Blu-ray Review – The Killing Time

The screenplay for "The Killing Time" (credited to Don Bohlinger, James Nathan, and Bruce Franklin Singer) looks to bring a piece of film noir to the mid-1980s. Many productions have tried to do it, and the quest continues to this day, but the effort presented here is noticeable, bringing the story to life with mysterious characters, the planning of a crime for the love of a woman, and the eventual unraveling of such an illegal endeavor. Director Rick King isn't hiding his influences, but he's not exactly massaging them either, delivering a half-hearted presentation of all-gone-wrong cinema, hoping to amplify the viewing experience with barking villainy, violence, and an offering of softcore sex. Trouble is, King doesn't bring "The Killing Time" to life, content to make a sluggish movie that's not particularly turned on by its own mischief, while suspense is minimal at best. Sure, there's Beau Bridges in a rare leading man turn, tasked with keeping the feature together, but the actor's intermittent excitement and shirtlessness isn't enough to make the picture interesting, while the writing eventually goes to sleep, unable to produce enough nail-biting encounters to make the sit worthwhile. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com