MARTIN

George A. Romero, 1978

Starring: John Amplas, Elyane Nadeau, Tom Savini

A young man named Martin sedates a woman on an overnight train and slits her wrists in order to drink her blood. Martin believes he is a vampire and must do this in order to stay alive and quench his unholy thirst. It seems that Martin’s family in Indianapolis has died and he is traveling to Braddock, Pennsylvania to live with his suspicious granduncle, Cuda, and young cousin Christine. Cuda earnestly believes Martin is a vampire and promises to stake him through the heart if anyone in Braddock is found dead. Martin is forced to travel to Pittsburgh to find new victims, but begins his first affair with an older local woman in Braddock. After the woman kills herself, Cuda believes Martin to be responsible and prepares to punish him by staking him through the heart...

Allegedly George Romero’s favorite of his own film, he wrote, directed, and edited this very personal, unique film that deserves a wider audience and better reputation. Martin is very low budget, but makes the best of a number of real locations around Pittsburgh and Braddock, Pennsylvania. Supporting cast members were made up of Romero’s friends and family members, which is a bit rough, but John Amplas gives a compelling, memorably strange enough performance to distract from any bad acting or stilted dialogue. Amplas went on to work with Romero several times, including appearances in Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Knightriders, and Creepshow. Martin also marks Romero’s first collaboration with make up artist Tom Savini. Though Savini crafted the minimal amount of blood, gore, and violence depicted in Martin, he also appeared as Christine’s deadbeat boyfriend. 

Martin is connected to Romero’s more popular films with a heavy, sometimes awkward dose of social commentary and satire. It seems that he tried to retread and further develop the themes of suburban anguish from Season of the Witch. In that, he definitely succeeded, as Martin should be counted as one of his classics, whereas I found Season of the Witch to be an interesting attempt, but mostly a failure. In that film, the protagonist comes to believe she is witch, though Romero never confirms or denies this. 

Romero’s use of vampire lore is interesting and borrows some elements from other films, such as Larraz’s Vampyres. Martin is not a classic vampire. He has no fangs and must use knives or razors to get blood. He’s not affected by sunlight, garlic, or crosses. His flashbacks - or possibly flights of fancy - are divided from the regular film with black and white scenes and it is unclear whether his vampirism is real or imagined. Martin is the opposite of what we think of as a vampire; he’s cowardly, weak, socially awkward. His floundering attempts to subdue women interestingly make the film feel like a bleak slasher or thriller at times.

This dreamlike, poetic film is about suburban isolation and the blurred lines between humanity and monstrosity, fantasy and reality. Martin comes highly recommended and is available on DVD. As with Dawn of the Dead, there was a version of Martin edited for European audiences. Known as Wampyr, it has a Goblin score, but is generally only available as an Italian dub. 

SEASON OF THE WITCH (1972)

George A. Romero, 1972

Starring: Jan White, Raymond Laine, Ann Muffly

A bored, aging housewife, Joan, is dissatisfied with her home life -- her 19 year old daughter has moved out and her husband constantly travels for work -- and is plagued by some strange nightmares. She sees a therapist, but it is no longer helping. She’s interested in a newcomer to the neighborhood, Marion, who claims to be a witch and gives Joan a Tarot reading. She soon has an embarrassing encounter at home, when she meets Gregg, her daughter Nikki’s young professor. Joan spies on them later when they are having sex and Nikki walks in on her masturbating. Infuriated, Nikki runs away. 

While she’s gone, Joan gets into witchcraft and casts a spell on Gregg, who she is secretly attracted to. Eventually she gives in and calls him; they begin an affair. Meanwhile, her awful nightmares about someone breaking into the house continue. She admits to Gregg that she believes she is a witch and wants him to help her with a complicated spell. He mocks her and she becomes hysterical. Later, during a nightmare, her husband unexpectedly comes home late at night and she kills him, thinking he is part of her dream. 

Romero’s third film after Night of the Living Dead and There’s Always Vanilla, he wrote and directed Season of the Witch, as well as being responsible for the cinematography and editing. During the first forty or so minutes of the film, it was in the running for Most Boring Film I’ve Ever Seen, but it eventually grew on me a bit more. The really frustrating thing about Season of the Witch is that so many of the element are compelling. A repressed woman is confused about her life, bored, and having an identity crisis. Romero is somewhat known for his social commentary and this seems to be a film about women’s rights in the ‘70s. It touches upon that, but ineffectively and inelegantly without addressing any of the questions or issues it raises.

The oppressive nature of suburban life has been explored numerous times throughout cinema, which is why it’s so disappointing that Season of the Witch is a failure. Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman and John Cassavetes’ Faces are just two examples of this subgenre that have limited, loosely sketched scripts, but are incredibly powerful. You could say that both of those films are slow (one of my graduate film classes hated me for forcing them to sit through all of Jeanne Dielman, for instance), but Season of the Witch is just agonizing. The film is essentially made up of poorly shot scenes of middle aged women having conversations in houses and cars. The dialogue is poor and the acting is worse. It livens up a bit in the third act, but not enough to save the overall film. 

All of the actors have limited experience, though Raymond Laine appeared in Jean Claude Van Damme’s Sudden Death and Ann Muffly returned for Flashdance and Romero’s Knightriders. The acting is undoubtedly the worst part of the film with Romero’s bland script coming in at a close second. The characters are dull and unlikable. The lifeless cinematography, also not doing the film any favors, totally lacks style and almost has a made for TV movie feeling.

There are a few things to like about Season of the Witch, however. There’s an amusing sequence where Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” plays and Joan drives around town buying occult supplies. The numerous scenes of her performing rituals are downright silly, but the dream sequences have a certain power. One of the most interesting things about the film is the surreal opening sequence, where Joan has a strange, paranoid dream. These continue throughout the film, but perhaps not as often as they should. They are the catalyst for Joan accidentally murdering her husband, when she thinks she is fighting off a home invader, and they have a strangely menacing sexual tone to them. Lucio Fulci went a different direction with somewhat similar, though more stylistically advanced, nightmare sequences in Lizard in a Woman’s Skin, another film about a bored and possibly insane wife. 

Also known as Jack’s Wife and Hungry Wives, don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is a horror film. There are some slight references to the occult and Joan experiments briefly and awkwardly with witchcraft. Again, this isn’t my issue with the film. I love Bell, Book, and Candle and The Woman Who Came Back, both of which are occult-themed dramas focusing mostly on women’s feelings about identity and love. Two of Polanski’s greatest films, Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby, flirt respectively with madness and the occult but succeed because of their ambiguity. It seems like Season of the Witch attempts to go along a similar route - as does Romero’s later, more enjoyable Martin - but utterly fails. 

Though I can’t recommend it, Season of the Witch is available on a double feature DVD with Romero’s second film, There’s Always Vanilla, should you choose to punish yourself. Romero fans will want to watch this at least once to decide for themselves, but it is a disappointingly amateur effort. Maybe one day he’ll remake it, as he has loosely (and perhaps academically) suggested in the past. 

DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)

George A. Romero, 1978

Starring: Ken Foree, David Emge, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross

Famously shot in the Monroeville Mall just outside of Pittsburgh, Dawn of the Dead interestingly doesn’t contain any of the same characters as Romero’s first major film, Night of the Living Dead (1968) and has a completely new plot line. It continues the theme of a zombie apocalypse spreading across the U.S., this time bigger and more devastating in scale. A news station is in the throes of panic as they debate whether or not to stay on air during the ongoing spread of a zombie plague. The cause of zombism is unknown and some refuse to believe that the dead are rising to feast upon the living. Fran, a worker at the station, decides to escape with her helicopter pilot boyfriend Steven. 

They are soon joined by two SWAT team members, Roger and Peter, who will provide some protection. The foursome flees Philadelphia and travels for some time in the helicopter, eventually finding an abandoned mall near Pittsburg. Needing food, shelter, and sleep, they decide to land on the roof and have a look around. The second floor of the mall is relatively secure and they are able to protect themselves from zombies fairly easily. Eventually Roger is bitten during the process of clearing the mall. As his injury develops, they raid the mall and build a life of relative comfort for themselves, but how long can it last?

For a few years growing up, this and Lucio Fulci’s City of the Living Dead were tied as my favorite zombie film, possibly also for my favorite film of all time. That makes Dawn of the Dead a little difficult to write about. Though my tastes have matured and I can recognize some of its flaws, I still think this is one of the best zombie films ever made (and the best film ever set in a mall). It seems strange that this sequel came out ten years after Night of the Living Dead, but it is certainly unique compared to other horror sequels of the ‘70s and ‘80s. While most horror series were made up of repetitive attempts to recycle the same villains and stock characters, Romero’s Night, Dawn, and Day of the Dead are all remarkably different films that just happen to be set in the same universe. 

Dawn of the Dead doesn’t have the same sort of horror or scares as Night. Zombies were already introduced in stark black and white and Dawn’s colorful sets and outlandish gore is a welcome change. The feeling of a long term sense of dread and hopelessness that began at the end of Night is intensified here, as well as boredom and a strange sense of ennui. The characters try to survive, but why? In some ways, Dawn has not aged particularly well. There’s a brief opening commentary about the role of news and media, though the film quickly transitions into a not-so-subtle argument about the negative aspects of capitalist culture. Though his commentary seems a bit obvious after 30+ years, it remains to be powerful. I’ve always thought it was a shame that the section of the film where the characters become lost in a consumer frenzy, gutting the mall for all its worth, is rudely interrupted by some cheesy looking bikers. 

The bike gang simply feels out of place and introduces a shade of Romero’s motorcycle-themed, rebellious oddity Knightriders. The gang in Dawn is actually made up of some real Pagans who ride around causing chaos, plus Tom Savini, whose character was improvised by he and Romero. This was also Savini’s first major job providing special effects and he does a fantastic job with dozens of memorable effects that have not really aged at all. 

In addition to the effects, one of Dawn’s enduring strengths is Romero’s writing. Different and more complex than Night, overall I think the characters are better written and more fleshed out than in the first film. Though the plot moves quickly, Romero gives us plenty of time to get to know the foursome, with the exception of maybe Steven, who has very little personality at all. SWAT agents Roger and Peter are the most likable characters and I think Scott Reiniger (Knightriders) and Ken Foree (From Beyond) also give the best performances. David Emge (Basket Case 2) is downright unlikable as Steven and though Gaylen Ross (Creepshow) is decent as Fran, she is frustratingly subdued for much of the film. 

Dawn is an Italian and U.S. co-production. Romero couldn’t find enough funding to make a sequel to Night as soon as he wanted to, but director Dario Argento was a fan and decided to help with the production of a second film. Apparently the two directors became close friends and Argento’s involvement meant that Romero could make the film he wanted without too much studio interference. It also meant that Romero had complete control over the English-language/American release, while Argento had control of the European cut. Argento’s friends Goblin did the memorable score, which is represented in varying degrees based on which version you watch. There are actually five different cuts of the film: the 119 minute European/Argento cut, the 127 minute US theatrical release, the 128 minute DVD version, a 139 minute extended version, and the 156 minute “Final Cut.” The three most important of these are included in the Ultimate Edition DVD box set, which comes highly recommended and with a number of great special features. 

Dawn of the Dead in general comes with a very high recommendation. While I’ve grown to prefer Day of the Dead, Dawn is fun, fast paced, and entertaining. It remains one of my favorite zombie films and is still a breath of fresh air compared to recent tired zombie films and television shows like the awful Dawn of the Dead remake or The Walking Dead, which I will die happy if I never have to hear about again. Dawn of the Dead was followed by Day of the Dead (1985), Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2007), and Survival of the Dead (2009). 

KNIGHTRIDERS

George A. Romero, 1981
Starring: Ed Harris, Tom Savini, Gary Lahti, Patricia Tallman

Not to be confused with the ‘80s TV show starring David Hasselhoff, George Romero’s sadly neglected cult epic Knightriders has finally seen the light of day, coming to Blu-ray from Arrow Films on April 22nd. Written and directed by Romero and filmed in his beloved Pittsburgh, this is one of his few non-horror films and, as a result, has been ignored by genre loyalists too long. Knightriders relates the winding, iconic tale of King Arthur and his court by way of a late ‘70s motorcycle gang whose primary form of employment is performing in a traveling Renaissance fair, starring Ed Harris in his first major film role.

Billy (Harris) is the leader of a renaissance-obsessed motorcycle gang who entertains at renaissance festivals by jousting on their bikes. Billy, or King William as he is known, struggles with living up to his Arthurian ideals and realistically running a troupe whilst providing for everyone at the same time. A promoter looks to represent them, going against Billy’s ideals, but attracts some of his group. After making a number of bad decisions, Billy’s main rival, Morgan (Tom Savini), attempts to take the gang away from him by forcing members to chose between Billy’s romantic idealism and Morgan’s lucrative practicality.

This dreamy, mythic, and very personal film is an acquired taste, but the odd cast of characters will likely appeal to cult fans. In addition to Harris and Savini, author Steven King makes an appearance, as does Romero regular Ken Foree. Though the film runs long at almost two hours, Knightriders is an interesting look at the faded idealism of the late ‘70s and will delight many genre fans because it is essentially a combination of Excalibur and other fantasy films and more melodramatic biker stories akin to Sons of Anarchy. As with Anarchy, the central figure of Knightriders is a man in a Shakespearean struggle to find a place in his world, and though he is the leader, his intense idealism always leaves him longing for something more.

Billy is a difficult, ultimately tragic figure, but Harris fittingly carries this compelling yet imperfect film on his shoulders. Knightriders is mostly only successful when Harris is on screen, as when he is not the central focus, the film suffers from too many superfluous characters and side plots. Though the group dynamic can be interesting, the financial woes of a band of outlaws are really just not that compelling. There is a surprisingly well-handled side story about a gay character accepting his sexuality and coming out, but the featured women are almost offensively one-dimensional. Savini, an actor in his own right, is fortunately at his best here and provides an excellent counterpoint to Harris.

Presented in an aspect ration of 1.84:1, the film looks absolutely beautiful, and Arrow has a done a great job with their restoration, which is a 1080p transfer encoded with MPEG-4 AVC. Although there is some mild evidence of aging, the color of the film looks particularly vivid and wonderful for an outdoorsy, warm-toned film. Arrow, as usual, doesn’t seem to have done a heavy-handed job of correcting the image, and I suspect here it looks the best and most organic that it ever will. This release definitely blows the original Anchor Bay DVD release out of the water. The English LPCM 2.0 is the only audio track available, but it is lossless and sounds fantastic. The action sequences are clear, dialogue is clean, and the soundtrack from Donald Rubinstein sounds robust, but well mixed. Arrow has also included optional English SDH subtitles for the film.

There are a number of great extras that really make this release the essential Knightriders. There is a wonderful commentary track featuring George Romero, Tom Savini, John Amplas and Christine Romero. Also included are a series of lengthy interviews: Ed Harris speaks about his first starring role, Tom Savini discusses his role as the rival Morgan, and actress Patricia Tallman relates her experiences on the set. Further included is the theatrical trailer and TV spots. As with most of Arrow’s releases, the original artwork is available on a reversible sleeve and the collector’s booklet has some nice writing on the film from critic Brad Stevens, an interview with Donald Rubinstein, and an archival interview with Romero, as well as still and posters.

Even though it might not be a complete success, this is totally unique entry in Romero’s catalogue is a compelling filmmaking experiment. Knightriders is not a film for everyone, but fans of Romero or late ‘70s/early ‘80s cult cinema will want to check it out. No, this is not a classic Romero horror film, but, alongside the also-undervalued Martin, Knightriders is likely the director’s most personal and emotional work. It comes recommended and is one of my favorite of his films. Anyone into motorcycle-themed films will also find a lot to enjoy here. The Arrow release is region 2/B Blu-ray and DVD dual format edition, so it is only playable those with multi-region DVD or Blu-ray players.