Meurtres en sous-sol

A psychotic Vietnam vet named Dagget (Ron Spencer) is killing people in the sewer system under Indianapolis, Indiana. He taunts and eventually kills his former commanding officer Ed Chambers (Jack O'Hara), a fellow "tunnel rat" in 'Nam who he believes left him there to die. Not finished with his revenge, Dagget kidnaps the girlfriend of Ed's half-Vietnamese son Ricky (Ian Borger) and forces the kid to play a game of cat-and-mouse under the city.

When it comes to Indiana lensed action features, this is no Terror Squad (1988). But then again, what is? This was the second feature from director Dean Crow, who previously gave us the backwoods thriller called, uh, Backwoods (1987). You always have high hopes a regional film can succeed, but this one is just kind of there. The film's biggest asset is the location of Pogue's Run, the underwater creek/tunnel system beneath the city. But this ain't no C. H. U. D. (1984). The acting is pretty hammy, the styles and songs are very '80s, and the script feature one of the dumbest bits I've seen in a loooong time. While in the sewer, Ricky finds his dad is still alive (police misidentified the blown up body). Anyway, he says to his dad, "We need to get you out of here." But the dad replies, "I've already left. I went home and got you supplies." So you left safely and didn't go to the police? Okaaaaaay. At least you brought back a big arsenal of guns and knives, right? Nah, he brought the son's collection of darts, fireworks and boomboxes! Yes, he dragged like 5 or 6 big boomboxes into the sewers. You know, so they can annoy the psycho by playing Hendrix's National Anthem (that really happens). The dad then hides in a hole in the wall while the son fights for his life for 25 minutes. Uh, thanks, Dad?

Well, it would stink as all the main action is set in the sewer tunnels. Good job this film wasn't in 'smell-0-vision' or something similar.

The story itself is very pedestrian and the type of thing we have seen many times before and done better. An embittered man plots revenge on an ex-colleague. In this instance it's an ex-Viet Nam vet who kills sewer workers to bring in our hero who he blames for leaving him for dead in the jungle.

It sounds very familiar, doesn't it? And might have worked as an episode of some TV series like the 'A-Team' but not as a full length film. Even at a fairly short running time of 82 minutes, it still feels heavily padded out. It doesn't help that the director has no sense of pacing at all, far too many overlong lingering scene shots when the action should have moved on.

There's also the cringe-worthy soft rock, sub-Pat Benetar '80's music which acts as the soundtrack throughout the film. And also as the crux of the film when the hero's son uses ghetto-blasters playing the music in the sewers to distract the villain. When he shoots up the players, you can't help been on his side in that instance.

All in all, a pretty dull film which rumbles to it's predictable conclusion long after the viewer has lost any interest.

Although I'm not of the same mind of those that declare that this is the worst movie ever made (we all have seen way worse than this), I do agree that this movie is really bad nevertheless. The amount of stupid things and situations per minute is countless. Specially the resolution of the movie which implicates the use of lots of boombaps (that our hero has for some reason displayed all around his bedroom) and a handful of fireworks; The acting, although not terrible, can come off as a bit forced and hammy. And the villain is too cartoonish to take him seriously. Also the pacing of the movie is one of its biggest flaws, as the action is never allowed to flow naturally and is constantly getting interrupted.

Still, I came here for my good portion of '80sness and I got served: From the clothes, the hairdos, the corny 80's music, the cheesiness (the dance of Rick from his girlfriend's car to his house is too harsh to handle, mind you. And it lasts for almost the whole song), so I won't complain. Final rating: 4 out of 10 (one extra point for the cool artwork). This one is hard to give it a pass, even by my standards, sorry.