VFW

First, here we have a non pretentious movie with a great cast and 80's style gore-action. Second, looks like the director was inspired by movies like From Dusk Till Dawn or Hobo with a shotgun and Carpenter's Vampires. Last, I really appreciate the effort of creating something decent here and in some ways it accomplished. To add, decent performances and great 80's stylish music. So, overall a great B-movie entertainment.

With "Bliss", Joe Begos shot right up to the top of my favorite horror directors, and "VFW" continues his wildly fun reign successfully. While it's not without its faults, "VFW" raises true grindhouse hell, soaked in neon, coated in the grainy 16mm aesthetic, full of gory delights & led by a truly amazing, in-for-it-all veteran cast. What else could a man want?

"VFW" is a much too rare type of movie in our era, which is not saying much, it being universally acknowledged as an 80's throwback midnight flick, but we need more movies like this. I do. "VFW" is highly and undeniably entertaining from start to finish, full of splatterhouse action, practical FX mayhem, various kills and thrills - all the goodies a horror fan needs. The real attraction, however, is the movie's core cast, the 80's stars in an 80's kind of movie. Stephen Lang, Fred Williamson, Martin Kove, William Sadler and more provide snappy, relatable and just plain awesome characters having fun together and killing punks. A simple siege scenario, a classic good guys vs. bad guys idea, no twists, just a straight-forward, easily digestible fun. From a critical point of view, "VFW" lacks depth, feels a little disposable, has a high enough predictability factor & doesn't have all that much to say, but, frankly, throughout the 90 minutes, I couldn't care less. The script by Brallier and McArdle doesn't always hit the spot, not the entirety of the grizzled, old-school me-and-the-boys dialogues come off as organic & the narrative is shallow enough, but Joe Begos knows exactly how to treat it. Taking "VFW" on its own terms, nothing can go wrong, it's kinda like a grindhouse-indie "The Expendables", just cooler and with a lot more sauce.

"VFW", however flawed, will (and has) find its place in the heart of genre fans for it can't really fail, only in the hands of those who despise violence, old-school shenanigans & everything's that awesome. Joe Begos is, without a doubt, one of the best directors working the indie scene right now & I'm eager to hear what's next in store for us. My rating: 7/10

Joe Begos is quickly becoming my absolut favorite indie director. Coming off his fantastic down n' dirty vampire flick Bliss, he is now back with his take on the classic siege film, doused in his trademarks of excessive gore, synth/metal score and neon lights.

The overall story is the very definition of simplicity and works all the better for it. It truly feels like a movie from a bygone Era populated with rugged old-times battling leatherclad junk peddlers to the blood spattered end.

If you love movies like Carpenter' Assault on Precinct 13/Escape from New York, I'm confident you'll find something here to your liking.

Hope you enjoy it.

VFW is a low budget grindhouse actioner in the style of the 70's and 80's. This is a siege flick in the vein of John Carpenter's Assault On Presinct 13. Steve Lang heads an ensemble cast of old school bad ass actors that includes some of my favorites including William Sadler, Fred Williamson, David Patrick Kelly and Martin Kove. The cast had a great rapport and chemistry and must survive the night at the VFW against an hoard of drug addicts. These old timer war vets take out the trash in a brutal violent matter. The film looks really grainy with bad lighting to sometimes make it difficult to tell what is going on. But for a Gonzo cheapazoid action flick this gets the job done for some gory and trashy entertainment.

I really enjoyed this movie. It reminded me of Peter Jackson's and Sam Raimi's early work. It feels like a total appreciation for anything "John Carpenter".

The gore is *chefs kiss*, the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard for a while, electro-bass pumping during the action. It's a great fun move worth your time.