The film production company, Killer Film, is regarded as one of the most successful companies producing indie films. The films produced by the company often receive positive critical response.
Some films get mixed responses, but it is possible to state that films of this company do not leave viewers intact. All the films produced by Killer Films are evoking and sometimes even disturbing. They make people think of really important issues revealing the most unconventional aspects of people’s life.
The company was founded in 1995 by Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler. Vachon notes that she fulfilled a variety of film crew tasks in the 1980s and then she realized that she “wanted to make stuff” (Macaulay n.p.).
The films made in the 1990s were a great success. For instance, I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), 2001 film Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 2002 film Far From Heaven and many other films were nominated for several Academy Awards. It is necessary to note that the films are acclaimed worldwide as they get awards and nominations at different film festivals all over the world.
Vachon claimed, “What keeps independent film alive, what it has to be charged with now, is true originality, alternative, truly original voices” (qtd. in Hopewell n.p.) These words can be regarded as a certain kind of manifesto for the company.
Killer Films produces films devoted to a variety of issues that have become a part of the contemporary society. However, there are themes that are similar to almost all films produced by the company.
These themes are loss, sexuality, love, friendship, self-identification, self-realization, and, of course, murders and death. It is necessary to take a closer look at some of these themes to understand peculiarities of the films produced by the company.
Crime can be regarded as one of the most prominent themes articulated in the films by Killer Production. The majority of the films deal with different stories associated with crime. However, as Vachon noted the independent films are meant to be original.
Therefore, films by Killer Films are not concerned with ordinary crimes. For instance, 2007 film Savage Grace deals with the story of Barbara Daly Baekeland, or rather the story of her death. This is not just a murder. This is a murder of a mother by her son. The film explores the depth of mother-to-child relationships. The film displays cruelty, hopelessness, certain tyranny within a family.
Apart from murder and crime, the films explore issues connected with sexuality. Sexual diversity is often displayed in films by the company.
One of the most suggestive films is the 2001 film Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The film focuses on relationships between people. A homosexual young man has to undergo a sex change operation and has to suffer because of this act for his entire life. Notably, homosexual characters are often displayed in the films by Killer Films.
For instance, the 2004 film A Home at the End of the World is another film that explores issues young people have to face. Self-identification is a very important theme as well. The characters of the films try to understand who they really are.
They become happy only when they find their real self. It is possible to note that the films by the company provide a certain kind of lesson to learn. The company sends the message that people must understand who they are, otherwise they can never be truly happy, or they can even be destroyed.
One of central themes in all movies by the company is interpersonal relationships. More so, loneliness is the major topic of most of the films produced by Killer Films. The films’ characters strive for friends, family and partners. Basically, the films suggest that one of major goals for an individual is to find oneself and to find a close one.
The 2002 One Hour Photo is one of the most conspicuous films, in this respect. The protagonist of the film is a very lonely man who develops affection for a family. He sees himself as a member of this family and strives for being a part of this family. In fact, the protagonist develops a severe obsession with the family.
Again, the company produces the film that explores the deepest emotions of a lonely person. The independent film reveals an aspect of human life which is known to millions. At the same time, the story is unconventional and evoking.
Importantly, the films produced by the company reveal different social groups of people. The stories of artists, rich people, poor people, business people, working people, females and males are displayed. It is possible to state that the films do not focus on any particular social or any other group as the films are about aspects of life that are universal, i.e. all people have to face the issues addressed in the films.
What is more, the company produces stories of different people to explore the way different people (pertaining to different social, ethnic, cultural groups) cope or fail to cope with these issues. Importantly, the films depict quite unconventional characters who are members of absolutely ordinary groups.
The films highlight the life of people who could be ordinary, but somehow stand out from the rest. It is possible to note that the company creates a certain kind of mosaic of the human society with its controversies and conventions.
It is necessary to note that apart from specific themes, the independent films produced by the company do not give answers. This is one of the most important peculiarities of the company’s films. For instance, the film One Hour Photo does not give a specific answer concerning the future of the protagonist.
The viewer is welcome to create a variety of possible stories. Any film of the company raises a number of questions which should be answered by the viewer. Any film produced by the company is concerned with several questions to be answered. The stories revealed illustrate an issue. The stories may have certain ending, but the ending is not the answer, but rather a question.
In conclusion it is necessary to state that Killer Films is the company that produces conventional independent films that dwell upon unconventional aspects of human life. These unconventional issues are often ignored or even neglected by the society. The company Killer Films has a very specific role.
They make people think of these neglected issues. The company highlights such aspects of people’s life as loneliness, self-identification, self-realization, crime, interpersonal relationships. Admittedly, these issues can hardly be solved in the nearest future. However, it is a must of people to consider them as this may help people become happier.
Works Cited
Hopewell, John. “Vachon Talks Price of Indie Pics.” Variety. Sep. 2012. Web.
Macaulay, Scott. “12 Tips from James Schamus and Christine Vachon at IFP Film Week.” Filmmaker. Sep. 2012. Web.