knives like a crazy person when he finds himself sticking up for the downtrodden like Frannie (Georgia Kate Haege), who becomes his live-in girlfriend, and taking down bad guys like his nemesis in this film, Piggly Doctor (J.J. Brine), whose plan for world domination is almost as silly as Hectic’s knife-wielding technique, which he learned in India 25 years ago despite not looking a day over 30. This is just the tip of the iceberg with this film in terms of insane plotting.
It’s almost hard to know where to begin with this film- I’m not going to lie, I was very tempted to stop watching after about 20 minutes I was not sure if I was going to be able to take it for the full 82. The knowing tone of this film, which goes throughout the duration of the film, felt oppressive more than endearing, and I think that’s where this movie just really rubs me the wrong way. The key word there is “knowing,” however- this isn’t a case of failed seriousness like bad movie icons like a “Birdemic” or “Troll 2” where the filmmaker is trying to make a sincerely serious film. That said, it’s a big part of why I feel so weird trying to sort out my own feelings on this film. I understand what the film is trying to do, and if you get on to its wavelength and enjoy how it goes about its business, I legitimately understand why. This movie is having fun with its own silliness, and there’s not really anything wrong with that, on the surface. It just didn’t work for me, and it doesn’t work on a level that few films have sunk to over the years with me. That’s my personal reaction, though- does that mean it’s a bad movie on the whole? That’s where I find myself torn.
What do I like about this film? Any moment of stop-motion animation is worth watching it for. I like the gritty look of the black-and-white cinematography. Hectic with his teacher in “India” is pretty amusing. The absurdity of the gore is funny, and a scene with Frannie coming on to Hectic’s roommate, Link (John Munnelly), and the different cuts between the two, is enjoyable, but the latter only emphasizes an idea DeLiso does multiple times during the film that just got on my nerves. As I said, if you get on this film’s wavelength, I can understand enjoying it. I ultimately didn’t, and can’t say I enjoyed it, on the whole. I can’t say that I regret watching it, though.
