Director-writer-editor-star Brian Avenet-Bradley has managed to create an intriguing serial killer movie with Ghost Of The Needle, and it makes me want to see more of him as he's obviously a talented filmmaker.

He takes the lead role (and does extremely well in it) in this story that has him playing a landscape photographer with a deadly secret. Seems he's been luring women from his photo sites back to his studio (which is located in a distant factory he's caretaker of) and then drugging them up, taking pictures of them, and then encasing them in plastic bags which he sucks the air out of (effectively suffocating them).

It's all a pretty gruesome process, but things start to get out of hand when one of his latest victims starts to haunt him causing all sorts of weird hallucinations and guilt.

While the story itself doesn't tread much new ground the reason the movie works is because it has a feel of quiet menace throughout and it's fluidly shot with plenty of striking scenes. Also it helps that the small cast handles the material extremely well, there's a lot of creepy moments (like when a silhouette of his victim shows-up on a film negative), and the whole thing is just one dark movie with an unpleasant tone that ends on a down note.

If you're interested in serial killer movies and find most of the Hollywood product lacking, you should give this one a try.

Visit The Asylum for more information. (Chris Hartley, 3/9/05)

Directed By: Brian Avenet-Bradley.
Written By: Brian Avenet-Bradley.

Starring: Brian Avenet-Bradley, Cheri Christian, Greg Thompson, Leigh Hill.

Picture Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: This suffers from some pixelation and a few authoring blips here and there, but the transfer for the most part is solid - if nothing overly inspiring.

Extras: There's a pleasing mix of extras here with a trailer (plus trailers for Evil Eyes, Lady In The Box, and Haunted House); six behind-the-scenes featurettes that cover the location, cinematography, actors, auditions, effects make-up, and music; and two commentary tracks one with the actors and the other with director Avenet-Bradley and his cinematographer (and wife) Laurence Avenet-Bradley.