The Killing Jar

Title: The Killing Jar
Director & writer: Mark Young
Cast: Michael Madsen, Harold Parrniaeu, Amber Benson, Kevin Gage, Lew Temple, Danny Trejo

At a quaint and quiet little roadside diner a group of strangers are held hostage by a psychotic gunman (Michael Madsen). But, when a criminal businessman (Jake Busey) walks in looking for a professional hitman, he needs to pay off, they notice that now there are two deadly killers with them. And, they have no clue who the second one is...

This violent thriller is actually a pretty damn fun. It has a good cast, and although, I figured out who the second killer was in a second, I was entertained.

Madsen is great as the lead antagonist and he comes off very menacing. Also, good is the lovely Ms. Benson, in her best role since her days as Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.The rest of the cast rounds it with solid performances, as well.

The film is pretty violent, with gory squibs, an exploding head courtesy of a shotgun, and bloody head shots. While, not really a horror film, it has enough genre material to interest fans. The climax is exciting and the ending had me cheering. So, while this movie is certainly no classic, it is engrossing and likable enough that you'll wanna make a pit stop with it.

**1/2 out of ****