It was simply chance that led me to the Polish film Fantom Kiler and it’s unique director, Roman Nowicki. Before I get into the film I want to let you know that there are four films in the series (titled Fantom Kiler 2,3,4) and two more in what appears to be a full pornographic spin-off called Fantom Seducer. These are, simply put, X rated shot on video sleaze-fests. Anyone that has read a review for Fantom will notice that it has been called (and rightly so) a misogynist’s fantasy. Now, should that make us feel guilty, indulging in the graphic portrayals of sex and violence on the screen? Fuck No! I love and respect women. Nowicki portrays them being brutally taunted, debased and slaughtered in what he calls "a schizophrenic comedy and erotic horror fantasy" and when asked if he is a misogynist, adds "Of course not and I resent that question", explaining how he is a huge fan of women. Bottom line: An artist should not need to apologize for his work!

Fantom Kiler sparks the controversy that it does because it is raw and honest in it’s depiction of a deranged man with a deadly grudge towards women. Nothing is left to the imagination and the death scenes are exploitative. On the other hand, it would be a shame to discredit the ridiculous comedy that douses the picture with an awkward charm. This is no grand picture with deep themes. The sets are sparsely decorated and the acting is porn film quality. There is no beautiful cinematography as in early European sexploitation pictures. There were probably only two main sets used but the lighting was good. It showcased the beautiful women and their luscious breasts. There are enough plump boobs to keep even the most jaded breast man happy.

The story deals with two mean-spirited middle-aged men that work at a railway station as janitors. Instead of working, they spend their time leering at the lovely women that pass by and imagining them naked. These loathsome characters categorize the girls into either bitches, tarts or whores. Their brains have probably rotted with decades of pornography (the fucked up kind) because all their sexual thoughts are extremely sadomasochistic. The funny thing is that ALL the women are drop dead gorgeous with knockout bodies, and they’re klutzy when it comes to keeping their clothes on. Another thing is that none of them wear bras or underwear of any kind. Our killer will not tolerate such promiscuity and must teach these women a lesson. Each murder has a simple setup, cat and mouse foreplay, and a grisly climax.

The first woman to be killed realizes she has lost her keys when she reaches her car. She decides to cross through the woods in the middle of the night. Her blouse gets caught in some troublesome branches so she just takes it off. Later she must cross a barbwire fence and her skirt could rip so she takes that off as well. When the killer surprises her from behind she is fully naked under the moonlight. He caresses her body and talks dirty to her before slashing her body up with a blade. He finishes things up by stabbing her vagina 38 times (I counted) in a frenzy and leaving her to bleed out.

Marek, one of the station cleaners with a moustache, learns that his lazy partner is being replaced with a hot young blonde named Carla. Carla is a special slut. She is the reigning Butt Queen or something. What does that mean? That means she has the hottest ass in town. She decides to teach Marek with some exercise moves to tone up the buttocks. Her clothes are too tight so she strips fully naked! After some routine workouts she asks her eager new pupil if he’s ever heard of the King Arthur legend, you know, the one where whomever pulls out the sword from the stone becomes king. She’s developed a special King Arthur workout. She lubes-up the end of a wooden spoon and asks Marek to stick it in her asshole. She wants to demonstrate her anus strength and makes a bet that if he pulls it out in one minute’s time she will do the chores for a week. I’m not kidding you, this really happens!

As amazing as this movie sounds, it’s not that fun watching it by yourself. I encourage you to watch this with a group of your friends if you get a chance. I guarantee you, they will never forget the experience. The film could have used more quality gore effects and a more developed plot. But plot is not the point of this movie in the first place. It’s a collection of violent sex fantasies. If you really want a Splatteresque Fuck-Out (a hardcore horror film party), go get the rest of the films in the series and a few bottles of Zubrowka vodka, which is what the characters drank during the film and Nowicki himself drank during the production and go crazy.

- Jorge Antonio Lopez