Ok, I’ll admit. I’m the type that watches a lot of films, listens to a lot of music, and reads a lot of books. Those who can relate I’m sure will say that every so often, you get something that just completely jumps out and you and sort of stands out from other things you have been watching/listening to/reading. For me, “Murder is Like Sex” (written and directed by first time director, Keith Boron) was one of those films.

I came across this film at a film convention this passed Halloween. I was there as a guest and musical performer, and helping promote the then DVD release of the newest film I’m in. I had heard of the film “Murder is Like Sex” before and the DVD cover art appealed to me. I ended up being able to snag a copy and when I got home, it was the first thing I put into the DVD player.

I will say that it is one of the more unique films I have seen. It’s obvious that HTM Films where not about trying to take a safe route with their first film. Many first time filmmakers typically stick with a safe or easy-sell slasher, but not these guys. This is clear from the moment the opening credits role.

“Murder Is Like Sex” tells the story of a guy named Kevin (Jayson Garity) and his numerous doses of bad luck. He can’t seem to catch a break anywhere, including and especially in his love life. After several failed attempts at trying to meet a girl with whom he can have a long term relationship with, he resorts to fantasies of “Lisa” (Robyn Griggs). Eventually, his fantasies of “Lisa” become reality when she manifests as a Tulpa. It is then that we are introduced to the dark side of “Lisa”, particularly when people are suddenly turning up dead. The victims of the brutal murders are also individuals with whom Kevin has had some sort of trist with in the past. As if Kevin’s luck couldn’t get any worse, he is then named as the number one suspect. Kevin has the feeling that it has something to do with “Lisa” and he sets out to find out who or what “Lisa” really is. In the midst of the chaos, Kevin manages to meet a nice (and very understanding) girl by the name of Lucy (Heather Summers). Lucy ends up being a major help in solving the problem with “Lisa” and I’ll stop there as I don’t want to give away too many spoilers.

I will begin by saying that the plot did keep me watching as I really wanted to see where Boron and company were going with this. I found the musical score (provided by Ken Sechrist who also played the role of the police detective) to be on the quirky side and I mean that in a very good way. The film did have a few inconsistencies (all of which are addressed in the commentaries) and I thought some of the roles could’ve been cast a little better as far as ‘character type’ went. But I did like the variation in locations (obviously a lot of thought went into location setting, set décor, and props) and I thought cinematographer, Mike Petrucci, made excellent use of different camera angles. The film is also well-edited and Joseph J. Zetts as “Satanic Sam” added a humorous, metal touch to the soundtrack that meshed well with Ken Sechrist’s unique compositions throughout the film.

All things considered, I will say that this is not a bad film at all especially for a first time director. I would definitely say give this film a chance. “Murder is Like Sex” is available on DVD at Amazon, CDUniverse, DVD Empire, Half.com, and it is available through Netflix.