The Movie Guys: Killer-themed ‘Minus Man’ is a movie plus

Friday, Oct. 8, 1999 | 9:41 a.m.

The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun (Movie Buzz written by Thomas Feeney). They can also be seen on the 11 a.m. Friday newscast on KVVU Channel 5. You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Las Vegas Weekly magazine. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/ movies and themovieguys.com.

Grades: Jeff, B; Dave, B-.

Starring: Owen Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, Brian Cox, Mercedes Ruehl, Dwight Yoakam, Dennis Haysbert and Sheryl Crow.

Directed by: Hampton Fancher.

Screenplay by: Hampton Fancher.

Rated: R for profanity, violence and adult situations.

Running time: 110 minutes.

Playing at: Regal Cinemas Village Square 18.

Synopsis:

Vann Siegert is a placid drifter who rolls into a quaint coastal town looking to start over. Vann is so kind, so thoughtful and so downright likable that his presence almost seems negligible. Vann is seemingly the nicest, simplest guy you could ever meet. Looks can be deceiving.

Jeff: The profiles of serial killers differ so much that the FBI has no way of ascertaining exactly how and why a person kills. What behavior points to being a serial killer? John Wayne Gacy dressed as a clown and performed for children; Richard Rameriz was a heavy-metal head-banger; and Ted Bundy was the boy-next-door type. In retrospect, some serial killers fit a certain profile, but most don't. The killers who show no signs of being demented are the ones you least suspect.

Vann Siegert is such a man. Nice, good looking, simple-hearted, never complains, the kind of guy you take home to meet the family. Vann harbors a secret depravity: He's a serial killer, one who kills without fanfare or flair, and he takes human life without a heavy conscience or strenuous effort. We know nothing about Vann's past, but throughout the film's narration, Vann reveals the inner struggle within his mind. Why does he kill and why does he choose one victim over another? The stark reality is that none of his victims ever saw it coming and never had a chance.

Dave: "The Minus Man" is very unusual in its dark underlying theme, leaving enough questions unanswered for its audience to make numerous interpretations. Making his directorial debut is scribe Hampton Fancher, best known for his 1982 sci-fi cult-classic "Blade Runner." As he exposes this passive-aggressive murderer whose narrative rationalizes his motive as a curious journey through life, he delves into the depths of a psychotic's psyche and creates a portrait of a serial killer.

With an innocent charm and friendly demeanor, we are quickly introduced to Vann (ideally played by Owen Wilson, last seen losing his head in "The Haunting") making small talk with a local barfly named Laurie (an admirable acting debut by rock singer Sheryl Crow). His peculiar actions lead to her death and soon he finds himself intrigued by a small coastal town where he takes up residence with a vulnerable couple. His benevolent nature wins over his acquaintances and he soon becomes closely linked to their lives.

Jeff: Vann takes a room for rent within the house of Doug (Brian Cox) and Jane (Mercedes Ruehl), both of whom are having problems. The room he rents was once occupied by their missing teenage daughter, a room they haven't entered. Vann becomes like a surrogate child, befriending Doug, a man who beats up on himself, and Jane, who mourns over the unknown fate of her daughter. With Vann's easygoing attitude, charm and innocence, he wins them over and now has a new hideout from which to kill the unsuspecting townspeople. He's a stranger and people can't quite figure out what he wants or what he's doing in town. But when people start to vanish, Vann relishes in the fact that he can kill without any concern and no one suspects him.

The only conflict Vann has is with two detectives (played by Dwight Yokam and Dennis Haybert) who occupy his subconscious and pop up every now and then to have a surreal conversation with him about his actions and belittle his every move. It's obvious that what appears normal to all on the outside is rotten to the core on the inside, and Vann's mind is a cesspool of evil and seeming normalcy -- a deadly combination.

Dave: He possesses a sincerity that draws every potential victim into his clutches, leading him to very calculated murders. His bloodbath is really bloodless, as he poisons his random targets by spiking their drinks with a lethal concentrated fungus, rather than committing a gruesome, bludgeoned mess. That's not to say that he doesn't have his fits of rage, but instead he blacks out before he can act upon his violence urges. However, when death strikes close to his newfound home, we see this dark side begin to slowly surface.

His relationship with the free-spirited Ferrin ("Dogpark's" Janeane Garofalo) is coy, until one evening their playfulness turns rough and quite possibly fatal. That night his intent toward a co-worker at the local post office is indeed to kill, but he realizes he must remain focused on his journey, which he knows will end with the authorities. Fancher's goth-script is filled with rich characters whose lives are brimming with complications brought on by their own grief. Cleverly layered with clues and questions that guide you through this witty dark comedy, the film unfortunately leaves you to answer your own questions.

Jeff: Wilson plays Vann with an honest and devious sincerity and wears a grimace, with a pucker that makes him look as though he must have been weaned on a lemon as a child. At the film's end you're scratching your head, as Dave said, left to draw your own conclusions about his motives. Fancher never takes the direct approach and leads you into a few dead-ends, with no obvious denouement. Fancher asserts that a serial killer could be anyone and you should never judge a book by its cover, so to speak. With the film's tranquil small-town setting, it's as if a gentleman killer has come to Mayberry, U.S.A.

"The Minus Man" is not your run-of-the-mill serial killer movie, but a new and fresh approach in exploring the inner workings of the criminal mind, masked by the facade of the all-American boy. You've been warned. Trust no one.

Movie Buzz

Give Me "Librium": According to the Hollywood Reporter, "Twister" director Jan De Bont will produce Dimension Film's science fiction film "Librium." The film tells the story of John Preston, a "legal enforcer" in a future society where emotions are kept in check by the government-mandated use of the tranquilizer Librium. During the film Preston undergoes a spiritual conversion. "Librium" will be directed by screenwriter Kurt Wimmer ("The Thomas Crown Affair" remake). Dimension has placed the project on the fast track with plans to start filming early in 2000.

Watch out for that ... sequel!: Disney's popular "George of the Jungle" may spawn a sequel sooner than anyone expects. According to columnists Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith, the first draft of the new "George" script should be done within a month, after which it will be sent to Brendan Fraser for approval. Production of the sequel could start even before Fraser heads back into the desert for "The Mummy 2." The potential story may revolve around George's journey to Las Vegas to save his simian pal, Ape, who was last seen singing his heart out in a stage show here. Was it at the Reserve?

Another "Moon"?: It seems like the Andy Kaufman biopic "Man on the Moon" may actually result in two final films being released. According to Variety columnist Michael Fleming, during production of the film, 200 hours of behind-the-scenes footage was shot. It's rumored that the footage confirms that Carrey stayed in character throughout the entire production. Plans are being discussed to create a feature-length documentary film about "Moon" to be released in theaters next spring.

Name That Flick

What was the last name of the three famous brothers who played hockey together (not always by the rules) and brought their toy trucks on the road with them in the film "Slapshot"? Penelope Wells was the first to call (yes, Penelope, you were the first) with the correct answer: the Hanson brothers. Way to go!

For this week, what was the name of the little poodle dog owned by serial killer James Gumb in "Silence of the Lambs"? If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026, or log onto our website at www.themovieguys.com. Be sure to spell your name and if you're the first to answer correctly, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read. See you next week!

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