"Roadkill: The Last Days of John Martin" is an American 15-minute horror short film from 1994, but I've seen earlier dates too, so not too sure about that, maybe it took a while to get released. Anyway, this one is in the English language,, but dialogues are so non-existent basically and irrelevant that you can watch it without subtitles, even if you don't understand a work of English. This means you won't understand this review too right? The editor and director here is Jim Van Bebber and he wrote the script together with his lead actor performer Mark Gillespie. This is the story of a man who loves his meat raw, first of all he eats a little predator animal, but we find out soon enough that he also has a soft spot for human meat. First half of the film is a one man show while in the second half the victims enter the picture. The car scene is as brutal as it is fun. It may be very gory, but still it is very entertaining, almost comedic at times. Not in a bad way though as Gillespie really does very well with making the protagonist memorable and the film stands and falls with that. Actually stands. The way he portrays these mannerisms is really good stuff almost all of the time, the severe psychological disorders he has in terms of mood swings changing from one second to the next. A really good watch for genre lovers and this film proves that creative ideas are more important than a big budget. This film here makes good use of familiar (non-supernatural) horror film elements overall and it is a success. I give it a thumbs-up and recommend checking it out. Watch this charming man. The only question that remains is why are these his final days.

"If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all," right? Okay, so here's something nice: I think the blood and gore effects are well done, including the appearance of the body parts lying around John Martin's humble abode.

However.

With occasional exceptions, the most important aspect of horror, as a genre, is its ability to elicit a visceral reaction from viewers by one means or another. Whether that response is acute fright, disgust, dread, terror, rising disquiet, or a more general sense of thrills - if the average horror feature can't make its audience feel something, then it has failed.

'Roadkill: The last days of John Martin' pointedly misses the mark on that one essential requirement. By shoving blood and gore in our faces from the very beginning, it has severely limited itself. There's nowhere else to go, much like how one can't have an earnest conversation through yelling, as it limits the all important variation in vocal inflection. With that element that should provoke a reaction being immediate, and pervasive, its narrative purpose is negated.

Remove the squandered blood and gore from the short film, and all one has left is 1) gratuitous nudity, 2) a brief scene of a man attacking a stranded couple after he gives them a ride, and 3) a man screaming, annoyingly, at his television.

Now, to be fair, those three story beats are ideas one could work with - in a very different type of tale. Not in a horror feature where wasted blood and gore is the focus of its would-be shock value.

Adding final insult to injury, 'Roadkill' is still more well done than the other short film, 'My sweet Satan,' that it is paired with.

Yawn.

As a fan of Jim Van Bebber I was surprised to see this movie in the UK Uncut after the BBFC rumpus over Deadbeat at Dawn.The short(about 15 mins im not sure) details the activities of a maniac called John Martin who lives in a Filthy home and eats roadkill,yelling at the TV,and eventually going out to capture some hitchikers.Its fairly grim viewing,but the acting is poor,and the attempt to capture a Texas Chainsaw atmosphere doesnt work.Made to finance a feature film.Its on video in the UK with the great My Sweet Satan,a much better film by Van Bebber.