Rondo

Drew Barnhardt seems to have devoted much of his production budget for this lurid mixture of sex and violence on fake blood squibs, loads of which explode in Rondo‘s climactic slaughter scene. What leads up to the bloodbath, however, is a tale so amateurishly staged that it carries an Ed Wood vibe. The story begins with alcoholic Paul (Luke Sorge) seeking help from a strange therapist who sends him to an apartment where, along with two other "patients," he is instructed by an officious guy named Lurdell (Reggie De Morton) to have rough sex with a young woman as her husband looks on. The encounter turns deadly, however, and Paul’s sister Jill (Brenna Otts) decides to take revenge on Lurdell and his perverted crew, although her attempt results in her being taken captive until she can turn the tables and use up all those blood squibs. Rondo is part soft-core porn, more gory mayhem, but all exploitation, delivered with a decided lack of the most rudimentary filmmaking know-how. Awash in poor acting, plodding direction, and banal dialogue—as well as all that fake blood—this is not recommended. (F. Swietek)