Movie Review - An Eye For An Eye

An Eye For An Eye

1981

The Cast

Now, this film really takes me back to my youth, where you were a member of a video shop... or fifteen (I counted the cards I used to have)... and you would troll around them all to find a movie worth watching - at least it kept us fit.

This is pretty much your basic '80's action flick.  Where the good guy is out for revenge for the death of a lover, a family member, friend, or in this case a partner on the force.  The plot, like this one, would usually revolve around drugs trafficking.  Throw in a love interest and loads of exciting fights and you have the perfect mix.  This was the start of the "Leave your brain at the door" movies.  To be fair, it's nice to let enjoyment and excitement take you out of your daily routine.  I know I need it at the moment.

So in this story, you have Kane (Norris) and his partner, Dave (Kiser), heading to an undercover meet.  However, it's a trap and Dave is killed, in quite a nasty way.  From here on in Kane is out to solve the murder and get revenge for his dead partner.  This leads him and Dave's girlfriend reporter, Linda (Chao) into a world of drug trafficking...

So what makes this a film worth watching?

Well there is Chuck Norris, who to be honest, isn't too bad in this film.  He was just coming into being an actor in his own right at this time.  These types of characters, like the films, were ten-a-penny and you were lucky if they made it to two-dimensional, let alone three.  I have to believe that it's the likes of Christopher Lee (Canfield), Richard Roundtree (Captain Stevens), Matt Clark (McCoy), and even Mako (Chan) that elevated his acting up a notch or two for this movie.  The rest of the cast are solid actors and carry the film and the much-used scenario easily.

Next, there's the direction.  Steve Carver does a really good job with the camera work.  There are some really well-framed sections.  I loved the part where Kane goes to visit his sensei and master, Chan.  He parks his beautiful red Mustang and gets out.  This is all superbly framed in a long shot by an ornamental oriental fence.  Even on the drive up to his masters home, he is followed by a helicopter.  This is filmed smoothly; you have a side portrait of Norris driving and outside the passenger window you see the copter flying at his side.  There's also a nice sequence where Kane runs from his house, down his pier to his private jetty, opens his speedboats enclosure, jumps in and speeds away.  There is a lot in this film that Carver should be proud about.  Even the slow motion sections of the fight scene's work.  When a lot of martial arts opted to speed up the action, slowing it down works really well - especially when you have a master of the arts like Norris.

Carver also sets a nice rollercoaster pace for the movie.  He knows when to slow down to drive the plot and quicken it up to boost excitement and tension.  A Lot of filmmakers could take a few notes from this film.

The only thing in the film that irked me was the love interest, Maggie Cooper.  This was mainly for Sullivan's wooden performance.  In some scenes, she appears so laid back that she may have been sampling the product the bad guys were moving.

If you like your martial arts flicks and are not too worried about plot, then I would recommend this one to you.  It may not be intellectually brilliant but it is kick ass entertaining.

I give this a Chuck Norris Kick-Ass 5.75 out of 10.

The Trailer

Video Nasty - Cannibal Ferox

Cannibal Ferox

1981

Dania Film / Medusa Distribuzione / National Cinematografica

Indie Rights / Replay Video / Grindhouse Releasing / Image Entertainment

3.75 / 10

This is an atrociously dire film in every way.  The only silver lining was the premise of the story where three student anthropologists enter the Columbian jungles with the naive aim of disproving cannibalism.  They come across a couple of adventures who claim to have escaped from a cannibal tribe after they had devoured their colleague.  It's the twist in the story that could have saved this film had it been correctly explored and utilised.   This, however, isn't the case and there just isn't anything else that makes this a film to watch.

Other reviews state the film is so bad that it unintentionally makes you laugh... that wasn't my case.  What writer and director Umberto Lenzi gives his viewers is a lesson in the banal, boring, and tedious.

From the previously mentioned wasted story issue to the under-acted, over-acted, and wooden performances of the cast to the uninteresting and dreary direction to the worst and insipid locations available, this is a bad film.

However, there are a few issues which did earn it the rating I gave.  I did like the twist in the tale which wasn't fully envisioned.  There were actual moments when the cast got serious and wasn't too bad in their roles.  Even Giovanni Lombardo Radice, who was mostly ludicrously over-the-top, actually had a couple of moments where he was menacing and believable.  Then there was the glorious gorefest of the special effects, though these are expected to be bad, they never fail to entertain; the scene of the penis extraction brought a wince to my face.  However, even the effects aren't without their errors.  The way they are filmed is so matter-of-fact that they lose their shock value.

Then, of course, there's the animal cruelty as you are witness to the killing of a turtle and a wild boar.  I do hope these animals were to be used as sustenance and were subsequently eaten.  I must admit to not liking the thought of them being killed and then discarded for entertainment's sake, as these scenes were not required for the story.

This is not the best cannibal film:

For the best story and acting, watch Cannibal Holocaust
For an interesting twist on the genre, better story and acting, try Cannibal Apocalypse
For the best jungle location, I suggest you watch The Man From Deep River

Though, I will say I do not find the cannibal genre that interesting and even though these are better than Ferox they're still not brilliant.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Cannibal Ferox

Video Nasty - The Funhouse

The Funhouse

1981

Universal Pictures / Mace Neufeld Productions

Universal Pictures / Arrow Films / MCA/Universal Home Video

6.25 / 10

This film goes to show how stringent the English film board was back in the eighties as this got an X certificate on release and then ended up banned...  and now in its UNCUT version, it rates a 15 certificate.

To be truthful though, after watching - and still viewing - films on the video nasties list I cannot understand why or how this film achieved a banned status.  In Tobe Hooper's other banned film Eaten Alive there are scene's of torture and animal cruelty, whereas in Funhouse there's nothing along these lines.  In fact, this is pretty standard fayre in the slasher mould.  There are rumours of the BBFC getting the certification wrong by choosing the wrong Funhouse to ban.  In 1977 there was a film released called The Last House On Dead End Street, which was nasty enough to make the list, though didn't, and had previously been released in 1972 as The Fun House - see my review here.

You have a deformed man who is unable to find love due to his looks and personality buying sexual favours from the carnival's fortune teller.  Unfortunately, for her, he finishes prematurely and when she demands money for services rendered he gets upset... and she gets dead.  This interlude is viewed by four teenagers who thought it would be fun to hide out in the ghost train.  Of course, one of them makes a noise and draws the attention of the deformed killer who must dispatch them to keep his secret safe.

Though the concept is good its development onto film is strained.  As most of the action takes place in a limited area Tobe Hooper should have tried to develop a tension of claustrophobia as our witnesses find it increasingly difficult to escape the funhouse.  However, the carny ride appears massive and unending - could it be a Gallifreyan Time Machine(?)  For me, there wasn't enough tension or excitement and at times I found my attention drifting.

The actors are above average and cope well with building their characters and making them realistic, though none of them stands out above the others.  It would have been nice to have been introduced to some of the major characters back stories and more personal insights so the viewers could relate to them a little more.  This would make their murders more emotionally stronger and bring the viewer into the story more.

There is one brilliant thing about this film and the writer, Lawrence Block, and the director should have tried to work it into the story more as it would have added more depth, mystery, and paranormal atmospheres if done correctly.  At each of the carnival's rides and shows, there's a barker shouting the attractions merits to entice the people in.  Though the barkers are constantly at their positions and could not be the same person, each one is played by Kevin Conway.  This is a subtle thing that when spotted adds a mysterious element to the story, which is then completely ignored.  It's like somebody had an idea but couldn't come up with a suitable resolution to it.

This is not a bad film, by any means, it's just average; one of those films you'd watch if you'd not seen it before and there was nothing else on.  Worth watching at least once.  Not Tobe Hoopers best film and not his worst.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - The Funhouse

Video Nasty - Madhouse

Madhouse

AKA:  There Was A Little Girl

1981

Overseas FilmGroup

Megastar Films / Dark Sky Films / Film 2000

3.25 / 10

This film is crying out for a remake and with today's special effects it could really make this as special as it should be.  Though it's the story that writer and director Ovidio G Assonitis along with writers Stephen Blakely, Roberto Gandus, and Peter Shepherd crafted which needs better representation than this film was given, surprisingly enough from Assonitis, who's direction especially at the end turns this into a nearly unwatchable farce instead of a horrific psychological thriller.

This is the tale of twin sisters, Julia who is played by Trish Everly (The Good Sister) and Mary Sullivan played by Allison Biggers (The Bad Sister).  During their childhood, it was Mary who was the dominant sibling and tormented, teased, and tortured Julia whenever she could.  This behaviour sent Mary to the psychiatric hospital where Julia chose to forget about her.  After developing a severe skin disease Mary asks to see her twin and Julia grudgingly agrees, after some cajoling from their Uncle, Father James.  The meeting goes as expected with Mary getting angry and attacking her sister while cursing her that she'll make her sorry.  After she escapes the institution she and her faithful pet Doberman start to invite Julia's friends to their birthday party... by killing them.

When the climax arrives and everything is revealed you will need to hold onto your sanity and accept the unbelievable in the incredulity of a twist which was only manufactured to shock.  Though for spoiler reason's, I cannot say what this is, you won't and cannot miss it.  If this twist had been written and filmed better than it would have made an otherwise okay and average movie better... and not worse, as it did.

The acting is pretty standard and average until you get to the finale then you enter the lunatic and stupid, which I will put down to Assonitis' direction.  Though I think Dennis Robertson as Father James should have won an Oscar for the "Most-Over-The-Top Acting Role In A Movie...  EVER!"  It is really gleefully bad.

Assonitis also has trouble with pacing the film and this gives the work a disjointed feeling.

However, the evil Doberman is the best thing in the film and some of the attack scenes are even better as they used a real dog as well as a prop set of jaws (which can look a little awful).

I would only recommend this film to lovers of bad B-Movies but be warned you do need to stay to the finale to see the best scene.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Madhouse

Video Nasty - Bloody Moon

Bloody Moon

1981

Lisa-Film / Metro Film / Rapid Film : Megastar Films / Inter-Light Video / Trans World Entertainment / Video Instant Picture Company

6.0 / 10

Another murder mystery placed under the Horror banner due to the gory content.

This is the story of a twisted and murderous affluent family set in Costa Del Sol, Spain.  Miguel's psyche is broken.  He is in love with his sister and their love has been consummated, though Manuela has now stopped his amorous attentions; she tell's him their feelings are wrong and that he should go back to the party and enjoy himself.  At the party, he picks up a blonde woman and they go back to her room.  Unfortunately, when she spurns his advances Miguel picks up a pair of scissors and brutally and fatally attacks the girl.

This opening sequence, while setting the scene and Miguel's character doesn't feel realistic or believable and that is a big drawback to the story and the movie.

Then after just five years in a mental asylum, he is released into his sister's custody.  Once again this doesn't make much sense as their incestuous affair should have been the talk of the asylum as this is the supposed cause of his breakdown and subsequent murder spree.  It's this and following inconsistencies in the story that make the movie less than it should be.  The writer, Erich Tomek, who didn't want to put his name to it so used the pen name Rayo Casablanca, needed to tighten these elements up and the viewer would have gotten a much better film.  That said, the twists are pretty good, shame they weren't managed better.

The other thing which lets the movie down is the lackluster direction by Jesus Franco, who has a pretty standard and average style.  Again, some differing camera angles and a few artistic shots wouldn't have gone amiss to bring this movie out of its averageness.

 The special effects are okay and passable, though not too realistic.  The big stone cutting saw sequence is actually let down by how fake the decapitated head is; it's pretty close to being laughable.

If you like gory murder mysteries then you may like this though I wouldn't recommend rushing out to purchase a copy, however, if the chance comes up to watch it you could do worse.

Nergling - Video Nasties Scare - Bloody Moon

Video Nasty - The Burning

The Burning

1981

Miramax / The Cropsy Venture : Filmways Pictures / HandMade Films / 20th Century Fox / Arrow Pictures / Cinefear / Thorn EMI

6 / 10

Time travel exists!  This took me right back to my youth when Friday night was video night and you'd trek around the stores to find the best deals and movies.  You had to work for your entertainment then, there was no pay-per-view or the internet.  Me and my mates would walk miles to get the right films.  Friday night was horror.  Though I never did see this one until now it's so reminiscent of the trash we used to watch that I felt as though I had been transported back in time.

This is the "Death" camp story that so many movie companies released after the success of Friday 13th.  Though this doesn't come anywhere near it does have one hell of a cast, including Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens, Holly Hunter, Ned Eisenberg, Brian Backer, and Leah Ayers.  It even has a soundtrack by The Wizard of the Keyboards Rick Wakeman.  The special effects are designed and created by Tom Savini.

Shame that with all this talent that the story lets them down; and who names a psychotic killer "Cropsy" didn't the writers see "Crapsy" just waiting to be shouted by the critics?  Even though the story isn't a direct rip-off of Friday 13th it's along the same lines, enough so that comparisons can be drawn.  However, it's the inconsistencies that made it irksome to me.  Especially the scene where the canoes have gone so they decide to take a lot of time to find wood and build a raft.  If it takes that much time then how did Crapsy, sorry, Cropsy get there before them... on foot?  Give the audience a little respect.

There are also quite a few dubious directional contretemps.  Such as the obvious doctored still in the end "Mine" sequence.  More so with the raft and canoe scene where the actions, reactions, and the outcome is totally unbelievable; though I shook my head is dismay and laughed, I did like the idea of it.

Even with these niggling elements, it's still entertaining.  I believe this is because of the lightness that permeates most of the film.  It's seventy percent good-natured romp with ten percent seriousness and twenty percent tensity.  It's because of this I would recommend this as a starter for a horrorfest, it'll set you up nicely for a more fulfilling main course.

Nergling - Video Nasties Scare - The Burning

Video Nasty - Absurd

Absurd

(1981)

Filmirage / Metaxa Corporaton : Medusa Pictures / Wizard Video

4.25 / 10

This is the Italian interpretation of John Carpenter's Halloween.  Though, writer George Eastman (who also star's as Mikos Stenopolis) gives the killer a different backstory.  It's this back story which places this film into the thriller genre rather than horror,  Mikos had taken part in some drug trials which a priest was overwatching.  These drugs gave Mikos' blood an ability to coagulate at a rapid rate.  This makes him nearly invincible.  Unfortunately, the drugs also drove him insane.

Mikos stumbles into town and when anybody crosses his path they are compensated with a grisly death.

There's not much else to the story and that's what makes the title of the movie so perfect.  This is an absurd story and film.

There's also very little to love about the movie.  The acting is average.  Sadly the worst actors are the two leads.  Annie Belle as Emily is okay for most of the picture but there are sometimes when she's wooden and stiff.  Her best parts are when she's strapped up in traction.  This isn't all her fault, her character isn't very well written.  In fact, all of the characters seem to be run-of-the-mill and a little dull.

Even though George Eastman wrote the story he decided to give the villain, whom he portrayed, no words.  Which may have been a good thing.  Though Eastman didn't have to worry about fluffing his lines he didn't add much to the character but size... the man is huge.  There were some scenes that could have added to the character.  Even the great non-talkers, Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees, appear evil and psychologically broken; this comes down to how the actor carried himself, he let his body act.  For example, one great scene from Halloween is when Michael lifts a teenager up and then pins him to a wall with a carving knife:  As the man hangs there Michael watches silently, then cocks his head to one side; this little action speaks volumes.  There's nothing like this in Absurd.

The special effects are passable though not great.  This can also be said for Joe D'Amato direction.  Even the music by Carlo Maria Cordio is similar in style to Carpenter's electronic soundtrack.  For the majority of the movie this music is annoying, though surprisingly, it works really well with the end chase scene.

The climax of the movie is pretty decent and does give the audience an iconic shot, which sends a shiver down the spine and they will remember.

This isn't a classic movie and nowhere near to becoming a cult.  If you like Halloween and Friday 13th then you could give this a look-see, it's worth at least one viewing.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Absurd

Video Nasty - Night School

Night School

(1981)

Lorimar Film Entertainment / Paramount Pictures / Resource Films : 20th Century Fox / Paramount Pictures / Warner Home Video

5.5 / 10

If you like slasher films then this one may take your fancy - it has an added bonus of having a decent mystery interwoven into it.

However, this movie suffers from what I call "The Fugitive" syndrome.  I was looking forward to the film due to loving the series, however, in the first section, they introduce a character at a party.  It's at this point I thought "He" did it... and he had.  It's best, in a mystery, to not flag the villain in such an obvious way and that's what happens here, though they do try to muddy the water to confuse the audience.

The other stumbling block is that there's no real tension.  The director, Ken Hughes, goes for the thrill route, which isn't a bad thing as it gives the audience the adrenalin rush, it could have been better had there been a build up to the rush.

This starts in the first sequence when a teacher's aid is tormented by a helmeted attacker.  This is done by having the aid spun around on a round-a-bout while her assailant brandishes a knife, making stabs each time she passes.

In the morning, the aid is found decapitated in the school playground and the police investigation gets underway.  There are plenty of suspects ranging from the lascivious male lecturer at the "women's only" night school, Vincent Millett (played by Drew Snyder) to the Dean of the school, Helene Griffin (played by Annette Miller), who is aware of Millett's extracurricular activities; however, she's more annoyed that he's getting more "bed" action than she is.

For the most part, the acting is of a high calibre, though it's Rachel Ward as Elenor who lets the film down.  This is the main drawback of the film.  Since she's one of the main characters her wooden acting, that makes her character two-dimensional and unbelievable, really hampers the flow and feel of the film.

If you didn't figure out The Fugitive then you might like this film as the mystery is pretty well handled and the twist at the end is a brilliantly thought out one, which follows matters mentioned in the film.  If the Ruth Avergon story were in book form I'd be hunting it down right now as the story is the thing which makes this film.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Night School