The Killing Zone

With much reservation and thought, I decided to watch The Killing Zone after the recommendation of friends. Being able to make ones own mind up and to not be swayed by popular opinion I sat down to watch another run of the mill Brit indie gangster flick. WRONG! From an great opening title sequence which thumps of sixties vibes to a great one on one monologe and into stylish underground London you know your in for something different, something special. Ian D Diaz has crafted a wonderful piece of work,which lends its theme to such sixties films as The Ipcress Files, but with a modern day story of love and betrayal. Now and again it falls victim to over enthusiastic performances, but with a great supporting cast particularly from Mark Bowden and Nicola Stapleton the treat is watching these characters interact and play off of one another. This debut feature film script by Ian Diaz is sharp and comedic in its view of a seedy London underground life and complimenting its feel is damn fine lighting, great set design and a film score which pulls you deeper into a well paced high value looking picture. We will be seeing more of these guys, I hope.

I came across The Killing Zone by chance in a video rental store in Primrose Hill, London, England. It is one of my most happiest discoveries. Intelligently written, beautifully shot, witty and well acted. This is British Film Noir at its very very best. A relatively unknown gem which has been sadly overlooked by the public due to lack of advertising. Get the DVD, it has some great special features, go on, indulge yourself. You won't be disappointed.

If you thought 'Lock, Stock' shot itself in the foot and 'Snatch' sucked the big one, then this is the British crime thriller you should really be shelling out your five bucks for.

'The Killing Zone' is the perfect example of how a no-budget indie crime anthology should be made. It's tight, lean and the final 'third' of the trilogy is a cracker. OK, it's a slow burn for the first ten or fifteen minutes, but well worth sticking with it to get clued in on the main characters involved.

All the principal acting performances are spot on - well-rounded characters and some excellent 'film' style dialogue, which makes a pleasant and unexpected change from the usual turgid TV/theatre speak that so often pops up in British films. Melissa Simonetti and Mark Bowden stand out for special praise in this respect.

I gather this cult classic-in-the-making will be hitting the video shelves in the US at the end of Spetember. Do yourselves a favour and head for your nearest video store pronto.

Believe the hype. You won't regret it.

WHY HASN'T THIS FILM BEEN GIVEN A THEATRICAL RELEASE?!

I've not seen Lock Stock or Snatch but I loved this! The main thing I love about it is that it isn't another 'British' British film, like brassed off and such it's cool stylistic, got a nice talky script and plenty of action and violence. I liked the first act because it was very cool in the way it's set up and the ending. The second part was also cool with the female assassin shooting around breaking necks and such, and all the time Palmer walking about doing his job being cool. The third act was also really cool and there we come to the end. If you don't like people getting shot all the time with blood spurting out, then maybe this tale of an assassin isn't for you but everyone else it's great and I'd recommend it. Also another good thing, the UK DVD, I've been buying these 2 for £10 DVDs and so far they are all bad transfers of films with little or no extras and bad presentation. The DVD for this movie on the other hand was quite good, very good for £5. With a pretty good wide-screen transfer, plenty of chapter stops accessable via an animated selection screen, 'The Making of The Killing Zone' 30 minute documentary & the theatrical trailer where can you go wrong with your fiver!

Stop the presses - I just saw the most awesome film! For all you film buffs out there who consider yourselves aficionados of great cult classics, remove yourselves from the hall of fame if you haven't packed your pieces and entered into The Killing Zone.

It was a Friday night like any other - having seen like every worthy cult classic at the corner video store; I was forced into the mundane void of new-release land. What is that section all about? The Million copies of `Gweneth In Love With Herself' and `I Married A Warner Brothers Executive' stranded me in a sea of schlock. I was drowning! Throw me a life-vest (preferably without Leo DiCaprio attached!) My hand stretched out towards this brightly colored indie film cover. Saved, but by no means out of danger.

Watching The Killing Zone I was immediately transported to that feeling you get when you know you are watching an underground classic for the first time. Repo Man, Blue Velvet, She's Gotta Have It. You know this one is going to stay with you and provide an endless supply of super cool tag lines to get you out of sticky situations.

`I'm not a happy-bunny.'

`You don't need a gun to sell a computer!'

And one that I'll be firing at American Express next time they call:

`Ya don't wanna vex me, ya don't wanna f**ck with me!'

This London Crime Thriller is the real thing, and makes Guy Ritchie's films look like a tourist trip around Buckingham Palace on a Double Decker Bus. If you've seen Snatch, you'll know what I mean!

With worthy performances by Padraig Casey & Nicola Stapleton, and an exceptional performance by Mark Bowden with his witty English take on The Surfer Dude icon, this film is a whomping triumph for talented newcomers. Forget Barry Sears, if you really want to be `in your zone,' get into `The Killing Zone'.