Admirable film.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This is pretty darn good crime-drama - Peter Falk is our beatnik psycho who deals drugs and likes to kill people. He throws neat-o parties complete with bongo drummers and dancing chicks. But his favorite thing murder - murdering in creative ways (you'll want to think twice before you eat a hamburger after seeing this film... I don't think ground glass is a good seasoning).It's a pretty cool story, some neat cinematography in some scenes, swinging artsy fartsy beatniks, a bit of jazz music and some bongo music, a bit of a dark film overall... makes a pretty good prime time film I think or a late night flick! 7.5/10

A drug-peddling gangster supplying the local Beatnik scene, gets bored of partying and comes up with a plan to commit a "perfect" murder. He gets his sycophantic sidekick to give a glass-laden burger to a delivery boy, who soon dies of his internal wounds. The inept local police department's enquiries quickly run dry so the victim's determined brother decides to continue investigating privately. He eventually uncovers the plot, and the culprits and tracks them down to meet out justice.Some of the cast give very pedestrian performances, but Peter Falk alone manages to rescue this otherwise average murder mystery and fully explores the dark depths of his character in every scene. He is thoroughly convincing as a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing Beatnik gangster, looking out of place among his Beatnik disciples but influencing them with his intellectual nihilism. The movie, although poorly written and directed feels quite atmospheric reminiscent of older Film Noir. The Beatnik theme of the movie doesn't go too far - this has a darker feel than other such films; Corman's "A Bucket Of Blood" for instance which is a more parodic portrayal of The Beat generation.

This film aged about as well as a used diaper at the bottom of a garbage can. The dopey hipster dialogue, complete with daddy-o's, "kicks", and nonsensical philosophizing gets old real quick. I understand this is a movie about the beatnik culture it's just the fact that it doesn't hold up very well in the twenty-first century. What's even more grating is the fact that I'm supposed to believe that Peter Falk as Nico is this Svengali-like stud whose every syllable is regarded as pure brilliance to these hapless dopes. After watching an old man die and doing nothing to help him except watch like a soulless goon, Nico gets the bright idea to kill somebody just for kicks as the kids like to say and when I say kids I mean adults who should know better. While racking up a huge long distance phone bill at somebody else's apartment Nico and his companion/possible love interest Francis discuss who their victim should be when a young telegram boy comes to the door. Telegram. Ha! Send a text message you cavemen! The messenger's name is Roy and he is invited into the swinging par-tay for a bite to eat by Nico. The next scene shows Roy calling his older brother Cliff complaining of a pain in his stomach until he finally collapses in death thanks to a burger laced with crushed glass that raptured his intestines. Wouldn't you know something was wrong after the first bite? Thinking they got away with an anonymous crime both of the thugs return to their too-cool-for-school lives like nothing happened. When Cliff hears the details about his brother's death he immediately suspects that he was murdered and begins his own investigation with the blessing of Detective McLeod who obviously has more important things to do. After checking Roy's last delivery list Cliff is brought to the apartment that the party took place at and the fact that it was Nico who was in charge there. While trying to infiltrate the world of these dolts he meets Ellie who pegs him for a square and wonders what his interest in Nico is. Once all the facts fall in to place it becomes apparent who was behind his brother's death. Cue the bongo solo.Thankfully this was only sixty-eight minutes long as I don't know how much of this I could have handled. I spent my formative years in the eighties so I can understand if someone today watched a movie that constantly used "gnarly" and "radical" and "totally tubular" over and over again would eventually become sickened with what was considered cool way back in the day. Just try to imagine your grandfather chain smoking with his goofy chin beard and waxing poetic about nuclear war while banging inharmoniously on the bongos. Not a pretty sight? Well then spare yourself the agony of watching this. I get my kicks above the waistline sunshine.

Nico, seller of dreams, off on an intellectual kick to give death a new meaning. OK nice premise but this movie is so SLOW. It makes me want to be square if this is what rebellion is like. There were some good parts, I can't believe I am saying this but I liked Peter Falk's character, the crime should have been perfect, and the over acting of Frances was even good for a few laughs. But I could never get into this movie. Maybe because the plot was so predictable Columbo could have figured it out without the "by the way" questioning. Perhaps I was expecting more gore since this was included in a Schlockfest movie pack called Gore and More. No, I think it is that I had to check my pulse repeatedly to make sure I was still alive, and had the snooze alarm set for every 4 minutes trying to keep me awake. I had to attempt 3 times to cover parts I slept through - Quite an accomplishment for an 1 hour movie. This is a completely forgettable movie - pass it over when you get the option.