Bob Berdella (Seth Correa) is a bit of a weirdo, he sells all kinds of
morbid paraphernalia at his Bazaar Bizarre, has serious problems
with women in general, sometimes talks total bullshit, often acts touchy
for no apparent reason, and his thick mustache can't really hide his
effeminate behaviour. But somehow, Bob also has a likeable side, he
provides homeless drug addicts with a home and helps them to either kick
the habit or get another shot, he can talk about sandwiches for hours, and
he makes a killer chilli. Plus, he's a closet homosexual, not something
too easy to handle in conservative 1980's Kansas City. The one thing I
might also want to mention about Bob though is that he's a psycho killer,
and he usually molests, tortures and kills those he has first given abode,
partly I suppose to punish them for his homosexual urges, partly to get a
taste of his own power over life and death of others. But ultimately, it's
his own megalomania that proves to be his downfall, when he decides to
keep one of his victims at his house as a human sextoy - and the proposed
victim manages to make good an escape and report him ... Berdella
is based on real life serial killer Bob Berdella, and it's a chilling
film: Other than my synopsis it leaves no doubt that Bob is a maniac
killer right from the beginning, but once that's established, he is
presented as a guy you almost tend to like for his shortcomings and
sympathize with because of having to suppress his sexuality - until of
course the film shifts its focus on Berdella's killings, which are shown
here in all their (documented) ghastliness and are definitely not for the
faint-hearted. And this narrative ploy of contrasting the character with
his deeds is what makes Berdella an interesting and original film,
at least (and not only) as far as real-crime movies from the serialkiller
variety go ... By the way, as of late June 2010, this movie is
available directly from http://www.bobberdella.com
- do check it out!
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