by Buzz McClain
review
Co-scripted by Karen Black, who has always had a taste for the blackest of comedies, this 1998 indie was called Charades when it played festivals in 1999, but by any name it's a sick little twisted tale that has moments of mirth amid the gruesome gunplay and the calculated sex. The acting may be on boil for a bit too long in the last third, but the pace and coherency of the plot are nicely rendered. There are elements of murder mystery, erotic drama, black comedy, and Grand Guignol all rolled into one frantically paced backyard barbecue. Jack Scalia brings tension and menace to the scene with his unpredictable character, and lovely Kimberly Kates proves combustible with a number of cast members as a fickle sexpot.
