From Eddie O’Keefe comes Kill the King, a love story like no other. Southern Belle Karen Bird (Emily Browning) and Jack Blueblood (Luke Grimes) meet whilst committed to the Second Chances mental facility. The two fall madly in love and embark on a mission, to kill the King of Rock and Roll; Elvis Presley (Ron Livingston) who is in Los Angeles with wife Priscilla Presley (Ashley Greene).
To mark the release of Kill the King on Digital Download, Blu-rayâ„¢ and DVD on 14th November, we take a look at some of the most scandalous serial killing duos on screen.
Bonnie and Clyde
Holding bank clerks up at gunpoint. Grand theft auto. Just your average date night then?
Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker certainly took the idea of ‘adding excitement to a relationship’ to a whole new level. In the middle of the Great Depression, Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) meet when Clyde tries to steal Bonnie’s mother’s car. Bonnie who is enamoured by the rebellious nature of Clyde decides to become his partner in crime – and in life. Bonnie and Clyde turn from pulling minor heists to robbing banks. After a string of violent exploits, the pair end up in a heated police chase which escalates into a full blown shoot out.
The film is based on the real life misadventures of Bonnie and Clive who were not only immortalised on screen but also in song by Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
John (Brad Pitt) and Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie) live a mundane life in the suburbs in a struggling marriage. Or so we’re led to believe. Turns out, they are both assassins working for adversarial agencies.
When they are both assigned to kill the same target, Benjamin Danz (Adam Brody), a series of highly charged, fire-powered liaisons ensue until they eventually discover the real aim of the mission was to kill each other.
Their chemistry on screen was undeniable so it is no surprise that it led to one of the greatest celebrity couplings of our time; Brangelina.
Natural Born Killers
Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis star as ‘Natural Born Killers’
Mickey and Mallory Knox. The couple are bloodthirsty serial killers on the run and crazy in love. And also just plain crazy.
After a series of murders originating from a mass diner shooting, the pair become tabloid-TV darlings, thanks to a sensationalistic press campaign led by Robert Downey Jr. The press report on the pair as they go on a 52 people killing spree. The film is largely notorious for its amount of bloodshed and its controversial look at the way the media portrays criminals. Due to its apparent inspiration for copycat murders in the U.S, the film when first released was banned in multiple countries, including Ireland. However, it is now considered a cult classic.
Heathers
When you think of Murderous couples in films, you may not automatically consider these two perplexing paramours.
Veronica (Winona Ryder) is part of the most popular clique at her high school, the ‘Heathers,’ but she disapproves of the other girls’ cruel behaviour. When Veronica and her new boyfriend, J.D. (Christian Slater), confront clique leader Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) and accidentally poison her, they make it appear a suicide. Where this film differs is that, though initially attracted to this troubled and intriguing sociopath, she eventually ends things with J.D after he murders two frat boys in the woods. The story culminates with J.D trying to blow up the school. Talk about a fiery relationship.
Badlands
Badlands is set in 1959 and is narrated by the impressionable 15-year-old Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek), a teenage girl living in a dead-end South Dakota town called Fort Dupree.
Holly lives with her controlling father; their relationship has been strained since her mother died of pneumonia a few years earlier. After meeting 25-year-old garbage collector Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen) an impressionable Sissy falls madly in love with the James Dean lookalike.
Holly’s narration, describing her adventures with Kit in romantic clichés, is a sinister contradiction to the gradual revelations of Kit’s increasingly antisocial and violent behaviour. Holly’s father disapproves of the relationship between Kit and Holly and shoots her dog as a punishment. In retaliation, Kit comes to Holly’s house and kills her father. To cover up the crime, they burn the house and go on the run together. More murders ensue but the pair are eventually caught and the film concludes with Kit revelling in the attention from police and press.
True Romance
Comic book nerd and Elvis fanatic Clarence (Christian Slater) and a prostitute named Alabama (Patricia Arquette) fall in love. Following an apparition from Elvis, Clarence ends up killing Alabama’s pimp. Things get worse though as he mistakenly grabs a suitcase of cocaine on his way out thinking it is Alabama’s clothing. The two hit the road for California hoping to sell the cocaine, but the mob is soon after them. Following a lot of death and deceit, the film climaxes in a bloody gun battle between police and drug dealing mobsters with Clarence and Alabama caught in the middle.
Kill the King
Veteran actor Burt Reynolds lends his voice to narrate a love story like no other. Southern Belle Karen Bird (Emily Browning) and Jack Blueblood (Luke Grimes) both meet whilst committed to the Second Chances mental facility. And to follow on the theme of psychotic suitor’s obsessed with Elvis Presley, the two fall madly in love and embark on a mission to kill the King of Rock and Roll.
Karen and Jack’s bond is immediate and passionate as they quickly fall in love. Upon Karen’s mistreatment by the resident doctor, Jack loses all control and kills not only the doctor, but also anyone else who gets in their way as they escape the facility to head across the country to fulfil their dark, deranged destinies.
Kill the King is available on Digital Download, Blu-rayâ„¢ and DVD from 14th November, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
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