This is not to say that Murder-Set-Pieces is as deep and probing a work as Bret Easton Ellis' novel of serial murder in the "me, me, me" '80s – because it's not. It is, however, just as unrepentantly violent and morally bankrupt as Ellis' novel and it's hard not to imagine Patrick Bateman and Murder-Set-Pieces' The Photographer as kindred spirits slashing their way across the heartland. Mary Harron's re-imagining of Ellis' novel was a bit of a letdown for gorehounds (the novel's violence was toned down dramatically to garner an R rating), but Palumbo's film never flinches from the grue and carnage that comes with the serial killer territory. What's even more amazing about this is that Murder-Set-Pieces isn't some shot-on-video flick made by a guy with a few friends and a camcorder. This is a movie shot on film – with a real crew and a budget.

Palumbo's film is a great example of truth in advertising – M-S-P isn't so much a narrative as it is a series of interconnected set-pieces involving blood, sex, and gore. The cameras follow a Las Vegas photographer (played convincingly by the brooding Sven Garrett) as he takes pictures of women, has sex with them, then tortures and kills them in his basement workshop. Unlike your standard serial killer film (wherein the cops are on the killer's trail), the only person who seems to be hip to The Photographer's dark side is Jade (newcomer Jade Risser), the pre-teen sister of the psycho killer's current girlfriend.

And what a dark side it is – when he's not busy slaughtering attractive women, The Photographer likes to spend his time working out, reminiscing about his family's Nazi past, or looking for snuff flicks (an in-joke – the "snuff film" Garrett asks for in one scene is director Palumbo's earlier release, Nutbag). In this regard, Garrett's character almost crosses over into farce – he's so evil that you can't take him seriously. However, the actor keeps things from sliding out of control with his earnestness and withering glaze. The Photographer is one of the few cinema serial killers who's genuinely frightening.

Palumbo's direction is a real treat – after spending what seems like an eternity watching low-budget shot-on-video gore flicks, it's refreshing to see a movie that's actually shot on film, lit by a real crew, and utilizes a cinematographer. The film looks slick and professional and is something that a lot of aspiring genre directors should be watching before embarking on their first project.

Gore FX, provided by Fred Vogel and Jerami Cruise of August Underground fame, aren't entirely over-the-top, but they're guaranteed to make most audiences uncomfortable. In all honesty, the gore is almost a foil to the film's real selling point – its unsettling tone. As I mentioned earlier, this is a mean little film – and one scene in particular (which I'll not spoil here) is going to have the mainstream up in arms. Kudos to Palumbo for having the audacity to not only film the sequence, but shoot it in such a shocking manner to boot. You'll certainly know it when you see it – and if it doesn't upset you, then you're a scary individual.

Astute genre fans will want to keep an eye out for cameos from Tony Todd, Gunnar Hansen, and the August Underground: Mordum crew. Also, be sure not miss several great tracks on the score from The Giallos Flame – a group of prog rockers who turn in some really fantastic Goblin-esque themes.

Amazingly, Murder-Set-Pieces is one of those rare films that actually lives up to the hype. It's brutal, graphic, shocking, unsettling, and upsetting – and I loved every minute of it. Nick Palumbo is a horror filmmaker to keep an eye on – I can only imagine what savage visions he has in store for us in the future.