Zipperface (1992)
Nomination Year: 2011
SYNOPSIS: What kind of serial killer calls himself Zipperface?
Trick question. No one calls him Zipperface except the filmmakers. All his victims call him "Master," as they're prostitutes that he's paying for S&M-style play. Not sex. Some whipping, some eating of dogfood, that sort of thing. Until he accidentally snaps a prostitute's neck, and ends up hunting down the witnesses. The movie's pretty rote, plotwise. The writer/director was polite enough to plant red herrings for all the male characters, but my initial gut instinct as to Zipperface's identity was ultimately correct. If you start a movie with a strong female mayor and the reporter asks her nebbishy aide/husband how he feels about working in her shadow? Dead giveaway.
The acting is a revelation, however. Each scene more painful than the next. Very few of the actors in this film went on to do anything else (or, for that matter, acted in anything before). If you watch the movie, you'll understand.
There are two amusing things about Zipperface (the character). One is that (even in his vinyl-and-zipper suit) he's able to easily sneak up on people who are looking for him. The other is that he doesn't learn. He gets kneed in the groin at least three times over the course of the movie. You'd think that if he had time to get dressed up in full S&M regalia, the least he could do is wear a cup. Maybe it's his Secret Special Thing, but after the first two times you allow witnesses to escape because they've kneed you in the crotch?
In the end, this movie was probably worth the $1.99 that I paid for it in Columbus, Ohio.
Trick question. No one calls him Zipperface except the filmmakers. All his victims call him "Master," as they're prostitutes that he's paying for S&M-style play. Not sex. Some whipping, some eating of dogfood, that sort of thing. Until he accidentally snaps a prostitute's neck, and ends up hunting down the witnesses. The movie's pretty rote, plotwise. The writer/director was polite enough to plant red herrings for all the male characters, but my initial gut instinct as to Zipperface's identity was ultimately correct. If you start a movie with a strong female mayor and the reporter asks her nebbishy aide/husband how he feels about working in her shadow? Dead giveaway.
The acting is a revelation, however. Each scene more painful than the next. Very few of the actors in this film went on to do anything else (or, for that matter, acted in anything before). If you watch the movie, you'll understand.
There are two amusing things about Zipperface (the character). One is that (even in his vinyl-and-zipper suit) he's able to easily sneak up on people who are looking for him. The other is that he doesn't learn. He gets kneed in the groin at least three times over the course of the movie. You'd think that if he had time to get dressed up in full S&M regalia, the least he could do is wear a cup. Maybe it's his Secret Special Thing, but after the first two times you allow witnesses to escape because they've kneed you in the crotch?
In the end, this movie was probably worth the $1.99 that I paid for it in Columbus, Ohio.
Kevin Hogan
Worst Acting
Mansour Pourmand
