My Review Of “Little Big Boy: The Death Stalker Murders” (2011)

Horror/Comedy “Little Big Boy: The Death Stalker Murders” is a black satire that focuses on the life and events surrounding famed Indie filmmaker Jimmy Duncan. Told in a blend of retrospective/ documentary format the film shows a bizarre environment of over the top personalities that poke fun at not just the horror industry but the film industry at large in a dark comedic look into the behind the scenes world of a film company and a director sinking into madness. The story follows director Jimmy Duncan as he sets out to make a movie entitled “Death Stalker” about a serial killer. Unfortunately he spirals into a state of pure insanity as his past causes him to break with sanity and begin to kill the actresses seeking a role in his latest feature film. Directed by Kim Sonderholm “Little Big Boy” is a wild mockumentary featuring some very notable members of the Independent film world. There is an entertaining series of interview clips featuring the Lloyd Kaufman of Troma studios as well a number of well endowed Splatter-Chicks willing to show all there assets in a full frontal tongue in cheek series of audition tapes and scenes that not only show the awesome since of humor this group of Indie artists posses but also show their passion for an industry that doesn’t always get the respect that big budget major studio backed comrades receive. It shows just how dedicated to making original material the genre community is to horror.

The film also stars April Monique Burril (Chainsaw Sally, Good Sisters); Monique Dupree (Satan Hates You, Spirit); Megan Sacco (Avantgarde); Amy Lynn Best (A Feast of Flesh, Splatter Movie); Rachel Grubb (Terror Overload, Strip Club Slasher); Brandon Slagle (Methodic, Mega Shark vs Crocosourus); David C. Hayes (Blood Moon Rising, Slices); Keith Collins (Non Compos Mentis, Killer Hoo-Ha!); Manoush (Amelie from Montmatre, Le Petite Morte); Gry Bay (All About Anna); Melany Denise (Westbrick Murders); reality stars/celebrity models Katrine Poulsen and Jessica Sky; and many others. The role as Jimmy’s daughter is played by teenage talent Nicolette Michaela. In addition to brief cameos by Playboy models Angelina Leigh and Nikki Magnusson. The troubled film maker Jimmy Duncan is played by Kim Sønderholm who also directed the film, while his younger self is played by Danish actor-rapper Toke Lars Bjarke, well known for his performance in 2011's Best Foreign Picture Academy Award Winner and Golden Globe Winner "In A Better World". All of whom bring a dark humor to “Little Big Boy” as they offers their own insight into working with an intense and sometimes difficult director. Kim Sonderholm has blended black comedy, documentary, and exploitation genres into one very witty and very dark film. The premise is somewhat standard mockumentary style that at first seems to lack excitement as it builds to the climax of the story. However what it lacks in that dramatic intensity at the beginning is more than made up for in the sheer entertaining barrage of humorous interviews and action clips where actresses and industry associates take sharp digs into the main character offering up an almost truth to what it is like working in the horror industry. It almost makes you think that the film is actually a satire of some unnamed real director or maybe Sonderholm himself. Either way it is a very fun film.

“Little Big Boy” is a cool dark comedy that does offer up some graphic visuals and humorous scenes without seeming too exaggerative. It manages to build to a twisted finish where we are shown some pretty intense images of gore, necrophilia, and plenty of nudity. All of which are topics that horror and exploitation genre films explore even if people only touch on the topics reluctantly. Which is how most in the horror genre approach such dark subjects. Not the case with Kim Sonderholm. He manages to hit on these points with full throttled, in your face, purpose. His portrayal of Jimmy Duncan offers a sinister realism that sometimes seems more serious than mere caricature. The film progresses perfectly from an innocent, comedic view into the fictional life of a director then flows into chilling intense madness as the character of Jimmy Duncan spirals into personal psychotica. None of which is what I expected to find when I set down to watch “Little Big Boy” but all of which proved to be a pleasant surprise. The film was a maddening ride into insanity and I enjoyed watching the demented rise and fall of  Jimmy Duncan unfold.

You can read more about “Little Big Boy: The Death Stalker Murders” here where you can see the trailer.  Plus check out the movie’s Facebook Page.