Trailer Terrors: Martin (1977)

He could be the boy next door...

I thought that I would end our Romero Week clubhouse contribution with a film that is, without question, Romero's finest cult classic outside of his "Dead" trilogy, Martin (1977).

For whatever reason it has been forgotten, Martin is a quintessential piece of cinema for any horror film to partake, but particularly those more inclined to vampire lore. Utilizing many of the same metaphorical social fears as his undead opus, Martin brilliantly deconstructs the vampire myth only to rebuild it into a modern day psychosis the blurs the line between reality as accepted by society as a whole and a reality based on certain individualized beliefs.

With an almost satirical intellectualism, the film begs the question of what truly defines vampirism: supernatural lore or the humanistic potential for sadism. Unlike today's "torture porn," however, Romero builds a definitive dread from the acts of his main character (Martin) as the story slowly crescendos into a cinematic allegory for human depravity that lurks within our subconscious, essentially denouncing the need for monsters to be anything other than men.

Though the film does have its flaws (most of which are a product of time, talent and money), it does not hinder the viewing experience enough to impeach itself from horrors hallowed halls. In fact many new genre fans and directors could (and most likely have) learn something from the deconstructive narrative that Martin so successfully employs and though the enlightened will realize in the end it is far more of a intellectual slasher film, I believe anyone would be hard-pressed not to feel as though they've seen a true vampire film.

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Trailer Terrors: Monkey Shines (1988)

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil...

Well, its now Day 2 of Romero Week and I've got another forgotten film from the maestro of zombie mayhem: Monkey Shines (1988).

As Romero's first major studio release Monkey Shines is a bittersweet swig of box office poison that had the unfortunate reputation of being his introductory effort for many non-genre film patrons. This is due in large part to the significant editing of the theatrical release by Orion, who clashed with Romero on more than one occasion (the other being 1993's The Dark Half, an adaptation of Stephen King). Despite this setback the film is still a solid effort on Romero's part, though its far from one of my favorites.

The plot centers on a quadriplegic named Allan (TV veteran Jason Beghe) and his agile assistant, a monkey named Ella who is donated by a mischievous genetic researcher named Jeff. Unbeknownst to both Allan and Ella, however, they have become pawns in Jeff's tangled web of scientific shenanigans. You see the two share a mental bond that grows stronger, not to mention more deadly, as their emotions become fused. Beyond its irrational premise, the film quickly erodes into an uneventful thriller affair. As with yesterday's entry, Bruiser, Monkey Shines is unquestionably a step above the uninspired remakes that currently plague Hollywood's horror halls, but is also an example of how the same system lambasts original ideas.

For more Romero Week features be sure to check out fellow participants: Fright Rags, Day of the Woman, Z For Zombies, and Radiation Scarred Reviews. For a complete list of participants and contest announcements, check out Freddy in Space.

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Trailer Terrors: Bruiser

Welcome to the first day of Romero Week, a new event put together by none other than that fright-fueled fiend Johnny Boots from Freddy in Space. Created to coincide with the upcoming release of George Romero's newest zombie flick, Survival of the Dead, Romero Week is a week long celebration of the director's greatest (and not so greatest) cinematic achievements.

Participants include Kristy Jett and Ben Scrivens from the kick-ass Fright Rags, BJ-C from Day of the Woman, Zach Shildwachter from Z For Zombies, and Bill Adcock from Radiation Scarred Reviews and include a smorgasbord of exclusive interviews and special features so be sure to visit each of the sites listed above throughout the week. For my part, Strange Kids Club will be tailoring its Trailer Terrors feature to dig up some of Romero's lesser known gruesome gems beginning with Bruiser (2000).

Released on the cusp of the new millenium, Bruiser is a different kind of Romero film whose focus is more mind-bending giallo than it is a straight up stalk n' slash thriller. A little of a slow burn, the film serves as a subtext for anti-aggressive repression that remains a familiar ingredient in many of today's news stories of spontaneous violence or terrorism. As Henry Creedlow, actor Jason Flemyng does a decent job at playing an inverted PR agent who is constantly humiliated in every aspect of his life. As you can imagine this constant verbal abuse chips away at Creedlow until one morning he awakes a completely new man... sort of.

Rather he awakes with no identity at all, a stark white mask in place of his once sullen face, Creedlow has mysteriously been granted a new lease on life and he's hellbent and making this one count. The film only gets more twisted as the story progresses and even offers a few disquieting laughs thanks to actor Peter Stormare as the Creedlow's deviantly malevolent Milo Styles. It's definitely a much quieter selection by Romero (sharing much more in common with Martin that is often overlooked in favor of his zombie epic, but one that exemplifies the director's diversity. Totally worth a rental.

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