Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word (DVD)
Starring Devin Bonnee, Sean Patrick Flanery, Mike Doyle
Directed by Simon Rumley
Guilt can be a damning thing, especially when passed down as a judgement by jury, and in Simon Rumley’s latest film Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word, the actual events of a horrific crime are infused with some rather interesting anecdotes to create a pretty frightening depiction of what happened after a convicted man’s execution has come to pass.
Simon Bonnee plays condemned-to-die Johnny Frank Garrett, a man who back in 1981 supposedly broke into the St. Francis Convent, then allegedly raped and strangled 76-year old sister Tadea Benz while she lay in her bed. Arguments were made repeatedly over whether or not this heinous crime was actually committed by Garrett, and when all was said and done, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection, which eventually took place in 1992. That’s where the real story ceases, and Rumley takes the reins from there, and with the film’s opening we find Garrett surrounded in a courtroom awaiting the verdict that will change his life forever…or what’s left of it. Bad news, kids – and this isn’t a spoiler (because he’s actually dead) – old Johnny gets the word handed down that he’ll be getting the lethal concoction pumped through his veins, regardless of his rantings of innocence. What both the film and actual events entail is that Garrett’s conviction might have been brought on by some sneaky backroom tactics and incompetent work by judicial employees…gee, life does in fact imitate art and vice-versa, doesn’t it?
Anyhow, Garrett’s execution day is upon all, and as he’s strapped to the gurney he utters a statement – more like a declaration, and it’s one that chills witnesses to the bone. He not only tells everyone involved to “kiss his ever-lovin ass”, but promises that each and everyone connected to his death will suffer for their actions. What starts off as a generally frightening scenario to an unfortunate crime and subsequent punishment veers off into the “satanic overtaking” of a simple soul, and we’re peppered with the usual particulars that are confined within one of these types of films (possessed people, graphic deaths and other various scare tactics). As the movie rolls along, sure enough the folks that were involved in the entire trial are turning up dead – who knew? As the presentation rolls along, the idea of a deranged murderer’s death snowballs into a hokey “curse” that he’s cast over the remaining individuals attached to the case, effectively wrecking what would have been an otherwise striking display. Bonnee is admirable as the killer, Garrett, but the gold-star here goes to Doyle as the only man who served on the jury to proclaim Garrett’s innocence, but it’s Flanery’s performance that…how do I say this kindly? – takes hamming up a role to unfathomable depths in his portrayal of a seedy district attorney. The actions and expressions of his character are so incredibly overblown, it completely breaks off any plausibility towards the work, and I normally love Flanery’s acting but this…WHOA.
Can I also serve up a warning for those who like to jam earbuds into their drums when checking out a film? Okay, here goes: PLEASE don’t do it. There, I’ve singlehandedly saved thousands of innocent tympanums from destruction as there are more than a few splitting-levels of unforgiving auditory torture encased here. Overall, Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word isn’t a terrible film by any means – it just represents a severely missed opportunity of presenting an abominable piece of crime and punishment by cheapening it with a retreaded usage of old horror tactics – maybe a one-timer if there aren’t any episodes of “Unsolved Mysteries” readily available.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
