Wampyr

Writer-director George Romero delves into the world of modern vampirism...or does he? I am not real sure, but he does examine the life of a young man(says he is over eighty...is he?)that certainly thinks he is a vampire but has no fangs or claws but needs to use razor blades and needles to drug his victims. Is he a real vampire in the modern sense, or is he the product of societal, family and sexual repression and inner anger. Apparently there are family members that believe he is a "nosferatu," most notably his Uncle Cuda, played strongly by Lincoln Maazel, but Crosses, garlic, and the sun do not affect Martin. Martin tells his Uncle that the magic is all gone...what does that mean really? Martin is a strange, weirdly poetic, disturbing film. John Amplas does an outstanding job playing the ..whatever he is. I felt little sympathy for him but thought he was very evil in his madness and sickness. The rest of the cast is very adequate...although all unknowns for the most part except for Romero regular Tom Savini in a bit part. Romero's wife and father-in-law even have roles and to top that George Romero plays a priest(which he does quite nicely). Made on a small budget, Martin shows us the decay of city-life and briefly focusses on the young moving away to the suburbs. The movie is indeed slow at times, but the murder scenes are well executed(no pun intended) and create a great deal of suspense.

Between seminal 'zombie' flicks "Night of the Living Dead", and the follow-up, "Dawn of the Dead", George A. Romero created two of the most overlooked horror movies, not only of the 1970's, but maybe of all time. Four years after the socio-political horror of "The Crazies", he returned with "Martin", a vampire film like no other before or since.

Romero's intelligent movie turns on its head all the things associated with the genre, and presents us with a modern day story of addiction, sexuality, and obsession. Martin is your average gawky teenager, a little boy lost in a chaotic world, with an insatiable appetite for human blood. But, where previously that vampiric bloodlust is a sign of great sexual prowess, and overpowering self-importance, here it is a curse. Martin's world is one of unfulfilled desire and confusion. He is ostracised from family, with few friends - his only confidante is the faceless radio talkshow host - and our sympathies are with him throughout. His attacks are fuelled not by pleasure, but more by a fruitless search for intimacy with his victims, who aren't picked off indiscriminately by uncontrollable urges, but rather chosen. When he finally finds 'the sex thing', his need for blood is overcome. Although gruesome and calculated, his attacks aren't excessively violent, and the opening scene is perfectly written to repulse and reprieve in equal measure. What initially appears to be a brutal rape, is twisted by Romero into an almost tender love scene between attacker and victim.

With brilliant use of locations, and nondescript atmosphere, "Martin" is a horror movie that both disturbs and intrigues. The performances are erratic, and Maazel is way too OTT, spouting "Nosferatu!!" all histrionics and melodrama. But Amplas, as Martin, is genuinely affecting, and steeped in pathos. Unflinchingly original, a horror movie with gore, but plenty of brains to go with it.

"martin" is one of the most intelligent, restrained, subtle and yet effective horror films i've ever seen. romero really pulls it off with this radical variation on the traditional vampire theme. martin is a young boy who is either mentally ill or an ancient victim of that terrible disease known as vampirism, and what i love about it is that romero deliberately makes it ambiguous. most people who have seen this movie simply assume that martin's flashbacks are not flashbacks at all, but deranged fantasies or the delusions of a mentally abnormal individual. i believe this is clearly a mistake, and that either position is equally legitimate. in any case, as regards the need for blood, it does not really matter if martin is a mythical monster or a deranged sicko, since either way he takes many lives by the end of this film. he is not, however, a monster, and we even get the impression that this is a very sensitive, sweet, introverted kid who is suffering from either a pathological mental disorder or something even more ominous. remember how horrible it was being a teenager? well, don't be so quick to pity yourself;martin has to deal with all the insecurities of a young kid on top of being aware that he may be an ancient vampire, doomed to solitude and isolation by his need for the nourishment of blood and his oddly inverted disposition. this is actually one of the only successful and truly effective attempts at a blend of horror and satire that i've ever seen, although i would still be slow to encourage directors to dabble in that confused genre, since the result is usually an ineffectual, mediocre movie. the atmosphere and surreal scenes in this one are at times genuinely touching, because they reveal martin's insatiable lust for blood but at the same time cause us to feel pity for him because he has (or he believes) that he has been persecuted by the uncomprehending majority for centuries. he has an affair with a somewhat pathetic and lonely middle aged neighbor who finally seduces him successfully after many failed attempts, and this ultimately leads to his downfall in an ironic twist which should not be told to the viewer in advance, although the movie would still be more than worth watching even if he or she did know. this little known gem is also unusually substantive for a horror film, as all of romero's are, and in this one he seems to be taking shots at our ludicrous superstitions and assumption that man is the and all and be all of all things, and so believes he is attacked by supernatural evil when in reality his beliefs are absurd and entirely unfounded. a true ego deflation and a genuinely touching horror movie, "martin" is a must for lovers of film.

Night of the Living Dead(1968) and Dawn of the Dead(1978) are the director's famous films and most beloved by leigons of horror fans around the globe. However, in this writer's humble opinion Martin(1977) is the best film the director has done in his career for a couple of good reasons. At the forefront is a complex protagonist who is a sexually confused young man that believes he's a vampire. Also, the acting and the direction are low key and sombre. Finally, the ways that the director plays againsts the cliches atributed to vampires which makes this film a pleasure to observe. Martin behaves in the manners of a vampire because its what society expects of him. So if Cuda believes his nephew is a vampire then according to Martin it must be true. Uses a first person voice over narrative that's in the same vein as Hatchet for the Honeymoon(1969), and Maniac(1980).

An early film Tom Savini worked on before he became famous among the horror community. The makeup effects are very good for a film of its budget. Opening moment in train may have been inspired by the opening sequence in Hatchet for the Honeymoon(1969). Covers sexual frustration and confusion with more human depth than a previous Romero film called Season of the Witch(1975). The black and white flashback sequences I feel were part of an alternate story in order to compare past and present. After all, the director did do a 3 Hour black and white version which unfortuately was stolen from him(thus, the black and white scenes are leftovers of a different film). I would love to see the 3 hour version come to frutiation because of the added depth new scenes might give to character and story. Martin(1977) is an underrated horror classic of the 1970s that is a change of fresh air because its not with the usual vampire elements.

Over the years George A. Romero has created a number of landmark horror films for the genre. This modern 'vampire' flick ranks among his very best films!

Shy teenager, who believes himself to be a century old vampire, comes to live with his superstitious old cousin in Pittsburgh.

Romero's Martin is a truly unique, one of a kind psychological thriller. It is a memorable journey from its disturbing opening sequence to its chilling conclusion. Martin, like most of Romero's classics, is a film with plenty of social commentary and believable characters. The driving force behind the films premise is the question of whether or not our title character really is a vampire. Martin has no fangs, no fear of the sun, in fact he actually uses razors and syringes to seize his victims. Yet, Martin has memories of an attack that apparently he did ages ago and his elderly cousin fully believes his young relative to be an evil creature. Romero throws out all of the old fashion vampire conventions for this symbolic clashing of the ways. Romero's direction is, as always, very nicely done with plenty of suspense, atmosphere, and gruesome moments. Romero makes this drama stylishly operatic and adds an occasional moment of dark humor. The haunting music score also adds greatly to the atmosphere.

The cast is excellent, but it's star John Amplas who really drives this show. Attractive youth Amplas is a greatly sympathetic character, even as he is the films monster and hero all at once.

A film unlike any other of the horror genre, Martin remains a terrific low-budget masterpiece that is as hauntingly effective today as ever.

**** out of ****