Ya like old film noir movies? Those intriguing thrillers where deception and double crosses are the name of the game? Well, who doesn't! Independent filmmaker Kliff Kuehl (what a name!) presents his homage to both the B&W classics and the stylish DePalma-ish updates of the genre in his direct-to-video (or in this case DVD) film MURDER RAP.

At a stately manor, an austere gentleman enters the bedroom where lies a sickly woman hooked to an ECG machine. Taking a gun from a bedside dresser, he fires a bullet into her head, then calmly walks into the study as the machine blares its tone of death...On the streets, a young man leans casually against the wall, observing the diverse crowd of humanity as it goes about its daily business. But there's a reason for his seeming indifference to the swirl of activity around him - he's recording the sounds of life as it happens. Chris is a starving musician, whose forte is creating music utilizing the sound bits he records. He drops his latest creation off to a DJ friend, who likes Chris' stuff, but tells him he won't 'make it' because it's just not commercial. This doesn't deter the audio fanatic Chris, who has a habit of recording everything. His obsession has left him a mite socially challenged, and a terse encounter with a young woman at his mundane job winds up with his getting canned...again.

Later, his luck seems to turn around. After joining his producer pal Edison for a rousing time playing with a synclavier (an audio synthesizer), Chris relaxes at a local club - and bumps into the woman who got him fired! Her name is Anna, and she's a wanna-be writer. Feeling bad about her role in Chris's dismissal, she offers to use her connections to get him re-employed. One thing leads to another, and Chris and Anna wind up in the sack. True to her word, Anna gets Chris a job at a music store. They seem to be very happy together, until one fateful day, when Anna 's sister Michelle reveals to Chris an intriguing story. There seems to be odd noises at her neighbors - the old Jenkins house. Curious, Chris cancels a date with Anna and uses his audio expertise to plant a 'bug' at the place that night to record the sounds. But when he goes to Anna's place later that night, she's upset that he lied to her about his whereabouts. She tried calling, but he wasn't home like he told her he would be. They almost fight, but Anna is quick to relent. The next day, Chris recovers his recording device and listens to the tape...and the sounds he hears are the sounds of murder. Worse, Chris recognizes the murder victim's laughter...its Anna's sister Michelle. Chris' life begins a downward spiral which draws Chris into a world of deceit, revenge, cowboy gunrunners, torched skeletons, sisters who aren't sisters and who aren't dead, family plots, more sex, lies and audio tape than you can shake a stick at, plus a couple more murders. Will Chris be able to save himself from Anna's web of deceit, or will he have to die to save himself?

MURDER RAP is a nifty little film, borrowing heavily from the canons of film noir history, but creating it's own world with a suspenseful story and fine acting. While the elements of the story are cribbed from movies such as "Double Indemnity" and especially "Blow Out " (with the audio angle), writer/director Kuehl combines them into a film that is an homage to these greats, not a rip-off. The plot twists and turns along a complex path, drawing the viewer into this world, unknowing what to expect next. Even the most hardcore film noir fan can appreciate the puzzle Kuehl creates from his influences. The acting, by a young cast, is uniformly very good. John Hawkes (Chris) is exceptional in his role creating a character who is believable and sympathetic caught up in a situation that gets way out of control. The supporting cast adds nice performances that bolster the film - gun seller Billy Bob is a fav. Picture quality is very good with nice color and composition, although the dreaded grain is evident in several low light shots. Audio is the running theme in MURDER RAP, so extra care was used in making the most of sound. Kuehl utilizes all the sound very well, making even the most innocuous of background noise important in the grand scheme of the film. Pretty strong effort in a film that's recorded only in mono. In this movie, it is as important to listen to the film as to see it. MURDER RAP should be a favorite with audiophiles everywhere. There are a few minor problems I should point out to be fair. The editing is somewhat slack; the pace could have been tightened up, adding to the suspense. The end goes on too long - Kuehl wants to show his entire hand, but sometimes a little less can be a little more. There is an extremely bad edit near the climax - whoever checked the film deserves several lashes for that. On the DVD production side, there are significant pauses when the film hits a chapter stop, even in 'play movie' mode - distributor Cinema Pops needs to fix this bug on future releases. However, these flaws are just quibbles in an otherwise fine effort and very enjoyable movie.

Cinema Pops had released MURDER RAP on DVD with practically no extras. There is a trailer for the film, but it's part of a whole Cinema Pops montage. There are chapter selects. No more soup for you.

Yeah, everybody likes film noir - it's just so cool. And MURDER RAP is a Kuehl homage that is appealing to both noir nuts and the casual viewer. Fine acting, complex story and an intricate use of sound make MURDER RAP a number one with a bullet hit.