I can remember first seeing the box art for Killer Nerd in the catalogue that came with the Cannibal! The Musical DVD.  I saw it and thought it looked pretty lame and basically forgot all about it, until I started learning more about microbudget filmmaking.  After finding out how successful the small, shot-on-video film managed to be at its budget level and the marketing attempts were quite interesting.  However, after reading reviews from both ends of the spectrum for Wayne Alan Harold and Mark Steven Bosko's Killer Nerd, I was honestly a bit worried once I finally bought the double feature DVD edition.  I had heard that it was an atrociously paced attempt at horror-spoof that wasn't worth the 90 minutes of my time and I had also heard that it was a fun microbudget b-movie romp.  After seeing co-director Harold's Townies and enjoying the offbeat style and feel of the film, I eventually decided to bite the bullet and see what Killer Nerd was actually like.

After opening up with a relatively pointless striptease dream sequence, we're introduced to Harold Kunkle, played by Toby Radloff - though it's questionable how much he honestly had to act, since it seems like he's playing his true persona.  Harold is a nerd who takes more than enough harassment for his social status, be it from local drug dealers and even his own mother.  At work, he tries desperately to woo his co-worker, Sally, only to find himself put down by Jeff, another co-worker who's trying for Sally's affection.  After trying his hardest to be cool by buying a tape series from a TV salesman named Slick Dick and getting a makeover, Harold tries to go for Sally once more, only to discover Jeff has moved in already.  Depressed, he goes to a bar and meets up with two women who take him to meet their friends: the same drug dealers that pick on Harold earlier in the film  After they rough him up a bit, Harold decides to finally take his revenge on every one who's betrayed, tormented, and most importantly, called him a nerd.

I had heard that Wayne Alan Harold and Mark Steven Bosko had heard they had to have 90 minutes of footage for their film to get distributed, so they tried their hardest to make the film the right length.  If you'd think this would slow down the film, well... you're absolutely right.  Killer Nerd runs so slow that twenty minutes into the movie, I wrote "BORING!" in my notes (yes, I do take notes when I review movies like Killer Nerd).  From the very beginning, we're treated to pointless scenes and overdrawn dialogue scenes that have barely any relevance to the plot.  It doesn't help that Toby Radloff's speech habits already slowed things down either.  Even worse, there are dream sequences inserted throughout the movie that are so atrociously bad with video effects that didn't stand the test of time.  Hell, they were probably outdated back in 1991 when the film was first made.

But pacing is not the only problem with the film.  Hell, that's FAR from the only problem.  The film was shot on SVHS and Filmlooked somewhat successfully, but that doesn't hide the amateurish camerawork.  Lighting (or lack thereof) and framing are the main problems in that area, but another major problem is a severe lack of coverage.  Long one-shot takes are used for dialogue, which would be okay, except for the fact most of the actors involved are far from talented.  However, the amateurish talent is always a bad thing, as Toby Radloff has proven to be one of the most intriguing b-movie character actors.  His delivery and natural tone is so incredibly awkward that it's bizarrely intriguing to watch him work.  It's even more amazing to think that the man actually acts very similar in his everyday life.

Now, I can look past technical flaws and can understand the pacing problems, even though they could've just tried writing a more thorough script instead of going the pointless footage route.  However, I have to be completely honest here:  Killer Nerd is quite possibly one of the worst movies I've ever seen and that's not a good thing.  Though some fun lines and schlocky acting come from Toby Radloff, it's not worth setting through 90 minutes of garbage to see.  Bosko and Harold were newcomers to independent filmmaking and it's fairly obvious that they were not too sure how to properly execute a feature length film.  I honestly can not recommend Killer Nerd to anyone, even though it does have it's fans out there.  Personally, I suggest you take a look at Wayne Alan Harold's more recent film, Townies.  It's an intriguing, bizarre, and trashy indie flick where Radloff's eccentricities and Harold's development in style shine.

Maybe I'll like Bride of Killer Nerd better...