Review by Adam Stephen Kelly
Stars John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel, Christine Forrest, Elyane Nadeau, Tom Savini | Written by George A. Romero
UK Certification 18 | UK RRP £15.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 103 minutes | Directed by George A. Romero
When you think of George A. Romero, you instantly think of his Dead series. Rightfully so, of course, as those films are the stuff of legend, but his filmography is far from limited to just those zombie flicks. And with Martin, Romero swaps the blood and guts for a character study, but keeps a being with a lust for blood at the heart of the story, though not of the undead, but a creature of the night.
Even over thirty years later, Martin is still every bit as refreshing and engaging as it would have been at the time of its release. Despite the countless vampire films in existence, watching Martin for the very first time and in 2010 is an experience of invention. Romero didn't just think outside the box when he wrote the script, he crafted something that is, to this day, unique. We may have vampire movies these days that are charged with romance, like The Twilight Saga, Let the Right One In, and its forthcoming American remake Let Me In, but my above statement still holds completely true.
Martin follows a young man, the title character, as he moves to Pennsylvania to live with his cousin, an older man who has it nailed into his head that Martin is a vampire. The man himself believes this to be the case, and feeds off of the living, though is never shown to have any hidden fangs, nor is he affected by exposure to sunlight, garlic or crucifixes. Is Martin really Nosferatu like his cousin keeps telling him? This is the dilemma, and one which makes Martin a film that will have you asking questions once it's finished, having not given you any answers, but that's part of its delight as a horror film.
Martin features a brilliant cast, including an excellent debut performance by John Amplas as the troubled title character, a young Tom Savini in a few scenes, before he was the special effects God we know him as today, Christine Forrest, who would later marry Romero from 1981 to this year, and even the master of horror himself in a small role as, would you believe it, a priest. And he does a fine job!
Not only is the film George Romero's favourite that he's ever made, but it's a testament to his ability to not just be gifted as a film-maker who can deliver on gore and intelligent satire, but psychology and suspense. Flashbacks are often misused by clumsy film-makers, but Romero inserts them into his film fantastically, not to tell long portions of the story erroneously, but to mirror reality in quick, literal flashes of the past. As opposed to boring, they're unhinging and force you to be on edge. Nothing is quite what it seems in a film where you try your best to understand the main character, who I would call somewhat of an antihero. It's a thought-provoking film and something unexpected from the early career of the bespectacled living legend.
EXTRAS ★★★★★ Disc 1 features options for both widescreen and fullscreen presentation of the film, complete with 5.1 surround sound and an audio commentary by George A. Romero, Tom Savini and two actors. Disc 2 contains the full Italian cut of the film, titled “Wampyr”, which includes a score by Goblin, the band who grew to iconic status for their work with horror and giallo maestro Dario Argento (one of Romero's best friends and colleagues). The disc also contains a making of feature, a documentary on Romero, photo gallery, the US trailer, a TV spot and two radio ads. Aside from the content on the discs, the set is packaged inside a slipcase and the actual DVD box is literally bursting as it's so stuffed full. Inside you'll find “An Introduction to Martin”: a booklet written by George Romero, six postcards with international art designs, and a double-sided poster for the film. Oh, and the box art contains four designs on two sides, so you can choose which you prefer. An excellent package that goes to show, yet again, that Arrow Video are the best in the world for cult movie releases.