Wednesday 10 April 2013

Small Town Murder Songs — A Review: Blood, Guts and Hillbilly Noir … 

9th April, 2013.

OK … 

I’m going to be frank, here.

Or, at the very least, be honest enough to tell you I’ve rented a film from iTunes, tonight.

The 2010, Ed Gass-Donnelly directed, Small Town Murder Songs.

As tired As I am, after a marathon session of Teaser slideshow assembly, and the consequent late night … ?

I thought that making a start — at the very least — on the write up for it would be doing the film a courtesy.

Or, at least, let my regular readers know I’ve found something interesting.

Back in the morning … !

~≈¥≈~

10th April, 2013.

OK, I’m back, and it’s actually in the afternoon.

It’s been a busy day.

I’ve been doing a few things: not least, finishing the May Teasers for the Brentwood Gazette.

All that needs doing is the final formatting.

At any rate, I meant to tell you about the film I managed to rent from the iTunes, store, last night: the 2010, Ed Gass-Donnelly directed, Small Town Murder Songs.

For a film that’s seventy-six minutes long, it’s one that takes things at a slow pace: one I’d expect to see in something longer, and older.

Small Town Murder Songs sees Peter Stormare as Walter, a middle aged Ontario local police-man: who’s, in his none-to-recent past, been noted for bit a bit of a brawler.

Something that — even after being baptised into his local Mennonite* church — stills sees him treated disdainfully by his friends and family.

Trouble comes, when the body of a young women is found, not far outside town.   Which earns Walter and his small team of locals help from a bigger, outside force.

And leads him to become involved with Rita (Jill Hennessy): his former lover, who seems to be lying about her new boyfriend’s whereabouts …

~≈¥≈~

Now … ?

Was this a good film … ?

Yeeees … 

I think I’d say it is.

Gass-Donnelly and company have put together a competently done film: one that’s slow pace gives us time to appreciate its characters and plot, without actually overburdening us with a film that’s too long.

One or two film makers could possibly learn from that.

One stand-out point I should mention, here … ?

Is the soundtrack.


Small Town Murder Songs has a superb soundtrack, put together by a band called Bruce Peninsular.


Who I’ve never heard of, and like something I can only call Hillbilly Gospel: it’s a sound track that makes the film far more watchable than it should be!
Small Town Murder Songs.
★★☆☆

*        26th, Sept, 2020.   The Mennonites are one of the very austere group of Churches — like Amish or some Quaker groups — that call themselves plain dress churches.   In other words, they wear really old fashioned clothes with no artificial, modern fabrics.   It may be odd, compared to more modern dress … but I’m wondering, if groups like this are refusing to use clothes with nylon, and other artificial fabrics?
Surely that’s a touch greener than what you and I are wearing?   You know … more biodegradable … ?   I don’t know …
I don’t know who to ask, either.   I don’t think there’s any Amish online who I can ask.

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