Special Effects

An often excruciatingly interminable thriller, Special Effects follows a disgruntled filmmaker (Eric Bogosian’s Christopher Neville) as he murders an aspiring actress (Zoë Lund’s Andrea) and decides to incorporate said murder into his latest movie. It’s a seemingly foolproof premise that’s employed to consistently (and increasingly) underwhelming effect by Larry Cohen, as the writer/director delivers an often aggressively deliberate narrative that’s almost entirely devoid of compelling (or even competent) elements – with the movie, as a result, suffering from a let’s-get-on-with-it-already vibe to a progressively palpable (and disastrous) extent. And although Cohen admittedly does make good use out of the picture’s seedy, New York City-based locations, Special Effects‘ midsection has been bogged down with a series of unconvincing, illogical encounters and conversations – which undoubtedly prevents the viewer from working up an ounce of interest in or enthusiasm for the uniformly one-dimensional characters’ exploits. By the time the absolutely endless climax rolls around, Special Effects has confirmed its place as a low-rent and predominantly unwatchable misfire from a thoroughly hit-and-miss filmmaker.

* out of ****