WOZ inOZ

Dreary French/Italian production plods along in the South of France finding Bronson as an ex-army con on the run trying to make a new life for himself after dumping his army associates at the prison gates. Surprise, surprise, they turn up soon enough looking for some payback lead by James Mason looking and sounding rather stayed with an American Southern drawl. Bronson reels this one in on auto drive playing the usual tough guy he's played a hundred times before, but seems way out of his depth outside of the fleeting action scenes, and uncomfortably wooden especially beside Liv Ullman playing his naive wife. Bronson not surprisingly relaxes more by his (off screen) wife Jill Ireland who also plays a pathetic stereo typical 'wild child.'

From a dull start, this film continues to amble on even when Mason and his henchman show, it is only when Bronson has to fight off a ticking clock both in the story and the film's evaporating running time does 'Cold Sweat' come alive, with an obligatory but none the less well executed car chase. After Bronson ditches the car 'Cold Sweat' reverts back to it's predictable proceedings and inevitable conclusion, resulting in a regrettably thin Bronson vehicle, all the more surprising considering it was based on a Richard Matheson story and directed by Terence Young, of early Bond films such as 'Dr No' and 'Thunderball.'

Peter Jackson's humble beginnings are open for all to see in the quirky comedy sci-fi/horror of the aptly named Bad Taste. The ultra-cheap budget is equally apparent, with a small cast which looks more like a gathering of some of the directors mates (which is probably not so far from the truth) however Jackson's creative and technical talents make this project a whole lot more enjoyable than the script points towards.

The story of a heavily disguised alien party being rumbled by a secret government task force with some very dubious recruits is kept simple but crammed with plenty of set pieces, dollops of gore, physical gags and some off-kilter jokes.

Peter Jackson's talents as a director were already beginning to flourish with his work here, and his hands on approach to film making from the creation of gun props from metal stampings to choreographing a two people fight sequence with one actor, have put together an original entertaining piece of schlock.

While the over the top make-up effects and surreal humour (what the hell was that car with the Beatles driving all about?) may not be everyone's cup of tea, Fangoria fans and struggling film students alike will find Bad Taste inspiring, proving lack of funds can be overcome by a little ingenuity and a little imagination.

Bertrand Tavernier's tale of a critically ill woman hounded by a television network for its popular show 'Deathwatch' could be looked back in 1980 as almost a premonition in these times of reality TV and their popularity with today's viewing public.

A strong cast portrays a simple, if at times ponderous story dealing the acceptance of death and those out to prosper from it, with Harvey Keitel putting in a passionate driving performance as the TV company's 'virtual camera', a point in the film which adds a certain element of fantasy to the whole proceedings, along with vague decrepit industrial towns and eerie bays as the backdrop for the main characters to drift through. However, despite strong performances all round, the journey the film takes never seems to reach a definitive destination, rather slows, bogs down and then finally stops, and despite keeping the viewer intrigued throughout never seems to deliver anything more than the inevitable.

There is no doubt 'Deathwatch' is an original, eerie and at times beautiful film but one that does not necessarily make sense, just like Max von Sydow's eloquent line in the film that 'Events that have no significance like the flight of a bird, do not have to mean something.'