This campy "horror" film gives us a glimpse into the beatnik art climate of the late 1950's through the eyes of a would-be artist named Walter who accidentally discovers that he can turn murder into successful art. The story pokes fun at the many pretentions of art in the form of flamboyant beat poets, drugged-out hipsters, and Walter's simple-minded peers who blindly praise his "Dead Cat" covered in plaster. The character of Walter is obviously a little deranged from the beginning, almost child-like in his frustration with his lack of skill and his desire to be a respected artist. As he descends slowly into madness, he convinces himself that the art (and his continued success) justifies the murder of the people around him.
Walter reminded me of Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors, a similarly nerdy character who commits a number of murders to maintain his ill-gotten success and hold onto the admiration of the girl he loves. He, too, becomes his own victim by the end of the play, suggesting a social belief that the end doesn't really justify the means.
At one point, even after several murders, Walter asks himself, "What am I gonna do next?". This is the important thing I took from the movie-- the quest of the artist. I can relate to the fact that every project I do, no matter how highly praised or successful it might be (or not), it never quite satisfies my artistic ambitions. I'm always looking to better myself, do something bigger, grander, and more interesting. After all, every artist must perpetually invent new ways to challenge themselves and stay relevant in the modern art world. "A Bucket of Blood" is a humorous film that shows just how far some of us are willing to go to push that envelope.
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