Overview:
Office Killer comes to Blu-ray and 4K from Vinegar Syndrome. The directorial debut of photography artist Cindy Sherman, it remains her only feature film offering to date. Vinegar Syndrome's release of Office Killer features an excellent video transfer and audio package with a robust selection of bonus features.
The Movie Itself: 4.5 stars
I've wanted to watch Office Killer for literally years. Since I heard the excellent horror podcast Werewolf Ambulance discuss it way back on their 30th episode (they are currently approaching episode 580, so: it's been a minute) and honestly, it had been so long that I couldn't even remember what about it sounded good to me. The instant I threw this disc in, I knew I was in for a good time.
Office Killer, as someone says in the bonus features, is more of a black comedy than a horror comedy, despite its horror elements. Touching on topics like office politics, sexual harassment and sexism in a professional setting, and automation taking jobs within, in this case, the magazine industry, Office Killer has the focus of an indie film, despite all the murdering that occurs.
Layoffs are happening within Constant Consumer magazine. Norah (Jeanne Tripplehorn) has been put in charge of them, making her feel like a rat as well as public enemy number one. While Dorine (Carol Kane) keeps her job, she's informed that it will be changing and she'll have to learn the confusing new computer system. One night, after hours, Dorine witnesses the accidental death of handsy floor manager Gary (David Thornton), which she covers up by secreting the body away and sending some emails from his terminal. This accidental death sets in motion a chain reaction that leads to more deaths, on purpose this time, and to Dorine finally making the changes in her life that she's long wanted to. Good for her, I guess?
There aren't really laugh-out-loud moments in Office Killer, but there are shocked chuckles to spare as Dorine incrementally comes out of her shell, becoming bolder and let's face it, crazier. As Norah and eventually her boyfriend Daniel (Michael Imperioli) get closer to the truth, and both tensions and the bodycount rise, we're also shown more and more of Dorine's past, giving insight into why she is the way she is. The tone of Office Killer is tough to pin down, but if you can get on its level it's a really entertaining ride.
The Packaging: 3.5 stars
Office Killer comes in a sturdy, black 4K case with two discs inside; one for the Blu-ray, one for the 4K. The cover is reversible with one side being black and red renderings of what I can only presume are employee photos of Dorine and Norah. The other side is the blood-spattered image of a hand holding a butcher's knife in front of a flat gray background, with the image distorted as though seen on an old-school tube television or office security monitor.
I'll be honest with you, neither of these images really blow me away or, I feel, capture the visual aesthetic of the film. Director Cindy Sherman is a photographer known for creative applications of different visual tropes and her direction here utilizes a photographer's eye for making the mundane seem interesting. On a more surface level, it's a film that is primarily set in an office that's mostly green and cream in color and lit by fluorescent lights; the red and black, or red and gray colors schemes aren't really exemplary of that.
The Video: 4 stars
I think this Vinegar Syndrome release looks incredible. I can only guess what Office Killer looked like before restoration; I own many DVDs of black comedies and the like, from the end of the '90s, many of which have yet to make their way to Blu-ray and beyond, so it's easy for me to visualize. Whatever restoration work Vinegar Syndrome did, the final product is tremendous. The colors are deep without reaching over-saturation, the lighting means minimal deep shadows, which lends locations a heightened, stagey quality that makes sense when you take Cindy Sherman's photography background into consideration.
In the High Art / Low Budget featurette, cinematographer Russel Lee Fine talks about catering his work to specifically echo some of Sherman's photos, which not only makes so much sense, but also leads to a tremendously strong final product from a visual perspective. Also, just because I love them so much, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Office Killer has one of the best, most arresting opening credits sequences I've seen in a l-o-n-g time.
With film grain that's present, but never dominating the frame, Vinegar Syndrome's release of Office Killer looks like something shot recently that's trying to ape the aesthetics of the late '90s. This is a compliment by the way. I'm obsessed with this era, especially the advertising and while Office Killer isn't exactly the same thing, having a photographer's aesthetics definitely puts it into that arena.
The Audio: 3.5 stars
The more discs I review, the more I think that the less you notice the audio or video, the better. I don't mean that you shouldn't be moved by visuals or sounds in a movie, I just mean that when it's all working, you're often not thinking about it. That's where I'm at with Office Killer; I took numerous notes about the visuals (which makes sense as it's director is a visual artist) and almost no notes about the audio. But that's, overall, a good thing.
I utilize a three-channel soundbar, and never had to adjust from scene to scene no matter what was happening. When we're in the offices during regular business hours, there's an appropriate amount of background noise that makes it feel like a functioning workplace: phones, footsteps, photocopier noises, cross-cubicle conversation, etc. I'm trying right now to recall any music that jumped out at me and the only thing I can muster up is whatever piece of the score plays over the disc menu. It's such a perfectly-of-its-era composition that it feels like I should be intimately familiar with it. Fun (to me) fact: composer Evan Lurie also scored Trees Lounge (1996), Steve Buscemi's feature directorial debut, which I haven't seen in a long time, but has a similar overall black humor tone in my recollection.
The Supplements: 4 stars
I was very pleased with the amount of bonus features and their content. My big sticking point for most discs is whether these featurettes provide context for someone who may not be super well-versed in whatever film's whole history. Sometimes, as I mentioned above, you're interested in a film because you've heard about it for so long and you finally want to see for yourself, but that doesn't mean you'll necessarily be a scholar about it.
Office Killer's featurettes answered all of my questions. I was not inherently familiar with Cindy Sherman by name, but after watching the interview with cinematographer Russel Lee Fine, I looked up her photos and realized I have actually seen a bunch of her work. The features also helped clear up the whole "Why hasn't Sherman directed another film?" question.
- Commentary with author / journalist / programmer Heidi Honeycutt
- Return to Office: interview with Cindy Sherman and Molly Ringwald (17:15) (HD)
- A Pure Creative Experience: interview with Jeanne Tripplehorn (22:16) (HD)
- High Art / Low Budget: interview with cinematographer Russel Lee Fine (17:01) (HD)
- Another Kind of Monster: interview with author Dahlia Schweitzer (13:27) (HD)
- Behind-the-Scenes footage: courtesy of Jeanne Tripplehorn (6:14) (SD)
- Still gallery
Final Thoughts: Highly Recommended
Office Killer is a great time, if you're into horror-adjacent black comedy. The visuals are impeccable, and the performances are excellent. I didn't even find an opportunity to mention Molly Ringwald as Kim the chain-smoking office gossip; if you're used to seeing her in her '80s roles in films like Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985) or Pretty in Pink (1986), it's refreshing to see her play someone so no-nonsense. She was also apparently integral to the production by donating a bunch of her personal clothing to be used as various characters' wardrobe, to help keep production costs down. What a buddy!
I will admit that Office Killer sort of throws me the closer it gets to the ending. I feel like there were grander ambitions that were hindered somewhat by both the budget and the relative inexperience of the director. Apparently Cindy Sherman had informally sworn off of ever working in film again, but has since softened on that position. I would love to see her take a second bite of the cinematic apple, because while Office Killer is imperfect, it's still Highly Recommended.
