DVD review: The Turnpike Killer (2012)

First I´d like to thank Nik Taneris for sending me a copy of the Limited Edition Retro 80s Boxset.
In a city that never sleeps, a killer prowls the streets at night. 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" (Bill McLaughlin).  His search for the "chosen one" has left a seemingly endless trail of bloodshed and brutality. Keep of the streets at night, stay out of the tunnels and avoid the bridges. You cannot escape him when all roads lead to death. The Turnpike Killer is written and directed by Evan Makrogiannis and Brian Weaver. Most horror fans will notice that it´s reminicent of William Lustig´s classic Maniac, (a major source of inspiration to the film makers?) but in my opinion that is not something negative as that movie is one of the best and nastiest serial killer flicks of all time. The acting is pretty good, Bill McLaughlin gives a truy frightening performance as a character who can appear quite normal and then turn into a killler without remorse in the blink of an eye. The film has a dark, gritty feeling about it, and if you´re into that Hollywood glamorous sh*t with polished serial killers you´re in for a bit of a shock. The Turnpike Killer is dark, it´s gritty and it only add to it´s strength that is was shot on location. The camerawork and editing is decent and the soundtrack is excellent! It´s very violent and there is gore, practical make-up fx, and there is a couple of effects that look very good. But a lot of the truly potentialy gory stuff occurs off screen so it isn´t a gorefest or as graphic that I was expecting. There is quite a bit of T & A including a pretty long shower scene...
This review is based upon the Limited Edition Retro 80s Boxset which you can order from the official website http://www.turnpikekiller.com/retroboxset.html . Please note that if you order through the website you receive the flick uncut on VHS and also included is a limited edition DVD featuring uncensored cover art.
Rating: 5½ out of 7. The Turnpike Killer is a dark, dirty and gritty film that will not appeal to all viewers but I liked it. Sure it has some flaws but I like the low budget nastiness where there is no remorse and the killer is truly frightening. Especially recommended to fans of William Lustig´s Maniac 

/JL