History Film / DeathAndCremation

* DropTheHammer: Stanley’s preferred method of killing people seems to be with a blow to the head with whatever he has on hand, and does use a mallet on one occasion.

* CaughtWithHisPantsDown: Stanley breaks into one of his victims houses and is able to sneak up on him partially because he’s too distracted watching porn in his room.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Stanley breaks into one of his victims houses and is able to sneak up on him partially because he’s too distracted watching porn in his room.

* WeaponOfChoice: Stanley is quite fond of his baseball bat, although it’s more of a means to subdue his victims before finishing them off for good.

Death and Cremation is an independent thriller starring Creator/BradDourif and Jeremy Sumpter, and directed by Justin Steele.

* PoliceAreUseless: After killing uninterrupted for presumably years, only one officer seems to get have caught on to the fact that Stanley’s more than just an eccentric old loner [[spoiler: but he is quickly dispatched in the movie’s climax]].

* WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief: It’s pretty far fetched to think that a man who is universally regarded as a weirdo, and runs a funeral home seemingly without having a single customer could get away with a lifelong killing spree in a single community without attracting some sort of attention from local law enforcement.

* TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler: The movie ends with both Stanley and Jarod little getting away with murder, and possibly planning another one]].

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Jarod is clearly in over his head playing vigilante [[spoiler: and had no idea what to do after his mom’s boyfriend, Richard. He makes multiple careless mistakes in his attempt to hide the body, making cleanup a lot harder]].

* ImprovisedWeapon: Although he prefers blunt weapons, Stanley can use anything in a pinch, and Jarod’s mom’s conspicuous return from her grocery run...well, let’s just say it comes in handy.

* ChekhovsGun: Although he prefers blunt weapons, Stanley can use anything in a pinch, and Jarod’s mom’s conspicuous return from her grocery run...well, let’s just say it comes in handy.

* ChekhovsGun: Although he prefers blunt weapons, Stanley can use anything in a pinch,and Jarod’s mom’s conspicuous return from her grocery run provides more than enough material for improvised weaponry [[spoiler: when the police show up]].

* BerserkButton: Stanley doesn’t like a lot of people, so Heaven help anyone who endangers the rare ones he does like. Double if you have the audacity to call him “Stan” while doing so.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Jarod clearly had no idea what he was doing when he killed his mom’s boyfriend, Richard, [[spoiler: and makes multiple careless mistakes in his attempt to hide the body]].
* DiggingYourselfDeeper: After Jarod kills Richard, [[spoiler: he proceeds to drag the body into his house in broad daylight and hide it in his closet]].

* FreudianExcuse: It is implied that [[spoiler: Stanley’s murderous ways are from the physical and sexual abuse he experienced at the hands of his father]].

* ProtagonistJourneyToVillain: Although he remains likable throughout the whole film [[spoilers: Jarod becomes disturbingly okay with murder by the end]].
* RapeAsDrama: [[spoiler:Stanley’s backstory involves his father raping both his mom and him]].

* BlatantLies: Jarod and Stanley [[spoiler: while trying to think of a cover story for why they’re lugging around a heavy, smelly tarp that looks suspiciously like it’s holding a dead body]].

* BlatantLies: Jarod and Stanley while trying to think of a cover story for why they’re lugging around a heavy, smelly tarp that looks suspiciously like it’s holding a dead body.

* TheBadGuyWins: [[The movie ends with both Stanley and Jarod little getting away with murder, and possibly planning another one]].

After taking a job as an assistant at Stanley’s Crematorium, Jarod starts to tell his new boss about his problems at school, where he is mercilessly bullied. Stanley, in turn, enjoys having some company for once, and another person who shares his enthusiasm for crosswords and retribution. Unfortunately, Jarod becomes a bit too involved in the messier side of the business, forcing Stanley to do some split-second problem solving to keep his young employee out of trouble.

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* OhCrap: Both Stanley and Jarod get a series of these [[spoiler: towards the end of the film. As an inexperienced killer, Jarod has carelessly dragged the body of his mom’s boyfriend back to his house in broad daylight, caught the attention of a neighbor, stuffed him in his bedroom closet, and called Stanley in a panic to help him dispose of it. It only gets worse when both his mom and the police show up]].

* ArchEnemy: Jarod and his main bully, Davis Valentine.

* BlatantLies: Jarod and Stanley [[spoiler: while trying to think of a cover story for why they’re lugging around a heavy, smelly tarp that looks suspiciously like it’s holding a dead body]].

* CarFu: Stanley’s first on screen kill is an example of this.
* ChekhovsGun: Although he prefers blunt weapons, Stanley can use anything in a pinch,[[spoiler: and Jarod’s mom’s conspicuous return from her grocery run provides more than enough material for improvised weaponry when the police show up]].

* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: Jarod clearly had no idea what he was doing when he killed his mom’s boyfriend, Richard, and makes multiple careless mistakes in his attempt to hide the body]].
* DiggingYourselfDeeper: [[spoiler: After Jarod kills Richard, he proceeds to drag the body into his house in broad daylight and hide it in his closet]].

* DropTheHammer: This seems to be Stanley’s preferred method of killing people.

* SympatheticMurderer: Stanley [[spoiler: and Jarod]].
* TragicVillain: Thanks to his tragic backstory and being played by Creator/BradDourif, who is an old hand at playing such characters, one can’t help but feel at least a little sorry for the resident serial killer.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Most of Stanley’s kills are just run-of-the-mill jerks, like road ragers and schoolyard bullies.

* FreudianExcuse: It is implied that [[spoiler: Stanley’s murderous ways are from the physical and sexual abuse he experienced at the hands of his father. This may also explain why he has such a visceral reaction to being called a fag by local mean girl, Lindsey Weaver]].

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Stanley may be a murderer, but he draws the line at smoking in his house.