Rough Draft (1998)

Very well executed

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

A washed-up freelance journalist stumbles upon a serial killer in his city. When the killer finds out that a journalist knows about him, instead of killing the journalist, the killer asks to be interviewed. This premise is an interesting one, though not really original (check out the Kurt Russel movie "The Mean Season"). It could have worked again here, but the end results are pretty poor. None of the characters seem to be very interesting, even the serial killer. In fact, all the characters in the movie make some really stupid decisions when common sense would have quickly ended this story. The movie moves at a snail's pace because there's simply not enough story here. Don't get me wrong - I like a lot of low budget B movies, but this one is so poorly made that even I can't forgive its shortcomings.

A cliched, thoroughly unbelievable plot does this one in; it requires EVERY CHARACTER in it (the "hero", the detectives, even the killer) to be a moron. Busey is miscast, but Madsen manages to be pretty funny (intentionally) even though he is quite visibly bored out of his mind, and Vosloo is downright creepy as the serial killer - he acts as if he's in a good movie. Laughable "twist" ending. (*1/2)

Arnold Vosloo comes accross believable in this movie as a crooning smoothe serial killer who gets off on killing women who he meets in the street by using his charm to walk them into isolated alleys where the deed is done. I'm afraid that Gary Busey is a weak act in this movie reminding me that this is a B grader and not a star studded cast. No mindblowing camera or lighting work as a matter of fact it really belongs on daytime TV. With Michael madsen playing the dodgy cop who smokes and swears a lot ( mmmmmmm thats a new role for him ) NOT. The movie is pretty predictable right through to the end scene when finally there is a small twist. My video case boasts "Independent video release of the year 1998 VSDA Award Winning" ........What??? Yeah right! I reccomend you watch it in the afternoon when you're bored and havent anything better to do like I did. Outta 10 ....about 4 and thats because Vosloo made a good effort when the odds were against him starring in a B grade movie with a B grade cast

Gary Busey is one of those actors who have some great performances in decent-to-good-films but who also, from time to time, have mediocre performances in c-movies. Rough Draft definitely qualifies for the latter category. The serial killer is omnipotent yet more annoying than scary, and the story twist in the end is one of the worst I've seen in a long time and Wild Things is still fresh in my memory... Do I have to say more?