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 teh 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!

review � by Mike Haberfelner