VERA CRUZ: FORESHADOWING CHANGE

 

 

Western films were a staple in the U.S. for decades. The number of westerns made until the late 1960s was huge and for many studios the bread and butter of their existence. But times and interests change and the western fell out of favor eventually. While this was beginning to happen westerns themselves changed. The stories were less simplistic and the amount of violence within them increased. Most cite THE WILD BUNCH as being the first of these but VERA CRUZ released in 1954 was released long before that.

The Civil War has ended and many war weary men with skill sets that led them to violent careers had no reason to return home. Instead they began takin jobs as mercenaries and thieves. The Franco-Mexican war was taking place across the border and some headed there for work. Like Ben Trane (Gary Cooper), an ex-Confederate officer with more morals than most looking for work as a mercenary.

Trane encounters and falls in with a group led by Joe Erin (Burt Lancaster). Erin has a certain charm about him but is far more cutthroat and violence prone than Trane. His gang consist of Tex (Jack Elam), Donnegan (Ernest Borgnine), Ballard (Archie Savage) and Pittsburgh (Charles Bronson). None of them are to be trusted but Erin keeps them in line.

As the gang travels south they encounter Marquis Henri de Labordere (Caesar Romero), a member of the Mexican aristocracy. He entertains them and then makes them an offer. He will pay the $25,000 to escort Countess Duvarre (Denise Darcel) to the city of Vera Cruz. Erin negotiates with him and gets him to double the offer which he agrees to.

As they travel Trane keeps an eye on things and notices that the wagon seems heavier than it should. One night when they stop in a town to spend the night he investigates and finds Erin doing the same thing. They discover 6 cases of gold hidden in the base of the carriage. The countess finds them there and tells them the money is intended to pay for reinforcements from Europe. $3 million in gold. She agrees to split the money with them if they will help her.

Crosses and double crosses, Juaristas fighting for their cause and the battle within the characters of Trane and Erin that involves their moral cores take place from the beginning to the end of the film. A showdown between the two world weary gunslingers is inevitable.

VEAR CRUZ was part of a two package deal Lancaster had made with United Artists and both films he made, this and APACHE, were directed by Robert Aldrich who would go on to such classics as KISS ME DEADLY, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX and THE DIRTY DOZEN. His style of directing was always one that presented a macho side of things often highlighted with violence. That all shows in this film.

Lancaster shines in a role most would never have associated with him, a completely amoral character who doesn’t care who he harms along the way. A controversial scene in the film has him threatening the life of a child, something audiences at the time were shocked by.

Cooper does what he always did best. His performances were always filled with subtle nuance. Movements and subtle glances showed his ability to use his body as well as his dialogue to create a character. He was always considered a representation of the everyman and he does so here even while playing a man hired for his ability with a gun.

The film did well at the box office and was later hailed by critics as well. Most later saw this as the film that would inspire those more violent westerns that were later made in the sixties. It’s easy to understand that while watching it. There are certainly elements that display the typical Hollywood gloss to historical films but this one has that ground in the dirt atmosphere as well.

Kino Lorber is releasing the film in Blu-ray format and it looks great with a brand new 2k master. Extras include a commentary track by director Alex Cox, TRAILERS FROM HELL with John Landis and the theatrical trailer for the film. If you love westerns then this is one to add to your collection.

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A WALK IN THE SUN: WAR IS HELL

 

 

During WWII numerous movies were made to support the troops fighting overseas. Looking back at them now you can see the depiction of war as brutal yet at the same time more inspiring than realistic. There was a motive for that. It was to keep the morale up of those going to war as well as those back home. A WALK IN THE SUN does that but at the same time shows more of the reality of what would take place, something missing from many movies made at the time.

The lead platoon of the Texas Division is about to be dropped on the beaches near Salerno, Italy. This platoon has been through battles before, hardened by what they’ve seen but still wary of what is to take place. The danger is there before they even hit the beach when their leader is hit by a shell fragment and taken out.

The men get to the beach and while waiting for instructions take cover in the nearby woods. Sgt. Tyne (Dana Andrews) is left to wait for word from their new leader only to find out he never made it back. He joins the rest of the men and they head out for their objective, to blow up a bridge next to a farmhouse designated on their map.

Where most movies take time to build up to the action that takes place this one jumps in from the start with the landing and set up establishing the goals of the platoon. It also takes no time at all to show the first casualties of their long trek. Instead of that usual pattern, this film moves the story telling of what is going on to the middle of the film as the men move forward and stop either to rest of take cover. And with each step we get to know the men, their dreams, their hopes and how they will stand when the time comes.

The two characters of Sgt. Tyne and PFC Windy Craven (John Ireland) seem to be the most war hardened of the bunch. They’ve been there and seen what can happen. They have no qualms about what they are doing and know that most of the men aren’t likely to make it through this day. Still, they take care of the troops they fight alongside and do their best to make the right calls.

The film also tackles something rarely seen in movies based on the war at the time, shell shock which was later renamed PTSD. Sgt. Porter (Herbert Rudley) is put in charge of the men as the line of those in command keep getting shot. As the movie progresses you can see him slowly crumbling under the weight of command until he eventually he completely falls apart.

All of the characters in the film are portrayed as everyday guys you would meet on the street, brought here with a common goal and doing their best to survive. They talk about home and what they want.  A great example of this is Sgt. Ward (Lloyd Bridges) who was a farmer talking about apples in every way possible, taking their mind off the drudgery of walking to possible death as he does so.

The action at the beginning of the film is topped by what takes place at the end. The farmhouse has been taken by the Germans and the remnants of the platoon must still complete their mission, blowing up the bridge and taking the farmhouse back. As a movie made during this period there is little surprise if they succeed or not but just who will remain becomes the question.

This is not a war film like most. You don’t have the Marine Corp Hymn playing in the background. This is down in the dirt warfare, as much as it could be depicted in 1945 when the film was made. To use the word entertaining for this film feels wrong but it does hold your interest from start to finish. And it gives us a glimpse, a depiction of war that wasn’t seen so much this way at the time. The movie is a classic and deserves to be seen. If you’re a fan of war films then this will be a must for your collection.

This new version is being released by Kit Parker Films on disc and they’ve done an amazing job. Included is a Blu-ray edition of the film made from a 4K Master from the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s 35mm photochemical restoration. This disc also includes a commentary track by Alan K. Rode. A second disc included is a DVD that features a number of extras. Those include “Zanuck Goes to War: The WWII Films of Fox”, “Living History: Norman Lloyd on Saboteur and A Walk in the Sun (2014)”, “The Battle of San Pietro” an un-cut version from the Academy Film Archive preservation negative, WWII Fox Movietone Newsreels and the theatrical trailer.

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THE CHINESE BOXER: WANG YU DIRECTS

 

Fans of Chinese martial arts films should be incredibly pleased lately. Many of the classics, especially those from the Shaw Brothers studios have been making their way to Blu-ray in recent months. Arrow Video put out their Shaw Brothers Collection Volume 1 to great acclaim. But closing in on them is 88 Films with their rapid releases of other classics including THE CHINESE BOXER.

THE CHINESE BOXER from 1970 was the first film to be directed by Jimmy Wang Yu who’d become a rising star in Chinese films by this time. Also known as HAMMER OF GOD the film used a somewhat familiar tale but gave it its own spin. Add to that the fact that Wu also starred in the film and you had a guaranteed hit.

Wu stars as Lei-ming, a dedicated martial arts student in 1940s China during the occupation by the Japanese. Living in Shanghai problems for those living their increase when the triads work hand in hand with the Japanese to keep the population down. Lei-min attempts to stand up to them and the results are deadly. 

The triads hire a group of assassins to wipe out the martial arts school Lei-ming belongs to. Master Kitashima (Lo Lieh) and his group decimate the every member of the school and leave Lei-ming behind as well thinking him dead. But Lei-ming survives the attack and hides while he rebuilds his strength. Aided by Li Hsiao Ling (Wang Ping), the daughter of his master, Lei-ming heals. 

Recovering is painstaking but he does so. Determined more than ever to seek revenge he practices his martial arts skills daily to achieve that goal. Remembering the words of his master he sets out to learn the “Iron Fist” technique, the only way to defeat his enemies. Along with this he must train himself to learn to leap in order to avoid the deadly karate strikes thrown his way. And when he finally reaches the point where he has the abilities he needs, he sets to exact that revenge. 

The usual sights to be seen in martial arts films from China are on hand here. The high flying leaps, the bone crunching punches and the determined hero setting out to get revenge for a wrong doing done to him. Rather than being simple tropes in the films though the each film using this theme has always had its own flavor and this one proves that. 

Wang Yu was one of the first mega-stars in the genre, even before Bruce Lee came along. Earlier films he made were filled with sword play but here the hand to hand combat sequences equal any of those previous films. His star power is evident throughout. Lo Lieh was another huge star in the genre and seeing the two of them together is a treat. 

88 Films has done a fantastic job with their release of this film. Not only is this a restored HD master they’ve added a ton of extras as well. Those include an audio commentary track from film journalist Samm Deighan, "Open Hand Combat" an interview with journalist David West, "Wong Ching at Shaw" an interview with actor Wong Ching by Frédéric Ambroisine, the US 'Hammer of God' trailer, the Hong Kong trailer, the English trailer, the US TV spot and a reversible sleeve with brand-new artwork from R.P. “Kung Fu Bob” O’Brien & original Hong Kong poster artwork. 

If you love the genre or are simply a fan of action films by all means this one needs to go into your collection.

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THE FINAL OPTION: DEALING WITH TERRORISTS

 

 

While earlier generations dealt with spies from foreign countries all of that changed as terrorists began attacking on their own in splinter cells secretly located in various countries, in some cases aided and abetted by people born and raised in those countries. No longer could James Bond face off against and all-encompassing evil organization or foe. Instead home grown terrorists were now the problem.

In May of 1980 a group of Iranian Arabs captured the Iranian Embassy in London. With 26 hostages negotiations went on for a few days. Then the SAS (Special Air Service) put in play an operation and saved the hostage. The story was turned into a book and then later used as the basis for the film THE FINAL OPTION.

British forces have learned of an imminent attack to be committed by a group that calls themselves the CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament). When one of their men planted in the group is killed they decide to take on a different tactic.

The SAS receives two foreigner to train with them, one American and one German. During their training the two men are tortured and accused of being spies by team leader Captain Peter Skellen (Lewis Collins). With no authority or cause to do so, Skellen is dismissed from his regiment and out on his own. In reality this provides him cover to infiltrate the CND as a disgruntled ex-SAS officer.

His contact advises him to meet Frankie Lieth (Judy Davis) and Rod Walker (John Duttine), the leaders of a group known as the People’s Lobby. This is the real group behind the CND and the terrorist organization in the midst of a major operation they’ve been planning. Skellen becomes involved with Lieth who sees him as an asset while Walker is skeptical. A few incidents put into play to solidify Skellen’s credentials with the terrorists and he’s soon on the fast track to help them.

But Walker still distrust Skellen and has him followed, watched as he meets with his wife to assure her that he’s safe and doing what he’s been instructed to do. With this evidence in hand Lieth finally worries that Skellen might not be who he claims. She instructs other members of the group to kidnap his wife and daughter and uses their abduction to force him into aiding them in their plot.

That plot involves raiding the US ambassador’s estate and capturing the ambassador, US Secretary of State and other high officials along with their wives. In return for their release the terrorists led by Lieth demand that a nuclear missile be launched at the Holy Loch naval base.

Only Skellen can find a way to aid his fellow SAS team into the building to stop the plans of the terrorists. But can he do it and contain casualties to a minimum if at all?

The movie is a solid piece of entertainment and allows its star Collins the chance to have become a major actor in the heroic styled films that the Bond films had become. For some reason that never came to fruition. It certainly was not due to this film or its reception by the public. When released it was the #6 film at the box office in UK that year.

The film had its supporters and detractors when released though. Producer Euan Lloyd wanted to take movies back to where they had been portraying soldiers in a more positive light than seen in recent years. President Reagan and his staff viewed the film positively. But critics weren’t as kind viewing the film as a hawkish and terrible.

All in all the films does offer a solid action film that fans of the genre will enjoy. Perhaps a bit slower than most but that’s to develop the storyline on display. When push comes to shove the depiction of the SAS team shows them in a positive light doing what they do best, what their mission is. The acting is very well done and the performance by Davis led her to many more substantial parts. It might not be a film that everyone will want to add to their collection but it is definitely one worth giving a watch.

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RETRIBUTION: POSSESSED REVENGE

 

 

Made in 1987 with a very limited release it looked like the movie RETRIBUTION would fall by the wayside, making its way straight to video like so many other horror titles.  Also like so many of those straight to video titles the film began to develop a following of fans who watched it repeatedly. Now it’s getting a special release from Severin and treated with respect.

Its Halloween night and kids are trick or treating and walking around the neighborhoods. But the most frightening thing to walk the earth that night is death and it arrives at the doorstep of two individuals. One is Vito Minelli (Mike Muscat), a small time mobster and gangster in debt to the mob who kill him over unpaid debts. The other is more complicated.

George Miller (Dennis Lipscomb) is a struggling artist. Unable to cope with life he is standing on the edge of the roof of the building he lives in. A crowd gathers, police show and he jumps. Unlike Vito he survives his encounter with death. 

George goes through a painful and time involved rehab. In his case his body is working to repair itself. But it is also his mind that needs aid. He gets better physically but continues to have nightmares. These bad dreams that plague him involve mobsters and death. His psychiatrist Jennifer Curtis (Leslie Wing) feels that he has recovered enough to go home but still stay in touch with her. 

George returns to his room at the Don Hotel and resumes working or at least trying to. At night the dreams continue and he begins to think there is more reality that dream to them. He walks the streets at night and then can’t remember where he was. When he wakes the next morning to read the newspaper he sees a murder has taken place, a murder he saw in his nightmares the night before. 

While Dr. Curtis thinks this is just a coincidence George thinks it’s more. As the violent nightmares continue and as we, the viewer, see that there is indeed something going on within George it isn’t long before we realize that when George and Vito technically died that night, Vito made his way into George. And now he’s using George to exact revenge on those who did him wrong. 

The question becomes can George overcome Vito? Can he find love in the romance he strikes up with Angel (Suzanne Snyder), the street walker who takes an interest in him? Will Dr. Curtis be forced to admit that this isn’t all in George’s head? Or is it? 

The 1980s saw a surge in horror films that tied in directly to the video market. That this one came and went only to be discovered in that format isn’t surprising. Most theaters weren’t that interested in these kind of films and spent little to promote them. But the young people who scoured shelves at the local mom and pop video store found these movies and loved them. As they grew into adults they looked for them first on tape and then on disc. Those looking for this one could do no better than the release of the film from Severin. 

Severin is one of those boutique companies that finds a film like this and gives it loving care, making the release to disc as fantastic as possible. In the case of RETRIBUTION they are releasing it in a newly scanned 2 k version from recently discovered pre-print elements with over 2 hours of all new special features. These include two versions of the film (the theatrical cut and the extended Dutch video release version), an audio commentary track with co-writer/director Guy Magar, “Writing Wrongs” an interview with co-writer Lee Wasserman, “Shock Therapy” an interview with actress Leslie Wing, “Angel’s Heart” an interview with actress Suzanne Snyder, “Santa Maria, Mother of God, Help Me!” an interview with actor Mike Muscat, “Settling the Score” an interview with soundtrack composer Alan Howarth, “Visions of Vengeance” an interview with special effects artists John Eggett, “The Art of Getting Even” an interview with artists Barry Fahr, “Living in Oblivion” and interview with production designer Robb Wilson King, “BINGO” a student short by Guy Magar with optional director commentary, the trailer, a stills and poster gallery, reversible artwork and as a bonus a CD soundtrack. Not bad for a movie made 35 years ago and releases on a limited scale. 

I enjoyed the movie and thought it was one of the more creative films to come from this era of horror. The performances were better than most, especially Lipscomb in the lead role. The photography is well done, the sets perfect and believable and the direction very well done, even more so when you consider this was Magar’s first feature film. This may have been one you missed over the years but what better time than with this release to check it out. A must see for horror fans.

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FREUD: THE BEGINNING

 

The name Sigmund Freud is well known today but not so in the past. His founding of psychoanalysis changed the world as we know it, creating a new way to treat patients who might otherwise have been locked away. While he will forever be associated with that field few movies have been made about his life. The first to do so was John Huston’s FREUD, known outside of the US as FREUD: THE SECRET PASSION.

The film looks at Freud (Montgomery Clift) early in his career. After finishing his schooling in Vienna in 1885, Freud is now a neurologist and well respected in that field. But he comes to loggerheads with the head of the school, Theodore Meynert (Eric Portman) when it comes to treating what he considers “hysteria”. Freud sees a path to a different treatment which Meynert refuses to recognize. Rather than be ignored, Freud makes the decision to go to France to study under Dr. Jean-Marin Charcot (Fernand Ledoux) who has been using hypnosis to treat patients.

Freud returns home after his studies to open his own practice. He marries his fiancé Martha (Susan Kohner) and begins using adapted techniques he formed while working with Meynert to treat the neuroses of his patients. When one of his patients has a breakthrough that disturbs Freud he considers abandoning his theories and becoming nothing more than an ordinary doctor.

This changes when he meets and partners up with Josef Breuer (Larry Parks) who has had some small success with hypnosis. They begin seeing patients, in particular Cecily Koertner (Susannah York). When Cecily becomes sexually attracted to Breuer he transfers her treatment to Freud. Abandoning the use of hypnosis and instead using the techniques that he has pioneered Freud treats Cecily who transfers her feelings towards him.

While his wife has concerns about the situation with Cecily, Freud is able to discover the basis for her issues and help her to heal. Some, including Breuer, are not completely convinced of his methods or conclusions but Freud is certain he has found a way to help many.

The movie is similar to most biopics that have been made, condensing large parts of a man’s life into one 140 minute film. Patients that Freud actually treated are mingled together to form one character, Cecily. That is the nature of film. But in that 140 minutes we are given a glimpse into the beginnings of psychotherapy, to see where the ideas and concepts came from.

The question then becomes is the film entertaining? Is it worth watching for over 2 hours? The answer to that lies in the types of films you enjoy. If you want the slam bang bash up nonstop images style of film most movies today offer then no. This one will bore you to tears. If you enjoy something with a little more depth then you might enjoy this film. Myself? I was torn between the two. I enjoyed the story and the performances of the entire cast but felt it could have been cut just a bit.

An interesting note about two of the main leads seen here. This was the next to last film for Clift who had worked before with director Huston in THE MISFITS. He died 4 years later of a heart attack at age 45. Parks was hired by Huston in the hopes of restarting his career after being blacklisted in Hollywood during the McCarthyism era. Sadly this was his last film.

Kino Lorber has done a wonderful job with this release beginning with a new 2k master of the film. It features a new audio commentary track by film historian Tim Lucas, an edition of TRAILERS FROM HELL with Howard Rodman and includes the theatrical trailer as well.

Fans of Clift will want to add this version to their collection. With only 18 films to his career it’s hard to imagine what he could have done had he lived on. 

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THE LONG NIGHT: MOODY MYSTERY

 

 

A genre of horror more often ignored until recently is the folklore horror genre. These films use folklore as a mean of escalating the horror that is the center piece of the film. Perhaps the most well-known of these films is THE WICKER MAN. There are many more out there though and recently Severin Films released a box set that included a documentary on the subject. New to the genre though is THE LONG NIGHT from Well Go.

Scout Taylor-Compton stars as Grace Covington, a young woman with no clue about her past. Given up for adoption after being born she now lives in NYC with her successful boyfriend Jack Cabot (Nolan Gerard Funk). Grace has hired Frank Caldwell (King Orba) when she finds out where she was born to dig into her past. He’s contacted her and she and Jack are on their way to meet with him in the small southern town she was born in.

Upon arrival things begin to feel off. To begin with Caldwell is not at the house he told her to go to. Having told her where the key is she and Jack go into the house with their luggage to wait for him. Scouring the house they find no clues as to her past or Caldwell.

As night falls even stranger things begin to happen. The biggest of these is a group of robed cult members standing outside with torches blocking an exit from the property. Disturbed by this Jack threatens to call the police on them but they are unfazed. When they discover the phone isn’t working their fears increase.

Into the house comes Wayne Caldwell (Jeff Fahey), Frank’s brother. With no clue who Grace and Jack are he tells them to get off of his property. They explain what’s going on and point out to Wayne the group outside who apparently stepped aside when he arrived. He tells them to get off his property and when he attempts to force them to do so, the leader of the cult uses supernatural powers to break his body and kill him.

A phone call from the leader to Jack informs him that they only want the girl. If he will turn her over they will allow him to live. As he contemplates whether to give them to her or not, Grace begins having dreams of her past and the cult. What is it they want her for? And will Jack give her up?

Visually the movie has a ton of style going on here. The cult members in robes wearing animal skulls for masks are truly a cringe inducing group. The secluded location offers plenty of opportunities to escalate the fear factor. The problem is these items are the best things about the film.

While the acting is well done the movie feels like there wasn’t enough story here to make an entire feature film. The pacing drags along at a snail’s pace and little happens with the cult members other than their standing and looking intimidating. Images of these cult members just standing outside fill the film and while disturbing aren’t enough to make the film frightening or to flush out a tale. If you’ve ever seen a horror movie then it takes seconds to figure out the backstory of Grace and why she is here, even if it isn’t clearly defined in the script. 

In the end the movie isn’t one I’d recommend to most. Horror fans looking for something new might enjoy it. Sadly most others will find it tedious and boring. To be brutally honest I dozed off and had to restart the movie 3 times.

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JACK FROST 2-REVENGE OF THE MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN: GET THE SNOWPLOW

 

 

The movie JACK FROST (the 1997 horror film) was a low budget affair with a lot of heart and plenty of humor to get it by with fans. It ended up developing a cult following of sorts and those folks were tickled to death to hear that the film was coming out on Blu-ray from MVS as part of their MVD Rewind collection, films that developed a life on the shelves of video stores. When they learned the sequel was being released as well they were ecstatic. Sadly the sequel is nowhere near as fun as the first film. 

Serial killer Jack Frost, having been transformed into a killer snowman by a spilled chemical truck, was last seen melting away as the townsfolk of Snowmonton hosed him down with antifreeze. But that can’t keep a good killer down. Yet another accident involving scientists resurrects Jack and he sets out for revenge against his nemesis Sheriff Sam (Christopher Allport). 

But Sam is still recovering from the events of the first film and is on vacation in the Caribbean with his wife and friends. One would think the sun drenched beaches there would stop Jack from attack. Not to mention the fact that this is thousands of miles away. Then again we’re talking about a movie that involves a killer who turned into a snowman. 

Of course Jack shows up and mayhem follows as he begins killing off various visitors to this island retreat. When the bodies begin to appear the staff at the hotel does everything they can to keep it secret so that it doesn’t destroy their business. 

It isn’t long before Jack goes into full blown kill mode and bodies are dropping left and right. Sam is still in shock from the previous film and it takes his wife and friends to bring him out of it and go on the attack. But how does one now kill Jack since he’s developed an immunity to anti-freeze? Come on, you know they’ll find something.

Where the first film was witty and filled with some juvenile yet funny moments, this one feels forced. It feels as if they made enough money with the first film to think that another one would do just as well. Sadly this was the result. The jokes are lame, the sets insulting and the acting is lacking. That may have been charming once but not twice. And to think the director is hoping to make a third film is the most frightening thing about these films. 

But MVD is doing their best to please fans and I have to say they deserve a ton of credit for doing so. In spite of this being a terrible movie all films, especially those with a fan base, deserve to be saved and they are doing just that. They have plenty of extras here that include an audio commentary with director Michael Cooney, a new audio commentary with Tony Piluso, Newt Wallen and Crystal Quin of ‘Hack the Movies’, a new Full Empire Promotions’ Dominic Mancini Interview with Scott MacDonald: Part 2, an interview with Director Michael Cooney, behind the scenes featurettes, a music video spoof, the original theatrical trailer, reversible cover art featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Alí Hdz / Brutal Child and a collectible mini-poster.

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PURSUIT: DON’T BE MISLED

 

 

Actor John Cusack has had a fantastic career. He went from minor roles where he played a school geek in SIXTEEN CANDLES to lead roles in films like THE SURE THING, BETTER OFF DEAD and THE SURE THING.  He later displayed his acting chops by starring in more serious roles in films like CON AIR, HIGH FIDELTIY and IDENTITY. But somewhere along the way he seems to have fallen out of favor with Hollywood. Fewer leading roles in major releases have found him following in the path of Bruce Willis making movies that went straight to DVD. Solid performances in them all but still not those major movies of the past.

In the case of Willis it was recently released that his not doing well health wise. This might explain his willingness to appear in a ton of movies to bank what he could before retiring. He had a reputation for being difficult with some but not all. But why the same route for Cusack? He’s better than most of the films he’s been in. So why be limited to smaller roles? Which brings us to PURSUIT. 

Emile Hirsch stars as Rick Calloway, a big time hacker with skills that are unsurpassed. The film opens with him paying off a ransom for the return of his wife. But rather than surrender the woman to him he is provided clues. 

Jakes Manley is Detective Mike Breslin. In the midst of an undercover drug buy the window of the motel room he’s in is riddled with bullets and members of the gang selling the drugs are killed as he dives behind a bed. In walks Rick who asks the leader of the gang where his wife is. He’s given a clue but escapes before he can be arrested by Breslin. 

Eventually Rick is caught and wants to talk to no one but Breslin. He lets Breslin know that he has the names of the three people who killed Breslin’s wife but won’t release them to him unless Breslin is put in charge of the escort taking him to prison. Breslin is placed on the team and Rick is rescued from the transport. At least it seems that way. In reality he’s been captured by the cartel he’s been tracking who kidnapped his wife. 

As all of this plays out, Ricks father has been doing all he can to prevent his son from being killed. John Calloway (Cusack) is the head of a criminal organization in Lanoke, Arkansas, with ties to the cartel. He’s been raising Rick’s son as his own. Talking to cartel head Frank Diego (Andrew Stevens) he tells him he has things under control. But Frank has plans of his own. 

Breslin arrives to work with the local police and is shuffled off to a low level uniformed officer named Zoe Carter (Elizabeth Ludlow). Her chief Taye Biggs (William Katt) and most of the force have ties to the cartel. But with her help Breslin begins to track down Rick. The question is can he do it in time and will he find the answers he’s been looking for. 

The movie is a mess in many ways. Plot holes line the script on each and every page. The movie is shot well but the staging of certain sequences make little sense. The same with bits and pieces of the story. While the story is weak it can be entertaining enough but it’s easy to see why this went straight to DVD. 

Manley doesn’t look old enough to be a recruit let alone have reached the Detective stage of his career in the NYPD. His performance is fine but he doesn’t suit the character. Hirsch comes off as the tattooed career criminal with nothing to lose the best here. And Ludlow does a great job in this supporting role as well.

But the casting of Cusack is perhaps the worst here. He’s better than this. This feels like an easy money paycheck type role for him. Walk through, say most of your lines into a cell phone, walk away. The amount of acting done for this role is negligible at best. You end up wishing that the phone would ring and he’d be given a better part in a better movie. Worse yet is that he’s featured prominently on the cover making you believe he’s the main attraction here when it’s really a small role. 

If there is nothing else to watch then you might give this one a go. I didn’t hate it as much as many of those online writing about it did. Still it leaves much to be desired. 

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SURF NAZIS MUST DIE: WHAT CAN ONE SAY?

 

 

Having a family that owned and operated a video store back in the 80s we chose what movies would be on the shelf. Of course we would order the most recent blockbusters but the shelves also needed filler on the chance those big titles were all rented. You looked for interesting sounding titles and trust me there were plenty of them. We ordered SURF NAZIS MUST DIE because of the title and the connection to Troma Films which had had a nice hit with THE TOXIC AVENGER. It was a terrible mistake. 

In a future time period a major earthquake has turned California into a wasteland. Not quite Mad Max level but a land fueled by anarchy. Controlling various areas are gangs that vie to take over one another’s territories. Among these is a neo-Nazi group with a self-proclaimed Fuhrer of the beach who calls himself Adolf. 

One of the victims of violence perpetrated by the gang is a man named Leroy who they kill. When his mother “Mama” Washington hears about this, she escapes from her nursing home, arms herself with handguns and grenades and seeks revenge. 

Yes, the story here is actually that simple. And the worst part is the film is filled with filler. Speeches by Adolf, fights between gangs that look sloppy and silly and smoke filled sets that are supposed to look like the world has crumbled but with no reason for the smoke. Scenes on the beach, surfing shots used to fill out the meager 83 minute running time and more result in a movie that is more boring that one would expect. 

Troma Films is known for its low to no budget films and outrageous and offensive storylines. But this movie really doesn’t even qualify for being one of their better films. It gained notoriety based on its title alone. That and the artwork for the posters were the only good things to come from this movie. 

The acting is some of the worst ever, the cinematography leaves much to be desired and if there was directing going on here it doesn’t show. The story is weak at best and uninvolving. This is one of those movies that video store fans will likely have fond memories of until they watch it again and then realize just how much weed they smoked back then.

The movie is being released with a newly restored high definition version of the film on Blu-ray, but that can’t help make it look any better than it did on video. There are a number of extras as well including a new introduction to the film by Troma found Lloyd Kaufman, an interview with director Peter George, an interview with producer Robin Tinnell, deleted scenes, The Projection Booth Podcast with guest George, scenes from Tromaville Café, “The Soul of Troma” featurette, the Troma short BLOOD STAB and promos for other Troma releases. 

I truly found that this film was an incredible waste of time that I can never reclaim. Troma has done better and made much more enjoyable films. Even the trailer for this film was better than the feature. If for some reason you are incredibly wealthy and can afford to toss money down the drain you might want to buy this one. Otherwise find something worthy of your hard earned cash.

Click here to order.