VIDEO REVIEW: Assault on Precinct 13

VIDEO REVIEW: The House with Laughing Windows

VIDEO REVIEW: Hot Potato

VIDEO REVIEW: Eaten Alive

VIDEO REVIEW: In the Dust of the Stars

REVIEW: Martin

Martin

Director: George A. Romero

Year 1976

Martin is a fantastic and original vampire story which turns the genre on its head in a wholly surprising and ambiguously presented way. Directed by the legendary horror filmmaker George A. Romero, this unique gem tells a twisted tale that is more mysterious than anything else. Drenched in a Grindhouse aesthetic and filled with engaging imagery, Martin is a sadly underrated flick which goes above and beyond the normal vampire yarn. Unexpected and extremely enjoyable, you'd be a fool to let this one slip you by.

The film follows a confused and tormented young man named Martin, who is plagued by a superstitious family and a number of sick tendencies. After moving in with his elderly Uncle Cuda, Martin is quickly accused of being a vampire by his overly religious uncle, sparking fantasies inside Martin's mind that he is an 84 year-old vampire doomed to take the life of innocent victims in order to quench his thirst for blood. Whether confused or factually vampiric, Martin indulges his darker side as he stalks his prey during the day and satisfies his urges at night, all the while trying to stay clear of his uncle's wild accusations.

John Amplas takes on the role of Martin, the mentally disturbed young man who may or may not be a blood sucking vampire. Performed in daring style, Amplas is sensational as the tormented Martin, giving a raw and realistic approach to the over the top scenario which, through his subtle style of acting, is extremely believable. Grounded in reality and infused with an off kilter personality, Amplas thrives as the mysterious character, making every effort to get under our skin as he shows Martin going about his every day routine. As a George Romero regular Amplas has made a nice little career out of showing up in the iconic filmmaker's movies like Dawn of the Dead, Knightriders, Creepshow and Day of the Dead, and it is in Martin where he gets his first gig and starring role. It is amazing the range and subtlety that Amplas is able to portray in the film and you'd be hard pressed in telling that this is his first real feature, but against all odds he absolutely nails it. Creepy and ridiculously authentic, Amplas makes for an engaging specimen and his presence in the film is an extreme asset to the production.

Supporting Amplas' star turn is a rag tag group of familiar faces. Christine Forrest, AKA Mrs. Romero, takes on the role of Christina, Martin's Cousin, and she gives an endearing and heartfelt performance. Struggling against the oppression of her overbearing grandfather, Christina in defiant rebellion stands up for reason only to be beaten down by superstition and family tradition. Forrest conveys all of these frustrations with great ease and I highly enjoyed her performance. Tom Savini plays the role of Christina's boyfriend Arthur, the deadbeat and jobless jerk who constantly stands her up. Savini only appears briefly in a few scenes, but it's always nice to see him crop up in Romero's pictures, even if it's only to play a non-essential character. The real counter balance to John Amplas Martin is Lincoln Maazel as Cuda, the God fearing, self-proclaimed vampire hunter. He really makes an impression in the film as he constantly hounds Martin to keep on the straight and narrow and not steer from the path, unless death and damnation be what he's after. Maazel is a force to be reckoned with in the movie, and like Amplas, his presence is a great benefit to the validity of the film.

What this film really has going for it is that it is entrenched in a real world like setting, immersed in actual locations and true to life characters. Martin is never conveyed as anything more than a confused and troubled young man, and the situations that he gets himself into are not too far-fetched for someone of his mindset. There's an honesty to the approach of the film, and in that genuine portrayal we're able to absorb our self into the cinematic world that Romero has crafted. It's an extremely effective way in presenting the film and an even more unique way of approaching a vampire tale, but the unorthodox angle seems to give it a sense of validity that truly brings the film into its own.

Constantly playing with the fact that Martin may or may not be a vampire, is an engaging mystery that begs to be explored, but we never focus on this fact solely. Instead we just get caught up in the wild situations that Martin gets himself into while he tackles the urges to kill, and wholly hell are they wild. One of my favorite moments of the film has Martin breaking into a woman's house after her husband leaves on a work related trip. Hoping to catch her all by her lonesome, Martin bursts into her bedroom, only to find her in mid lovemaking with a naked stranger. Shocked and a bit irritated, Martin jumps across the bed and stabs the man with a syringe in order to drug him and take him out of commission. Then Martin proceeds to mess with the couple as they try to phone for the police, by dialing numbers on the other line and screwing up the connection. What a prankster. During this whole scene, Martin plays cat and mouse with the couple, toying with them as he pricks them again and again with the sleep inducing drug. It's a wild sequence of events and it pretty much sums up the uncanny nature of the production. If this sounds like an interesting genre bender to you, then give it a try. It comes highly recommended and is an excellent overlooked Romero classic.

Martin is a voyeuristic look into the mind of a maniac. A maniac that isn't too sure if his instinct to kill is of the natural or supernatural kind. Either way, Martin the character has a slew of problems and the ambiguous way in which the filmmaker's approach this subject matter is a breath of fresh air. Amass with memorable moments and teeming with gritty textures, Martin is a vampire film that is unlike anything you've seen before in the genre.

Headlined by a stupendous and authentic cast of characters, this down to earth production is one that grabs you by the throat as it shows you some of the most obscure of wonders. John Amplas is an absolute thrill as the titular Martin and his eccentric characteristics and evasive origins are one of the film's most engaging mysteries. The familiar cast of Romero regulars is another pleasing aspect of the production, not to mention the stylistically unique settings of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. There is just something so damn special about the film's of Romero shot in his hometown. There is a genuine raw energy to be found in every one of his productions around this time period, and Martin seems to cull all of these energies and focus them into delivering a thought-provoking story that is as ambiguous as they come. Dripping with religious overtones and awash in vampire lore, this modern take on the classic vampire tale is a unique beast. If you are looking for something that's a little bit different and a whole hell of a lot of fun, then give this old Romero classic a go. Martin is an.....

Cuda thinks you look like NOSFERATU!!!!!

Martin respects people's personal space, even though he is a creep.

What a little prick!

Martin has a deadly fear of candles.

Tom Savini without a mustache is like Jesus without a beard.... Lame!

The chicks just dig Martin.

Martin, what are you up to you little pervert?

I told you to stop calling! This isn't the sexy vampire hotline!

Pull my finger Nosferatu!

George Romero you beautiful bastard!

Look out grandpa! Martin is on the hunt!

Martin you silly, silly man.

I just can't look at you without that mustache.

Look out Pittsburgh! Here comes Martin!

Sweet turtleneck dude.

Messy baby!

Don't drink and bathe!

See what happens when you don't pull grandpa's finger!

REVIEW: In the Dust of the Stars

In the Dust of the Stars
Director: Gottfried Kolditz
Year 1976
 
In the Dust of the Stars is a deliciously strange East Germany science fiction production that takes an interesting plot and cranks the weird to the max. Seemingly forged after someone’s drug induced trip, the filmmakers create a cast of characters that are both wildly entertaining and intriguingly obscure. If it’s trippy sci-fi that you seek, then In the Dust of the Stars is right up your alley.
 
The film follows the crew of the Spaceship Cyrno as it arrives on the planet TEM 4 after responding to a distress call that they received six years earlier. Upon arriving, they come to find that the people of TEM 4 deny the existence of the distress call and seem oblivious to any danger to their society, as they party down in some of the most eclectic and groovy sets known to the science fiction world, aside from Barbarella of course. Disappointed over having traveled six years only to be laughed at and told it was all for nothing, the majority of the crew decide to head back home, but there is one man named Suko who isn’t so convinced that the rulers of TEM 4 are being truthful about the distress call. Suko boldly defies the locals’ orders and flies a reconnaissance shuttle over the planet in order to find the source of the mysterious beacon. To his surprise, he stumbles upon a conspiracy that not even he could have fathomed. This science fiction film is a strange little gem that has a whole hell of a lot of entertainment value. That is if you are open to weird and wild cinematic civilizations.

Alfred Struwe plays the role of Suko, the suspicious cosmonaut who snoops into the business of the TEM 4 people and gets more than he bargains for. Struwe does a great job as the catalyst of this film, as he pushes the story forward by delving into the mystery of the cover-up and the inevitable reveal of what is really going on behind this strange new world. I enjoyed his restrained style of acting and felt that he gave an admirable performance that was both subtle and effective. Alongside him is Jana Brejchova who plays the role of Akala, the leader of the crew. Jana is simply amazing as the captain and she gives such an expressive nature to Akala that you can’t help but sympathize with her plight on finding out that they traveled all of that way for nothing. She distresses over the futility of the mission, and is often in disarray over the meaningless of it all, but once revealed the truth she becomes an outstanding hero of the film. I really enjoyed her portrayal of the complex character of Akala and I enjoyed the complicated relationship that Suko and her shared throughout the film. It also didn’t hurt that she looked strangely beautiful in this film as well.
 
Onto the baddies side of the fence we have Milan Beli playing the role of Ronk, the no nonsense son of a bitch who does everything he can to make the crew of the Cyrno’s life a living hell. I really got a kick out of Milan’s approach towards Ronk. He’s sadistic in every way possible and he’s always looking for a way to screw with the minds of the crew before he disposes with them. He even gets a chance to showcase his master torture skills when he captures Suko while he’s snooping around. He does this by introducing him to a trippy mind meld device that looks like a giant pair of deadly earmuffs from which a painful shock is blasted into the ears of the poor sole stuck between them. The boss of this bat shit crazy organization is lead by a man called the Chief, played by the ambiguous Ekkehard Schall. This dude was born for this role, because I don’t think you could find a more effeminate and peculiar man even if you tried. The Chief is not sadistic like Ronk, but he is extremely flamboyant and theatrical in his performance. With his ever changing hair color, to his obsession with stroking his oversized anaconda (say what?!), the Chief is definitely a memorable character. I have to hand it to Ekkehard, because there really isn’t anything like the Chief out there in sci-fi land so the originality of his performance shines through and through every time.

To keep up with this wild cast of characters, the film provides some amazing locations and sets that highlight the brash and vivid nature of the movie. Colors abound with a kaleidoscope blast which mimics the overabundance of style that these flamboyant people of TEM 4 have. There is also a heavy use of obscure sets, most notably displayed in Chief’s mirrored lair which sets the audiences mind into dizzying fits whenever we are presented with it. The barren desert landscape that is represented as the desolate surface world of TEM 4 is wonderfully shot, making you feel like you actually are visiting a distant planet filled with unusual sights and equally unusual inhabitants.
 
That’s one of the most accomplished aspects of the film, because the culture of the people of TEM 4 is just out of this world. From lavish dances, to otherworldly foods, to obscure customs, all the way to their strange sense of humor, the inhabitants of this world are a little bonkers. This all sets up the underlying conspiracy of this movie which highlights the theme that ‘looks can be deceiving’, so in the end all the wackiness and showmanship of these extravagant people actually makes sense by the end of the film. At first I was a little taken back by the strangeness of it all, but as the film progressed I came to dig the overtly wacky angles of the piece and felt that it perfectly mirrored the feelings that the astronauts were having when introduced to this strange and unfamiliar group of beings. In the Dust of the Stars is a pretty damn bizarre film and I loved it!

In the Dust of the Stars really is an obscure wonder of a flick as it opens up with a rather traditional premise of a space crew responding to a distress call, only to then spin the narrative wildly out of control once we are introduced to the strange denizens of the planet. The unfamiliarity of the presentation works wonders alongside the already rare nature of an East Germany science fiction production. The combination of the two is a match made in heaven, forming into a cinematic world that surprisingly makes sense.
 
The entire cast does a spectacular job with the unusual style of the film with Jana Brejchova, Alfred Struwe, Ekkehard Schall, and Milan Beli giving some exceptionally memorable performances. There is also a great deal of attractive females in this film, if that just so happens to be your bag. All in all, the production has a stellar style to it that really doesn’t skimp on the wild nature of this new world and the unusual look of everything is top notch and absolutely decadent. I wasn’t expecting to see such an overtly weird film when first sitting down to view In the Dust of the Stars, but I’m highly satisfied by its ambitious nature and unorthodox approach to a tried and true storyline. If you’re looking for something that’s kind of out there and genuinely strange, then give this film a go. It’s definitely……

What the hell is that thing?

These knuckleheads all wore the same outfit to the party. How embarrassing!

Why so serious guys? Let's PARTY!

Damn you Ronk and your sly smile!

I'm just going to stand here and stare at your hotness.

Dance for us flyboy. DANCE!

Check out my super group... The Lame5.

My goodness, did you see what he was wearing? Blue hair with a blue sweater. How kitsch.

Akala isn't impressed by the many dance numbers the film has. What a grump.

Thob thinks this movie is A OK.

I'm not letting you out of there until you think about what you did.

Once you're done sulking, you can come out of your cage.

Looks like someone's not impressed with the leather vest.

This guy is a weirdo!

Oh Chief.... I can't stay mad at you.

The Chief starts a black metal band. Hail Satan!

Ronk doing the YMCA dance..... FABULOUS!

What a lonely way to end a movie.

REVIEW: The Enforcer

The Enforcer
Director: James Fargo
Year 1976

The Enforcer is the third installment in the Dirty Harry series, and wouldn't you know it, Harry's at it again. With the same gritty feel of the first two films, The Enforcer deals with a group of terrorist hippies called The People's Revolutionary Strike Force, that set their mind on terrorizing the city of San Francisco. That is unless they get the large ransom that they've requested. Harry is assigned the case as usual, but this time he won't be doing it alone. Director James Fargo does an excellent job in bringing us back into the world of Dirty Harry and this entry is a seamless collaboration that melds perfectly with the previous two installments.

Harry's one smooth criminal killer.

Harry is as bad ass as ever, as he thwarts the bad guys at every turn. There's an amazing set piece that occurs right at the beginning of the film, where Harry must negotiate with a group of robbers as they hold a number of shoppers hostage inside a grocery store. He makes chit chat with the head robber and hears their demands, then Harry hops into the nearest cop car and drives the hulking beast straight through the store and begins shooting up the place, taking all of the bad guys out in one quick blaze of glory. It's a great sequence and shows us just why we love the character of Harry Callahan.

When Harry goes grocery shopping, he pays in bullets.

Of course, the aftermath of this chaotic scene is just as entertaining, as Harry emerges out of the smoky wreckage and says one of his smart ass lines. Just like the rest of the series, we are given some great one liners and stupendously witty sarcastic remarks that are sure to go down as some of the most fun filled lines in Eastwood's long outstanding career. The guy has a million of them, but the Dirty Harry series is ripe with some very memorable lines that will have you coming to terms with why you love this character so much and his impeccable dry sense of humor.

Jesus Harry, what the hell did you do?

We also have a great change of formula to the storyline in The Enforcer. Harry is given another partner but this time it is a police woman named Kate Moore, played by the strangely attractive Tyne Daly. Considering the great lengths that these films go to in showing the ever changing landscape of the police force and how Harry is slowly being left behind in a long forgotten age of hard nosed and gritty police work, it's nice that they've given him a partner that shows the morphing of gender roles in society at the time and the cultural movement of being more politically correct. The slow friendship that the two begin to build throughout the movie is quite pleasant to see unfold and it's a rather unique moment to see Harry beginning to soften a bit as he gets to know his partner better. 

Freeze dirt bag!

A Dirty Harry film wouldn't be complete without a superior to breathe down the neck of Harry and fight him at every turn. The person to fit this bill in The Enforcer is Capt. McKay, played by a cocky Bradford Dillman. Just like in Magnum Force with Hal Holbrook's character, Capt. McKay is equally as dickish to Dirty Harry, always trying to stop him from doing what he does best, bust up the bad guys. Dillman has been in a few great films in his career spanning from the 1971 monkey-tastic Escape From the Planet of the Apes, to the 1974 underground bat infested film Chosen Survivors, all the way to the brilliantly enjoyable 1978 film Piranha. He even gets another role in the fourth Dirty Harry film, Sudden Impact, so needless to say the guy has been in a slew of genres and can perform in diverse roles. He does wonders for the douchebag role of Capt. McKay and ups the scale for other friendly nemesis' of Harry.

If I know Harry, shit is about to hit the fan.

The action is pretty fierce in this installment, with a lot of things blowing up courtesy of the inclusion of a bazooka that the terrorists carry around with them. A dramatic scene occurs when the terrorists are tired of being ignored and decide to abduct the mayor of the city. They attack his convoy at the edge of a raised draw bridge and proceed to blow the shit out of everything in the area. The scene is nuts and shows the cruel nature that these terrorists possess, as a female member of the group executes the bridge worker with a regret-less distain. The scene is a very remarkable Dirty Harry moment.

In this movie things go boom!

The fiery relationship that I mentioned earlier between Harry and Capt. McKay, sparks some very interesting and hilarious confrontations that result in some of the most outstanding lines in cinema history. One of the moments happen when Capt. McKay tells Harry that he's going to be transfered to personnel. Harry responds with, "Personnel? That's for assholes!" McKay calmly responds back with, "I was in Personnel for ten years." Harry smirks back as he exits the room, "Yeah." Now that's an outstanding exchange of words by two great actors that can really chew up a scene with their simple and entertaining banter.

Mister, I hate your mustache!

A similar moment occurs when Harry hands over his badge to Capt. McKay and gives one of the best lines that anyone could ever give when quitting the police force. Harry hands the badge over and says, "Here's a seven-point suppository, Captain." Captain McKay exclaims, "What did you say?" Harry barks back, "I said stick it in your ass!" Hot damn that is funny, especially when it is said with such authority and in all seriousness. That's one thing that Clint Eastwood excels in. He makes some of the most outlandish dialogue and tricky situations seem natural and normal within the cinema realm. That's a knack that he has carried on throughout his entire career. 

Now that's one way to get him to talk.

This film seems to suspend Harry in a constant state of being pissed off at the world, because for most of the picture he is interrogating everyone in sight, beating thugs till they talk, and just plain getting creative and using a plunger to make a sleazy porn man sing like a bird. It's pretty funny to see Eastwood gritting his death for 70% of the films run time, but it's great to see him work his frustrations out on the many poor saps that get in his way.

Harry's confessional turns ugly.

In the music department, this time Jerry Fielding provides the groovy soundtrack with an added hint of danger. Unfortunately, the previous films composer Lalo Schifrin, for reasons unknown to me, wasn't able to provide the music for The Enforcer, but was able to flavor his stylings throughout the rest of the series. Although Fielding took over the reigns for this film, you can hardly tell the difference for he blends Lalo's style into his own compositions in the movie. It also doesn't hurt that he's a long time collaborator with Eastwood, having scored for a handful of his films like 1976's The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1977's The Gauntlet, and the 1979 prison film Escape from Alcatraz. The familiarity between the two shows as Fielding melds with Eastwood's movements on the screen, complimenting his acting style and aiding in bringing out some expressive moments in the story.

A romantic boat ride for two.

The look of the film is on par with the rest of the series and the thanks goes to cinematographer Charles W. Short, whose had some past experience working on the second Dirty Harry film, Magnum Force, as second unit director of photography. The cinematographer from Magnum Force, Frank Stanley, must have been giving Charles some pointers because there is a striking resemblance between the look of both films. While not as expressive as Dirty Harry, the first entry in the series, Magnum Force and The Enforcer provide a pleasant looking aesthetic that compliments the daring visuals from the original film, all the while helping move the series into a modern direction.

Leave it on the doorstep and get the hell out of here.

In the thrilling conclusion to this film, we are brought to an inauspicious location located in the rundown prison island of Alcatraz. The location is absolutely perfect for the final confrontation between Harry and the terrorist group that has been plaguing the story throughout the entire film. The director uses this location to great effect as Harry infiltrates the prison walls and stalks through the hallways of this fortified relic. It's a great spot for the dramatic conclusion that is both rewarding in its demise, but bittersweet for the price it pays on our main character Harry. 

And boom goes the dynamite!

The Enforcer has everything that you'd want to see in a Dirty Harry film. It's got action, drama, humor, and most of all it has Clint Eastwood in top form. The direction is diverse yet threaded within the story, making for a driven narrative that flies by in entertaining fashion. The music gels well with what we've come to expect from the series and the overall look of the picture is scattered with traces of eye candy, which doesn't quite rival the beautiful compositions that we were blessed with in the original Dirty Harry tale, but has a flavor of its own that opens the gate to a new generation and era for Harry to run amuck in. I highly recommend this film to Dirty Harry fans the world over and to anyone that loves to see Clint Eastwood bare his teeth and pull his trigger, multiple times with bloody results.

4 out of 5 stars   Another Great Entry In The Dirty Harry Series!