The Rain Killer (1990)

Thanks for the memories!

hyped garbage

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

You know, for a very brief period (approximately 10-12 minutes) I honestly believed that I stumbled upon a genuine hidden gem of horror/thriller cinema. Even more so, it even looked as if I found an authentic late giallo; which is my all-time cult cinema sub genre! Within the first fifteen minutes of the film, no less than three women are stalked and subsequently killed by someone wearing a hat, a long black overcoat and a big shiny knife. It doesn't get much more "giallo" than that. Since all victims – three on screen and allegedly four previously already – were killed during heavy rain showers, the media and the investigating police officers quickly nickname him the rain killer. Very promising, indeed, but what starts as an intriguing throwback to the Italian gialli of the seventies sadly turns quite rapidly into a dull, predictable and typically American serial- killer thriller with film-noir echoes (similar to, for example, "Sea of Love", "Black Widow" or "The January Man"). After the initial killings, the movie becomes incredibly dull and almost solely revolves on the triangular relationship between the tough local detective (Ray Sharkey), the cocky FBI-agent and the woman they're both in love with (although she often looks more like a man…). Further in the film, a couple more promiscuous women are stabbed to death in the rain (including stripper Maria Ford) but there isn't any suspense and the killer's identity isn't much of a mystery. Like the other reviewers also pointed out already, the cinematography is very decent, especially during the raw & gritty exterior murder sequences. I wished it was different, but in the end "The Rain Killer" is a righteously obscure and forgotten early-90s thriller.

I have recently discovered, to my great surprise, that "The Rain Killer" has achieved a kind of cult status in Europe, especially Italy. An Italian journalist contacted me a few months ago looking for background on the film to be included in a forthcoming book about the genre.I would not presume to review the film, in fact I have not seen it in many years. I have only a VHS copy that I recorded off cable, but the new interest in the film might finally generate a DVD release, perhaps as part of a Roger Corman retrospective. (Califilm was one of his subsidiary companies.) Anyway, the book should be released in Europe in 2014.Ray Cunneff

Someone is brutally murdering a score of women, while in the rain. There is a connection. They're all part of a sewing circle. A tired looking cop, Sharkey, a cool vehicle role for him, is teamed up with new overriding DEA agent, Hot shot, Dalton (David Beecroft-Who the hell is he?) and it isn't very long before things get very personal as Sharkey gets personally involved with Beecroft's woman (Tania Coolidge-Who the hell is she) A stripper becomes tied in with the other victims. At first we question why this strip scene exists. Not that there's anything wrong with watching little hottie, Maria Ford, doing a little nude dance. And that's followed by a sex scene in a motel room, the young wealthy client, carrying a hefty suitcase containing some pretty kinky gadgets, amongst some pretty scary knifeware. This guy can handle himself too, as the two are intercepted outside, by Ford's black pimp, but he's soon taken care of. It soon makes sense why these scenes exist as Ford is killed, and this guy that Beecroft actually knows is being framed. See this macho's guys wife belongs to the same sewing circle. I knew who the killer was all the way through this, and someone who didn't, would have to have an IQ less than seven. I don't know how some of these movie writers think they can fool us. It was so patently obvious, by the figure's build and walk, the identity was staring me in the face. Are you f*****g kidding me? As a thriller The Rain Killer disappoints, but it's still quite engrossing, nonetheless, I guess partly due to it's idea. It's got a little nudity from hottie Maria Ford, some very occasional violence, and Ray Sharkey. It also stars Michael Chilkis in a much earlier acting role, before he became one of the fantastic four.

This fluffy sugar-coated bunny hop was sure fun. It was an effective mystery that delivered. This sweet pickle got a little side-tracked and got involved with the stripper character, but never mind that, because she supplied some juicy eye candy if you know what I mean. -**1/2 stars