Ten Dead Men

Ross Boyask & Phil Hobden have created, in this movie, a work so awful that it is utterly compelling.

If you remember the dreadful photo stories from the girly teen comics of the 80's, (so brilliantly parodied in UK adult comic Viz) then imagine a moving picture version with violence, and you will be most of the way toward understanding the feel and presentation of this film.

The storyline itself, is a poor version of The Crow, without all the coolness of course, and without the exceptional feeling of empathy for the main character. Where The Crow had dark, brooding, Gothic brilliance, with a classic and memorable score, this movie failed at everything... except at being bad, that is. If revenge story lines were drinks, The Crow would be a fine vintage Champagne, whereas 10 Dead Men would be p*ss flavoured water.

Where it fails in the storyline department, it fails equally as spectacularly in the action genre department. The fight scenes are patently contrived and badly executed, and the gore effects brilliantly poor.

The acting itself is so appallingly bad, that the viewer is forced to consider the possibility that Boyask abandoned the traditional auditioning route, and instead opted for the less orthodox method of approaching likely looking characters in bars, and asking them if they wanted to be in his movie. Seriously, the acting is so bad, that at times even the walking looks strained and put-on.

Doug Bradley's narration seals the deal. It comes across as a badly written afterthought; an addition to the moving picture storyboard. It's almost as if the director realised that the acting talent within the cast pool was utterly incapable of putting the rather tired storyline across, and threw it in as a necessary evil. The movie is however, all the better for it.

And therein lies the brilliance in this movie. It is so unintentionally bad, that it compels you to keep watching, right up to the rather predictable and clichéd ending. One needs to look to the deliberately awful genius of Peter Jackson's 1987 movie "Bad Taste" to see this sort of dreadful. Where movies deliberately made this bad miss the mark of awful by the very act of trying to be such, this movie succeeds in spades entirely by accident... It is that which makes this movie worth watching.

I would have loved to have given this movie a 10 vote, if for no other reason than the maker's sheer lack of shame for releasing it. In the end, I gave it one star, because awful REALLY IS the best description for it... and that's why you should watch it.

Inspired by the DIY initiative of Robert Rodriguez and the hard-hitting but playful style of Quentin Tarantino, Ten Dead Men is passionate genre film-making and despite some weaknesses it's well worth a look.

One of a growing number of British action movies, Ross Boyask's follow-up to 2004's Left for Dead revisits many familiar themes but shows a great deal of maturity. Left for Dead was dense with action but was easily forgotten, but there's something about this film that lingers.

Made for genre fans by genre fans, Ten Dead Men has much in common with equally gritty British action flicks such as Underground and The Silencer, as well as the likes of Ultimate Force, a vehicle for UFC fighter Mirko Cro-Cop Filipovic.

Brendan Carr stars as Ryan, a reformed gangster whose darkside is reawakened when he returns, apparently from the dead, to avenge the murder of his girlfriend. It's a good set-up and the supernatural element is commendably underplayed.

Carr seems a little young to play the role but gives it his all. Like Arnie in The Terminator or Kurt Russell in Soldier, Ryan is almost entirely a physical presence, a force of nature. His lack of dialogue keeps the viewer unsettled and he's impossible to relate to. But that seems to be the point.

Aside from the action the most notable feature of Boyask's film is the use of voice-over. The contribution of fan favourite Doug Bradley is this film's greatest asset and unfortunately it's also the biggest weakness. As The Narrator, Bradley explains the story and speaks for the hero, but this is intrusive and seemingly added only to give cohesion to some of the more throwaway sequences. Bradley's voice too often distracts. Unfortunately it's an interesting idea that only highlights shortcomings in the structure and execution of the story.

That criticism aside there's much to praise. Boyask's bold non-linear approach is intriguing and there are an inventive variety of shots, which compensate for an overuse of freeze frame and fade to black devices. Aside from the diverse camera-work, the Cage Rage and speedboat sequences add some nice production value. Plus, you can't help but be amused by the incongruous presence of Lee from one-time pop sensations Steps.

Most importantly this is an action movie and Ross Boyask delivers some solid action with the help of experienced Hong Kong stuntman/action director Jude Poyer. His quick edits get maximum impact from some brutal martial arts action and stunts. Standout set-pieces take place in a garage and a derelict house, as the plot builds steadily in intensity toward a satisfying climactic duel with Transporter 3, Dead or Alive and Black Mask 2 heavy Silvio Simac.

Shot on digital video, a format popular not only with budget-conscious filmmakers but also the likes of Michael Mann and Mike Figgis, Ten Dead Men is best described as art-house action. A restless and fragmented experience with some memorable moments that may disappoint those expecting Hollywood production quality but will entertain and intrigue those with an interest in action films and independent film-making.

This is by far the worst British film I have ever seen. An absolute disgrace to my eyes, ears and general well being. Its suppose to be a 'action thriller' but turned out to be the unintentional 'Comedy of the year'. Me and my mates had a right good laugh at this tripe. God knows where we stumbled upon this steaming pile of dog toffee but it was soon discarded from my presence. I hate it that much it has a special place in my heart. We watched it several times and even viewed the 'making of', what a top laugh that was. I was tortured with the theme tune, little quotes and reminders of scenes to this day. All in all the term 'hate from the pit of my stomach' is thrown around too much these days but Ten Dead Men really fits the bill. The cast and crew should be ashamed of what they have done and let loose on the unsuspecting public. Ten men took Ryans life way. Ten men had to pay. Including Brendan Carr, Lee Latchford Evans, Terry Stone and that idiot 'the Projects Manager'.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

This is absolute tripe!! Terrible acting by most, if not all of the cast. I watched this for about half an hour thinking it couldn't get any worse....but it did. I only watched it because Terry Stone is in it and I thought Rise of the Footsoldier was excellent. Avoid this film....it is 90 minutes of your life you won't be able to get back. BAD BAD BAD BAD. I do wonder what people think of when they are making garbage like this? Do they honestly think this is a good piece of film making? I would love to hear what the director/producer have to say about it. It makes it into my all time worst 5 films. It is years since I saw something as bad as this. I love this type of film but this one falls way short on so many levels. The acting is rubbish, the sound is rubbish, the directing is rubbish.....and did I mention the acting???

I could only get about 3 minutes into this video. Most of the reason for this is because it is, in fact, a video and not a film. This is an important distinguishing feature, because the use of a video camera here has made the piece look amateurish despite some decent camera work and far above average editing. Everything is there to make this a mediocre film... except the film. A better camera and an actual professional sound crew would have made this video something worthy of the video rental vending machine I got it from. Unless you are a film student and want to view this from the point of view of a director/ editor, then I strongly recommend that you avoid spending any money on this at all.