Natural Selection (1999)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Mark Lambert Bristol

Writers:

B.J. Burrow (writer)
Allen Odom (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller | Horror

Tagline:

America's Newest Weapon Against Evil!

Plot:

Residents of an East Texas town react strangely when a serial killer invades their small town world. |

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Michael Bowen	...	Willie Dickenson
David Carradine	...	Louis Dehoven
Darren E. Burrows	...	Glenn Royce (as Darren Burrows)
Elizabeth Barondes	...	Sally Dickensen
Missy Atwood	...	Marie Franklin
Marina Anderson	...	Martha Graham (as Marina Carradine)
Joe Unger	...	Detective Harry Richards
Bob Balaban	...	Dr. William Powell
Stephen Root	...	Mr. Crenshaw
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Guilford Adams	...	Colin Dickenson
Fritz Beer	...	Mover #1
Daniel Bull	...	Mover #2
Cherry Cheney	...	Sugar the Dog
Michael Costello	...	David Haltner
Courtney Davis	...	Crime Scene Photo Victims
Dorothy Deavers	...	Lou Ann Hindricks
Lana Dieterich	...	Mrs. Dickenson
Dale Dudley	...	Eddie Dickenson
Jason Duncan	...	Marathon Runner
Vic Feazell	...	Kirk Graham
Steve Flanagin	...	Ted Billings
Gabriel Folse	...	Earle
Jenn Gardner	...	Crime Scene Photo Victims
Jon Geiger	...	Mr. Dickenson
Bradford Hardie	...	Creepy Vampire
Johnny Hardwick	...	Documentary Director
Melissa Holmes	...	Young Mrs. Dickenson
Laura House	...	Mrs. Parryman
Heather Kafka	...	Cassandra
Jason King	...	Crime Scene Photo Victims
Todd Lowe	...	Jimmie Dickenson
Mark Miks	...	Jamie Crenshaw
Alex Morris	...	Alex
Chad Nell	...	Lucas Harold
Lou Perryman	...	Pappy
Bob Richardson	...	Coach Al Sand
Judy Scott	...	Mrs. Crenshaw
Charlie Sexton	...	Simon Felton
Elizabeth Sweton	...	Crime Scene Photo Victims
Jennifer Szabo	...	Waitress (as Jennifer Sabo)
Adam Warren	...	Morgue Guard
Bill Wise	...	Ferrel Dickenson

Also Known As:

Killer X (UK) (DVD title)
The Demon Slayer (Europe: English title) (DVD title)
The Monster Hunter (USA) (DVD title)
The Monster Slayer (USA) (MIFED title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

UK:88 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

UK:15 (original rating) | UK:18 (DVD with additional material) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

24/36 Productions

Soundtrack:

Thurston's Lament

Hey, what's that stamp doing on my forehead?

I think that the best movies are those that evoke a gut level emotional response, whether it is disgust or laughter, and this one is right on target. In addition to a big grin, I left with the feeling of just going on a whirlwind ride through small town Texas, a witness to the absurdity and humor of real life so well captured by the talented writers and skillfully communicated by the actors. This movie is not for the politically correct anal-lizers, but best enjoyed by the regular person, the one who looks twice at a car wreck and the one who isn't afraid to find humor in the ugliness of this world. It offers the viewer a glimpse of the underbelly of mundane suburbia, a place where oddity is alive and well. Natural Selection moves adeptly between the disturbing tale of madness and murder and the documentary scenes that provide a sort of delightfully sick comic relief to the starkness of human nature's hideousness. The juxtaposition of disgust and humor made me constantly anticipate what would flash before me next. I loved being an observer of White Hills and its cast of characters, together bringing a sweeping view of the strangeness of humanity. From Bowen's brilliant and scary Willie, to his hilariously ignorant cousins, to the insanity of Carradine's Dehoven, to the pitifully funny, monkey collecting parents of one of Willie's victims and all the other eccentrics, I bounced between the reality of these lives well portrayed by the cast and brought up from the Texas dust by the writing of B.J. Burrow and Allen Odom, an up and coming team that promise more great work. This unique movie had the theater in its grasp, and never failed to hold me in this bizarre place. I enjoyed every engaging minute and was sad to see it end. I hope that everyone gets to take the ride through White Hills. It's a great trip!