Tears of the Black Tiger is one of those films that works so hard to entertain you, it is hard not to enjoy immensely, if only for its sheer exuberance.

The story is simple. Dum, the Black Tiger, is the best shot there is. He works for a ragtag group of mercenaries lead by Fai, whose motto is, "If you're against Fai, you die". When they capture the captain of the military group trying to shut them down, Dum has to choose between his allegiance to his men or honouring the wish of his old flame, Rumpooey, who is engaged to the captain. That's about it really, but the story is not the reason to watch this film. Its main appeal lies in its style.

Shot with the tone of a Western but in the style and colours of Thai theatre, it is beautiful to watch and often hilarious in its tongue-in-cheek over-the-topness. Shootouts are frequent and bloody, yet wholly unrealistic. Yet they are never intended to be. The opening sequence sets the tone perfectly. As Dum and his colleague raid the hideout of traitors to Fai, the film plays a particularly extravagant stunt twice, offering the title card "Did you get that? If not, we'll show it again!" in the middle, playing the same sequence in more detail.

The set design and colouring of the film is exaggerated and lush, all deep reds and greens. There are frequent musical interludes, but not in the Bollywood style, rather songs which explain the emotional state of certain characters, the high point being the main love song - ridiculously over-sentimental - and the cowboy-esque Bonanza-style riding song, a country and western inspired, cheery melody about loneliness.

The five main characters - Dum, Rumpooey, Kumjorn, Fai and Mahesuan - are wonderful. Dum is all emotionless precision and repressed feelings, a man of action who hides his deep-down longing for his former love. Rumpooey, the love interest, is quietly hilarious in that she just never seems to do anything, a knowing side-swipe to cheap melodrama of the 50's. Kumjorn is the dashing, slightly pompous good guy that you don't want to win, but don't want to die either. The two best though, are Fai, a classic machine gun and vest bad guy who has the films funniest shot in his first shootout - look out for it, its quite subtle - and Mahesuan, Dum's right-hand man, who has the best evil laugh EVER, using it whenever he gets the chance, also one half of an inspired shootout or two. His duel in the first half hour is also one of the funniest shots for any film fan.

It is a very violent film, but the kind of violence that is truly comic-book, overly-red blood (think cheap hammer horror), taken to a level of exaggeration which rather than making you gag, just makes you wince and laugh. And that is the point. Some people have said that is just terrible, but it is knowingly terrible. It is never attempting to be anything like high art. And in its badness, it is often beautiful and brilliant.

The only niggle is that it has a tendency to slow down a little in its lingering, slow shots, but never for more than a couple of minutes in what is only an hour and a half of mickey-taking, action packed hilarity.

Good looks, good sets, good idea, great fun. 10/10

Sackley


Version: Thai audio, English subtitles (by SBS)

There's something quite awesome about a movie that's advertised as a musical western that turns out to be a musical western in which the cowboys carry rocket launchers and wear very colourful shirts. Awesome.

In the rather colourful countryside of the rather colourful modern Thailand, a gang of horse-riding, machine-gun toting, Thai cowboys led the by the colourfully villainous Fai (Sombat Metanee). Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan), also known as the Black Tiger, is a member of Fai's gang, and obviously the fastest shot in all the (colourful) land. Dum is competing with fellow gangster Mahesuan the police captain Kumjorn for the affections of Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi), so naturally this leads to shootouts, exploding brains, and lots of evil laughs. How awesome.

'Tears of the Black Tiger' seems to be a combination of elements from 'Once Upon a Time in the West' and the 'The Quick and the Dead', only with a lot more comedy and melodrama. And colour. At times it may resemble 'Once Upon a Time in the the West', and then go into Sam Raimi mode during an action sequence, and then go into long scenes developing the melodramatic and colourful love story. Have I mentioned the colour yet? This one colourful movie, and will often induce a visual overload of pinkness. Is that even a word?

'Tears of the Black Tiger' can go from melodramatic romance scenes, to the cheap violence that you might expect from Sam Raim or an early Peter Jackson movie (read: 'exploding heads') very quickly. I'm pretty sure this film could set a record in that department. Its a funny movie, and the action scenes are generally very exciting. I'm also convinced that the creators of this film took on a bet to discover just how much of the colour pink can be displayed in one movie. I never knew pink-shirted cowboys could be so tough.

'Tears of the Black Tiger' is generally entertaining. I thought it was a little long, but I think most people should enjoy this - 8/10


Tears of the Black Tiger is certainly a unique cinematic experience; part western, part comedy and part tragic melodrama, this Thai movie is perfect for those looking for an alternative to predictable Hollywood pap.

Dum is the handsome hero of the film, a member of the notorious Black Tiger bandits and a crack shot with a six shooter. Rumpoey is the love of his life, who has agreed to marry Dum; despite their class differences, she has arranged to elope with him. When Dum misses his rendezvous with Rumpoey (due to being caught in a gun battle), she is heartbroken and, under pressure from her father, accepts a proposal of marriage from Police Captain Kumjorn.

In a battle between the police and the bandits, Captain Kumjorn is taken prisoner; Dum is given the job of killing the policeman. As a last request, Kumjorn asks that Dum informs his fiancée of his fate and produces a photograph of his wife-to-be. On recognising Rumpoey's picture, Dum frees Kumjorn, but in doing so, he puts his own life on the line...

Stylish, funny and occasionally completely off-the-wall, Tears of the Black Tiger is an affectionate homage to Thai movies of yesteryear and Hollywood westerns. It is a strange mix, but it works. Only an occasional lull in pace stops this from being a wholly successful film, but don't let that put you off from watching itthe positives far outweigh the negatives.

Heavily stylised scenes and surreal imagery combine with over-saturated hues to produce a most aesthetically pleasing film; the look is reminiscent of musicals from the 50s whilst the occasional moments of graphic ultra-violence could be straight out of a Tarantino movie. Each character is perfectly cast and the comic-book approach taken by the actors in the realisation of their roles complements the overall style of the film.

Tears of the Black Tiger is a fun film that is destined to become a cult favourite amongst fans of bizarre cinema (and may even improve on repeat viewings, as with most cult movies).


Now where on earth did this movie come from? Why was there no warning? Shouldn't we have seen it coming somehow? Like PISTOL OPERA, TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER boldly paints itself across the screen in bold bright colours as if to say to the rest of the movie making world "Are you so fresh out of ideas already?". Unlike PO though, TOTBT is not just utterly removed from filmic convention - it's just in utterly the wrong time and place.

The movie is basically a 1950's Hollywood Western/Melodrama... made in 21st Century Thailand (and with tongue firmly in cheek). The clothes, the hairstyles, the sets, the camerawork, the soundtrack, the acting, the script... all spot on for 50's America. The movie has even been bizarrely colourised in a way reminiscent of very early colour film stock, but obviously done digitally and deliberately, with an eye to the exact shifting of colours that best suits each shot. Hues are shifted to colours the world is not meant to be, and saturation is selectively ramped up to 1000 to create lurid pinks and shocking yellows and an absolutely unique look to the film. It looks weird, but fantastic.

TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER has two major advantages over PISTOL OPERA. Firstly, they remembered to include a story. And it's a really good one... a melodrama in the finest tradition, featuring love and loss and friendship and rivalry and hatred and sorrow and jealousy and heroism and good and evil and all the finest things in life. The script is very well thought out, full of lots of details that are woven together in a way that keeps you on your toes.

The mood is definitely spoof, and absolutely pitch perfect. I haven't laughed out loud so much since SHAOLIN SOCCER, yet secretly really caring about what was going to happen to the characters. Acting is as over the top as the soundtrack, in permanent crescendo, delivered with a straight face and sincerity that would make the most melancholy of viewers at least giggle a bit.

I enjoyed this movie so much - so utterly out of nowhere, inexplicable, funny, sweet, moving,... where did these ideas come from? It all fits together and makes so much sense you think perhaps the idea was obvious all along, but I'm pretty sure that it was in exactly one persons head ever before he put it on film. And then there are few curveballs that are *definitely* ideas of an insane but brilliant mind .

Very highly recommended!


Actually I caught this movie on TV as I was about to go to bed, and

it grabbed me immediately. Sure, it's parody and genre, but it's

other things too. It is visually eye-grabbing for a start. The odd

candy colors are partly reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and The

King and I, but the total effect is disorientating, colder, more high

pitched: its clashing colors dominated by the piercing fuschia red,

but sometimes slanting off towards yellows, or sepias and soft

blues. In European terms it's like seeing the paintings of

Pontormo and Bronzino - a Mannerist palette on film. There is, I

imagine a lot of filtering and digital enhancement here. It's

self-conscious but no more so than any consistent vision has to

be. So the color comes first.

Immediately, you are pitched in an alternative reality of westerns

(Sergio Leone mixed with Zorro) and romances, but comic as the

'western' scenes are, these are not merely 'cool' parodies. The

style everywhere refers to memory, of period, of genre: if it is irony it

is a strange poignant irony in the service of poetry. The palette

changes with the genre, as does the framing. Parts of it are

presented as scenes in theaters.

The story is simple enough but acute in its balance of belief and

distance. It makes sense as an adult take on the feel of childhood.

I thought it marvelously original, funny and alarming. Oh far far far

better than the vastly cerebral Greenaway whose work might make

a reasonable aesthetic analogy.


After his father was killed a young man named Dum joins a group of bandits who dress up cowboys and roam the countryside of Thailand. After joining them he soon has made a name for himself as the fasted gun in the east and which he is known as the Black Tiger. But in the back of his mind is a childhood sweetheart that grew up in the upper class of society and despite Dum coming from a poor family they decided to meet at a particular place to reunite. Though, Dum gets caught up in gunfight and misses the chance to be with his loved one. So because of that she is married off to a policeman, but this doesn't stop Dum from trying to get in contact with her, even if something always gets in between them.

Wow! Did someone splash some sort of painting on the screen? What a feast for the eyes, but the substance was clearly drowned out by the vibrant plateau of ultra-bright colours and by also the deviously campy style the director opted out for. These visuals just leap off the screen and were more than impressive. Sadly because of the style being the film's main strong hold, the story had to fall by the wayside, really. It's simple, but not always as compelling to that of what's happening in the background. It's one of those films when style is everything. Even the spoof element foreshadows the plot. Closer attention in building something stronger in the plot could have made this a more perfect viewing.

This Thai film is filled with many, that's MANY homage's from the western genre, especially that off Leone's spaghetti westerns. All of this is blended in with formulaic clichés and a romantic twist about fate. This tragic love story isn't particularly new, but the way they interwoven the eastern culture with the western. There are enough unpredictable patterns drawn up. The storyline isn't a linear one, because we explore into our protagonist's past midway through the flick, looking at why he became an outlaw and how important this girl has been in his life. While the opening and ending scenes are set in the present time. Actually, I was kind of confused about the whole setting, but I found out it's set in the modern times, but the outlaws are just dressed up as cowboys. Basically the film goes out of its way to blind us with it's weirdness and zestful context, but amongst all of this it mixes elements of Thai traditions to that of Hollywood successfully to give us a laugh and create some excitement along the way.

The production follows that of the early spaghetti westerns filming techniques. These things range from sharp editing, to the kinetic and circulating camera-work. The quick pans always seem to have a mind of its own. The pulsating score splashes out a variety of eastern, but also western themes. Even one of Ennio Morricone's themes from "The Good, the bad and the Ugly" is continuously given a spin. *Hmm* the score actually seems to be on a loop. The way the film looks it does come across like a stage show and the pacing is somewhat up and down. Although when it gets into Western extravaganza with the wild shootouts and loud explosions it's simply eye catching with the amount flair and wham-bang awe that's generated. These moment are filled with arty images, but they let the red paint spill out gratuitously. They do go over-the-top at times, like its been ripped out of a comic book. That can go to the final stand off, which has some panache about it and ends rather nasty. All I got to say is Ouch! That's gotta hurt! I kept asking myself if I was watching a cartoon and that's definitely because of the look, but also the performances. These characters were beyond cheesy, and all had massive egos, well except for the two leads that were kinda flat. Those outlaws with their colourful outfits and sinister laughter were just ridiculously hilarious! I just love how it found something to take the mickey out of. Everything about the film is well equipped with it being snazzy and polished up. Replacing the grit and rawness found in most spaghetti westerns, by keeping in the mode of the technicolour Hollywood westerns. Oh, well.

It's no more but a terribly cheesy parody (and a decent one too) with steroid pumping visuals. But a definite warning as this film is not for everyone. If you enjoyed the offbeat "The Happiness of the Katakuris" (2001) you might find something to like here.


I've borrowed this DVD from the library twice before, but never had the chance to watch it, until now. The appeal is actually to see some of Thai director Wisit Sasanatieng's past works, before his up and coming made-in-Singapore flick called Armful. And I've heard some good things about this movie too.

The story combines two different genres into one, the first being a cowboy western, (set in Thailand no less!) and the usual star-crossed lover romance. Perhaps the novelty of the first genre type is having Thai folks dress up as cowboys, riding on their steed and somehow, becoming the villains as they plunder and kill. Yup, they're not the good guys, against the usual stereotype. Here, the cowboys are bandits, and the good folks are naturally, the cops.

But amongst all the bad hats (pardon the pun), there's always the hero who's forced by circumstances to join the group. Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan), also known as the notorious Black Tiger, renowned fastest and deadliest draw in all of Thailand, has a childhood sweetheart in Rumpoey (Sttella Malucchi). However, their difference in status (he's the son of a servant, while she, the daughter of the governor) meant that it's a forbidden romance to begin with. Knowing his place in her world, he could only admire from afar, becoming her protector, shielding her from harm (like numerous approaches by lechers and bandits).

A man gotta do what a man gotta do, and during one of his missions, he failed to meet up with Rumpoey presumably to elope, while she took it as a sign that he didn't want to. Like Romeo and Juliet, she's betrothed to Kumjorn (Arawat Ruangyuth), a police captain captured by Dum's notorious gangster boss Fai (Sombat Metanee). And like all star crossed lovers whose lives are played by Fate, these events start to spin and take on a life of its own, changing the course of our characters lives forever.

It's a beautifully shot movie, with plenty of pastel colours draping the sets, which at times make you cringe and beg for it to stop. As if to complement its saccharine sweet and sentimental love story, it elevates the movie to a surreal dream like level. The action sequences can be quite cheesy, with the reminiscence of old spaghetti cowboy western gun fights. But the best bits about the film, are the songs. I don't understand Thai, but even if without the subtitles interpreting the lyrics, I thought that they were beautiful enough to accentuate scenes in the movie.

Perhaps my only gripe about the movie in this version of the DVD, is that the bloody violence had been censored, depriving me the bloody glee of watching the Black Tiger dispatch his opponents with his accuracy. There were scenes where footsoldiers bled by the bucketloads of ketchup, but the crucial one-on-ones were totally censored, and you wouldn't know the nitty gritty details of the death. Truly marred my enjoyment of the movie. What gives?

Code 3 DVD contains some extras, like Extracts from the Book - Black Tiger's Philosophy and Rumpoey's Guilt, explaining a bit more about the lead characters, Insights into the Film Aesthetic takes a look at the Sala Raw Nang, or "Awaiting the Maiden", the quintessential Thai shelter, and how Rattana Pestonji (indie Thai filmmaker) had influenced the set design, especially the colours. The extras is topped off with a one static screen Director's Inspiration, and the list of awards which this film has won.


TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER (Fah Talai Jone)

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Sound format: Stereo

Driven apart by class differences, young lovers (Chartchai Ngamsan and Stella Malucchi) are forced to take a stand against the treachery and villainy of those around them.

Ultra-stylized debut by director Wisit Sasanatieng which uses exaggerated colors, painted backdrops and silent-era acting styles in the service of an ultra-melodramatic plot, embroidered by lavish camera-work and explosions of graphic violence. The over-arching campness of the entire enterprise (including an intense emotional 'bond' between the handsome hero and his equally handsome nemesis, Arawat Ruangvuth) suggests a gay sensibility run riot, making this one of the Queerest 'straight' movies of recent years! Oddly, though set in present day Thailand, the characters dress and behave like cowboys, which - if nothing else - allows Sasanatieng to reference his favorite films and filmmakers (most notably the works of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah), and the director's bold visual assurance prevents the whole thing from sliding into obscurity. There's a number of surprising plot developments during the film's second half, but the narrative is almost wholly subservient to the filmmakers' technical skills. Not for all tastes, this was the first Thai film to play in competition at Cannes.

(Thai dialogue)


There has always been something rather absurd about the cult of the Hollywood western. The spaghetti Westerns of thirty years ago gave new life to a tired genre - and now we have the first Thai Western, a big improvement on Hollywood's efforts.

Wisit Sananatieng's film is wonderful entertainment. It takes the Western conventions and pushes them to the edge of parody. The gunfights are exciting, the film's central poor-boy/rich-girl love story is genuinely moving, and the harmonica-playing hero comes straight from the classic Gene Autry tradition.

To cap it all, the film is shot in the most marvellous saturated colours, so that it is at times breath-takingly beautiful. And some features unknown in Westerns - such as the lake with lotus blossoms, the pagoda and the rainy season - add to the film's visual beauty. In short, a film not to be missed.


"Tears of the Black Tiger" may be like any other film you've seen. It's a love story, it's a western, at least a Thai western, and it's got incredibly violent bloodshed at times that's almost cartoon-like in its excessiveness.

"Dum" is a young peasant boy who has fallen in love with a rich girl from the city named Rumpoey. When they're out in a boat they run afoul of some bullies & Rumpoey almost drowns when the boat is overturned but "Dum" saves her & brings her back to where her father is staying, and he's whipped severely for his transgression, by his father.

And now, in the future, which appears to be the 50's, maybe,it's hard to pinpoint a time-frame in this film, Rumpoey has been promised to Kumjoorn, a police captain, and yet she does not love him.

"Dum" has found his father killed by bandits, and he is out for revenge and is almost killed, but he's taken in by rival bandits (who I guess, are cowboys, Thai-style, that is), and he becomes known as the Black Tiger.

And so on. Of course, you know that "Dum" still loves Rumpoey, and she still loves him, but they're worlds apart.

This is a very interesting take on the old-style western. It's either given a Thai spin or it's done out of ignorance of what a "real" western is supposed to be like. Some of the cowboy outfits look like something a child would wear in the 50's or 60's. There's even a segment where the film takes us "back in time" (only 10 years) to where the film plays out like an old silent movie, complete with jerky movements & jumps in the picture, like there were sprockets missing from the film. And, when was the last time you saw cowboys become "blood brothers" by cutting themselves, dripping their blood into whiskey, and getting rip-roaring drunk in front of a statue of Buddha? Probably not recently.

And then, the colors. I felt like at times, I was about to be overwhelmed by the intensity of the colors of this film. At times, it's beautiful, and at other times, it's almost hallucinatory. The music in the soundtrack is sort of a Thai spin on old western themes, sounding very western but very eastern at the same time.

There are times where this movie does go a bit slowly, but that's a minor complaint. This is a rather fascinating experiment in transplanting a genre that's rather American into a country that has none of that sort of history in its culture (as far as I know), and it does work rather well, but does come off a bit odd, to say the least.

A fun film, a weird film, and possible influences seem to be Guy Maddin & John Waters, so if you're up for a strange western with surreal sets and Thai actors, well, give it a shot, it's pretty strange but also rather astounding. 8 out of 10.


"Tears of the Black Tiger" is apparently a post-modern homage / parody to 1960s Thai westerns. I generally hate this kind of ironic parody film making, but I definitely enjoyed this film. It may be because I had no idea that Thailand made western films in the 1960s, let alone seen any of them, that this film proved rather effective. It isn't perfect, but its such a colorful, entertaining, and above all unique and strange film that its difficult to dislike.

Part of the reason why it works so well is that the storyline and characters are reasonably involving. Its not extremely well developed, but has a sense of romanticism which, like Douglas Sirk at his best, is involving despite being campy. The film is pure style over substance, but the style is so engaging I really didn't mind too much. The acting is pretty good as well, despite the fact that the characters don't carry a whole lot of weight.

This brings me to the one thing that prevented me from loving the film. Mentioned earlier, this is a post-modern parody. The set designs were so colorful and dreamlike, plus the story was actually involving, the constant bits of ironic humor really got on my nerves. I really wish the filmmakers had been more sincere with the material, because the winking at the camera prevents one from being truly lost in the dreamlike style. I may be missing the point completely here (again, I am not familiar at all with the movies this pays tribute to, so I'm not sure if the originals were the same way). However, the movie is very enjoyable and certainly different that I found it worthwhile, despite not being as great as it could've been. (7/10)


Westerns have never really been my cup of tea, I usually feel bored or I just turn them off. However, this Thai western was awesome. There's a good amount of comedy, heart and violence. I never thought I'd be seeing a western from Thailand, but maybe that's what made it better for me. This one is big time fun.

The filming and camera work both seem very amateurish and it takes away from the experience a bit, which is the reason I didn't give this movie a 9. The acting is a little iffy at times but good for the most part. Everything else is great, the comedy, the romance and most of all, the bloody violence!

See it now or I'll come to your house!


"Tears of the Black Tiger" is a stylistic hybrid that brings together the cinematic excesses of Douglas Sirk and Sergio Leone, with a smattering of Quentin Tarrentino. The storyline and dialogue are strictly from hunger, but the voice-over narration can be hauntingly beautiful. It involves a poor boy who falls in love with the governor's daughter. They are separated in childhood and then reunited as adults. In the meantime, the girl has become engaged to a policeman, and the boy has linked up with a band of outlaws and is now known as the Black Tiger. His male-bonding with one of the outlaws is reminiscent of the Monty Clift/Arthur Kennedy relationship in "Red River." It's all very clichéd and yet strikingly original (I half expected a Brokeback angle). The music is folkish, the colors pastel, and the violence over the top. But somehow it makes an impression; this is a film that will continue to haunt me.


I vote 10 out of 10. Film was great I enjoyed all of watching time. I have watched more than 5 times and whenever i think of my resemblance with character Dum. He lived alone all his life without love and only thinking Rumpey helped him worth of living. Also I had that feeling in my life that everything hasn't be happy and so this film make me felt so emotions (laughing, a little bit crying) that's for me best film ever. Directors makes films to people so they can really enjoy it and Sasaientag did it to me. Also touching soundtrack helped show the emotions if the characters. So best film ever for me I suggest to watch it at least 1 time very enjoyable!


Harvey Weinstein famously used to buy up foreign films and then would refuse to distribute them to American theaters, thus reducing competition in the arthouses for the films he actually decided to release. Tears of the Black Tiger was one of those films. Now Magnolia Films got it away from him and has it available. It's a Thai Western, with some of the weirdest and wildest production design to be seen. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to that amazing trailer that played the art-house circuit back in January. While it certainly is a lot of fun in parts, the pacing is poor and the story gets so bogged down in romantic melodrama that at times it's downright boring. Still, those fun parts make it worth sitting through. When the Sergio Leone-esquire violence begins, it's always entertaining. And it has a couple of the best movie deaths ever.


No matter what title you want to issue it, this giddy western (eastern?) from Thailand is one to seek out if you like your entertainment loopy & left of centre. The film seems to have several over lapping plots, and probably twice as many sub plots. Don't let this throw you from having a fun time (just don't approach this with the same seriousness as you would approach a Merchant/Ivory production). The film features a top notch crackerjack cast of Thai actors (none of which I've ever heard of,but anyone with a knowledge of Thai cinema will probably go gog-ma-gog over their personal favourites). I especially admired the visual texture of the film, employing a palate of over saturated colour, giving it a look of classic Technicolor (as Hollywood & Europe used in the 1940's,until the old IB Technicolor process was pretty much phased out in the late 1970's). If you like your soundtrack music on the schmaltzy side, the music in this film will be right up your alley (if you've ever heard Thai pop music,you'll know exactly what I mean). Check your IQ at the door, sit back,relax & bask in (just under)two hours of Asian cinematic goofiness (i.e. have fun).


My experience with movies from Thailand have mostly been in the form of Tony Jaa and several movies by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Last Life in the Universe, 6ixtynin9, and Transistor Love Story). Most people would probably just recognize the former and thus miss out on some unique creations. One such creation is Tears of the Black Tiger. To sum this movie up in one sentence : A Love Triangle, with the protagonist being a good guy by nature, but becoming bad by circumstance.

It is hard to describe or categorize this movie, because it crosses over so many categories. At its core it is mainly a western, but not a "realistic" western (for example, Open Range or Unforgiven). Think more of an early John Wayne kind of western, but stylized to the nth degree (like in a spaghetti western) and taking place in Thailand. It is part homage and seemingly part parody of the stereotypical behavior in a western. I am not sure if the satire is intentional but it is definitely in the style of the classic western, albeit on 10 cups coffee. It is also anachronistic, as there are cars available yet most use horses. There is gun play, like in a western, but the addition of sub-machine guns and rocket launchers to the mix is what makes it parodic (along with the over-the-top acting and romantic melodrama).

The movie uses stunning natural vistas along with theatrical-like set pieces, full screen closeups, contrasting vivid color, exaggerated facial expressions, unique camera angles, unexpected non-period weaponry and over-the-top acting. There is also a musical element to the movie. The soundtrack is mostly sung, but is quite catchy. You may find yourself humming or tapping your feet/finger. The above fore-mentioned elements is where this movie excels. The action sequences are violent and stylized (a nice touch with the gravity-defying blood). It is the what makes this movie unique and was gives it life.

The romantic melodrama is the part that drags this movie down. At 110 minutes running time, it is at least 20 minutes too long. Most of that is monotonous, sappy, melodramatic and out-dated material related to the unrequited love story. For similarities, think of the "melodrama" of lets say, Gone with the Wind. Sex is implied after a sunset hug. For me, two people deeply in love with each other that never kiss, does not make any sense nor seem like normal behavior. This might be normal for a movie made in 1930, but it is very, very dated in the 21st century. I do realize that the director was going for the homage to a period movie, however, he focuses too much on it. A little less focus on the "love story" would have made this movie a bit more enjoyable. After watching 1/2 a dozen or so Thai movies, I have realized one thing. Thai is not a very romantic sounding language. It particularly sounds worse when whining or screaming. It sounds more like Klingon than anything else. So if you can imaging Klingons doing a Romeo and Juliet parody, then you can pretty much imaging what the love story will sound like here.

Tony Jaa has taught me that a movie can be meaningless, convoluted to the point of incomprehensible, full of terrible acting and still be incredible enjoyable. If I am in a movie and I notice that my ass hurts or is numb, it means I am not engrossed into what is happening on the screen. That is unfortunately what happens during the non-action sequences of this movie. The love story drags you kicking and screaming from the nirvana of the action. I still recommend at least one viewing of this movie (I have seen it twice), although you may want to have some sort of medicine on hand. Also feel free to add your own dialog during the long, long, long dialog sequences, as the original may induce some sort of violent seizures.


"Tears of the Black Tiger" is a florid, mind-bending and highly cinematic parody of genres. East meets West and Sam Peckinpah meets Douglas Sirk in Wisit Sasanatieng's brilliant, highly stylized work.

In an outrageous palette of costumes, make-up, sets and colors (hot neons and cool pastels, some digitally manufactured), this is the tale of Rumpoey, a girl born into wealth, and her love for Dum, a peasant boy. As young adults, Dum (Thai heartthrob Chartchai Ngansam) joins a gun-slinging outlaw band known as The Tigers, while Rumpoey is betrothed to a slick, handsome police captain, Kumjorn.

Much of the film appears to be set in the early 1960s, though its outlaws are strictly of the American Wild West variety (albeit with hand-held rocket launchers). Imbued with a sense of great fun, "Tears of the Black Tiger" is camp, absurd, surreal, melodramatic and strangely poignant, served up in a sumptuous, candy-colored coating.


When I went to see that movie at a cinema a few years ago, I only heard that it was supposed to be good and hadn't read anything else about it. I was in for a treat! At first I wasn't sure if this movie was serious or if it was more like a spoof. That became pretty clear after a few minutes into the movie. It was meant to be funny, but that didn't mean that you didn't care about the characters. Quite the contrary was the case. Whenever you laughed with the characters, you began to like them a little more and more ... Which ultimately worked very good for the drama parts of the movie.

This movie walks a very thin line, between comedy and drama. But it never fails to deliver on both occasions. The movie breaks the illusion of being a movie very quickly, also. But that doesn't affect the drama. Although you can see painted backgrounds or back-screen projections in cars (latter are in black-and-white, the movie itself is in color) that doesn't distract.

The movie has rich colors which reminded me a little bit of Bollywood movies. That's without all the singing and dancing, so don't worry! ;o) If you like your movies a little off beat and weird, go out and watch this one! Don't forget: It's OK to laugh! :o)


"Tears of the black Tiger" is a one of a kind western from Thailand. In fact it's the only other film I have seen from Thailand besides "Last life in the Universe. Miramax owns the U.S rights to the film, but for some odd reason it was never released and continues to collect dust on their shelf. The film has a bright Technicolor style similar to "the Wizard of Oz" and Guy Maddin's "Careful". O.K., so take these bright surreal elements and add over the top Peckinpah / Pete Jackson style shoot outs, a romantic story and musical interludes. In other words, you're prepared for an experience that is out of this world.The best way to describe it is ... a hilarious and romantic candy colored spaghetti western with Asian cowboys and bloody shootouts. If you are searching for something completely different and original, you came to the right place.


Maybe it is because my expectations were too high that I'm a tad disappointed now I've finally seen it.

Of course I understand the tongue-in-cheek mood set for this movie. Indeed this is a funny movie, with some very interesting visual effects during gun fights these visual gags resemble similar ones from Sam Raimi's The Quick and the Dead. But by no means this is an archetype western like I read in one review (someone wrote that this movie was some kind of lesson on how to do westerns)

In a ranking of westerns in which John Ford's The Man who Shot Liberty Valance is 10/10, Sergio Leone's Once upon a Time in the West 9/10 Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch 8/10 Tears of the Black Tiger is 5/10 or at the very most maybe 6/10. On the other hand if you don't compare it to those summits, Tears of the Black Tiger deserves 7/10. Of course we don't need to compare this movie to those masterpieces mentioned above; I've only established the unjust comparison as a guide intended to help western-buffs to have a quick and overall idea of this movie)

Regarding the actors, the over-acting, operatic style chosen it doesn't seem to work always with all the actors. Regarding the saturated colors it is nothing more than that, they're not a feat of cinematography or post-production; those colors can be achieved very easily during color timing.

The songs are quite cool and the main actress is a not only beautiful but also she can act, the same can be said of the actor who plays the main male character, he's handsome and a good actor as well.

To conclude, this is a movie I recommend to see, not only because otherwise you'll never be able to boast you have seen a Thai western which is always a strange thing to see but also because is an entertaining movie with a couple of fine touches of comedy .


This is the first time I think I`ve seen Buddhist wild west gunslingers. The colour in this noodle western-cum black comedy are like a seriously bad acid trip and so is much of the story line. But this is probably one of the best send ups of the genre since blazing saddles. There are some potentially great karaoke sing-alongs in the soundtrack that are essentially Thai pop ballads with an old West feel (where can I get this soundtrack?). The violence is quite noteworthy and bloody and is grossly accentuated by the richness in the colour so that it almost seems characters spout bright red paint when they are shot. Altogether a unique cinema experience likely to remain a real cult classic


This is a film that use the form of the American Western in order to tell the impossible love story between Dum, The Black Tiger (Chatchai Ngamsan) and Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi) and do it quite well. Director, Wisit Sartsanatieg show that he has much knowledge about the Western and use it to the advantage of the film and the story. He shows the ability to tell a story confidently and has no problems in going back and forward in time while he is unfolding the love story of the 2 main characters.He also has an technical ability not forgetting any detail showed previously in the film.

The acting is good and though seem sometime artificially serve the film to the point. An added bonus is the design of the set which is deliberately camp and look artificially.

All in all a very enjoyable experience. Go and see it.


i LOVE this movie. it shows that it's alright to think outside of the box as long as you have passion to do it. some of the fighting scenes outstay their welcome, but over all the movie is fresh and full of ideas. i also understand why some westerners may think the movie is strange and don't fully understand all of it. it's just culture differences. just as i watch any other foreign film, i probably miss the slang, the meaning of the songs that link to the situation in the film, and the different way of life.


I like to think of myself as a man of letters, a verbose and eloquent commentator on cultural affairs and the like, but no words can prepare you for this indescribable movie. Let me say from the start that it is FANTASTIC... a tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet proportions, and yet utterly hilarious; a western, and yet set in fifties' Thailand; technically superb and yet filled with pastiches of movie cliches; tongue in cheek and yet very moving. It is the sound of one hand clapping louder than a football crowd. Beyond this, words fail... 10/10


This is a remarkably silly film. In a good way. It would probably make the best drinking game in the world. Drink when

*The maidan looks sorrowful *Anyone looks at a picture of their lost love *Anyone goes 'Ahhahahahaha. Ahahahahaha' *Anyone appears on camera with a dodgy moustache. *Anyone fires a ridiculous weapon (rocket launcher, 12 bore shotgun...) *Anything pink is in shot *Someone with a facial tic is in closeup. *The theme music is played. *Anyone dies/explodes/gets shot in a particularly amusing/gory way.

You would be as drunk as a newt within minutes. I laughed all the way through and had a thoroughly good time. If you like the work of Peter Jackson, or are a fan of the absurd and silly then waste no time and see this. If you aren't, you'll probably think as my friends did... Not a film to see again, but an interesting experience none the less.


What made this movie to Cann, and winning the Canadian film festival is, it bold production design, Very Brave to be difference, It also does capture and show beautiful scene though, While I was seeing this movie I just fell like I was in a real stage theater. How bold could it be with the burn yellow and sweetest pink comprised with quite a strange but nice music in the background?

It would be nice if they have done a more homework for the script. (I still feel missing something in the story line.)

Unfortunately it was brought to compare with last year CT-HT, I would prefer this movie rather than CT-HT,

I'm not a movie snob but if you have seen the a hundred of HK martial art movie you will realize that that CT-HT is SOOOO DARN ORDINARY with the cliché-ending scene, Chorography that actually no better than a HK B grade martial art movie, how slow is the story line And if you compare in term of budget wise. With so little money Tear of the Black Tiger' have spend, does give us some good remark in the film industry.

For me Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, (Sleepy Tiger Boring Dragon) is a real BOO-HOO,

Tear of the Black Tiger is something that catching my eye..


i agree with a lot of the previous reviews for this film although there are a number of points that i find myself forced to disagree with. but first off this is a fantastic visual film with primary colours leaping off the screen with a few nice touches of black and white in the background to add contrast.

the acting is, well it depends on how you look at acting. all of the actors played their parts well although they were all cartoon cutout characters. special mention must be made of the oh so evil hitman with his pencil thin mustache (which had a distressing tendency to not always be in quite the same place) and the leading lady who was rarely stretched from the demands of looking lovely whilst looking into the middle distance with a slight frown on her face. she does however, deserve some credit for always being able to find her co-actors as in seemingly every close up she tended to disappear in a fog the likes of which has rarely been seen outside of an episode of the original 'Star Trek' (you can almost hear the director imploring his cinematographer to 'add more vaseline to the lens!').

but where the film fails for me is that it wishes to both have its cake and eat it. it is very happy and indeed very good at playing fast and loose with many different styles of cinema (sergio leone western with rocket launchers?!??! or a plot that is strictly 50's US b-movie fodder with sam peckinpah gouts of blood and copious slow-mo's) but it wishes to be both funny and touching and sad at the same time. this was a film that was crying out for an ending that was in keeping with the rest of the film but instead we got a (very) bad copy of 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon'. now CTHD has been mentioned in an earlier review here and while i can (just) see that you can link the two, if nothing else it has opened up more main-stream audiences to subtitles, to compare them is really very, very pointless. this is a good joking film that never takes itself seriously except at the worst time, the end. CTHD was simply excellent.

but if you want some pure entertainment then this film really does deliver. if you are a movie snob like me, then sure you can look down on it. but there would be little point in that as you would only be missing the point of the sheer silliness and entertainment that this film delivers (i really did love the bit with the teeth though!)


You go see movies all the time hoping to be entertained, then something like this blows you away and makes all those evenings watching rubbish go away.

Cowboys with pencil drawn moustaches, grisly ultraviolence, corny romance and beautiful but very strange sets and cinematography.

Best of all, you can take your girl. She'll like the romance and you'll like the shoulder mounted missiles and Peckinpah (Can I spell that?) style squib bursts.


Inadvertently starting a riot at the Cannes Film Festival is probably not the best way to make friends and influence people but it certainly makes for an invigorating evening. It was in 2000 when I was there with a group of 'producers' trying to interest wheelers and dealers in a film project when we were suddenly 'adopted' by a television crew who attempted to use us as leverage to get themselves into the celebrity laden MTV party. Push quickly came to shove, the security Gestapo got irate and before we knew it, it was war! The fracas in question had, according to news reports, George Clooney and the All Saints cowering under tables. As chairs began to fly and the gendarmes got busy with the batons we escaped the mayhem and stood and watched it from across the rue unaware that there was another, more constructive, upheaval taking place on the Cote D'azure with the first ever entry from Thailand  Tears of the Black Tiger.

'Tiger' was about to herald in the so called 'Thai New Wave' challenging the dominance of Japan and Hong Kong as the prime movers and shakers of Asian cinema  and what an debut!

A lysergic western that tells the tale of a young man whose family is murdered and so joins up with a gang of bandits with vengeance on his mind. He soon builds a reputation earning him the name Black Tiger. His gang inevitability come into conflict with the local establishment, but when he discovers his childhood sweetheart is to marry a police captain he struggles to maintain peace between the gangs and the authorities but his efforts (much like our film project bid) quickly spiral into untold chaos.

Taking place between parallel dimensions of a colour-saturated Wild West and contemporary Bangkok, Tears of the Black Tiger is a moving 3D postcard of retro-camp kitsch, and because of this, the sudden explosions of (literally) teeth shattering violence are all the more outrageous. The term 'visual feast' seems made for director Wisit Sasanatieng's masterpiece as it takes 50's melodramas, Spaghetti Western's (or should that be Noodle Eastern's?) and Anime action and puts them through the wringer, resulting in a film that embraces as many conventions as it seems to demolish .

As my own attempts to storm the Bastille of the film industry have, to date, yielded little fruit, I appreciate all the more a film that appears to have flaunted all the rules and has no agenda but its own. 'Tears of the Black Tiger' is a brilliant example of revolt sans riot.


The Enforcer, whose French title is La femme à abattre, plays often to packed houses in Paris. More than one French critic has called the film a gem (un joyau) among film noir classics. Indeed, its popularity in France says lots about pure plot lines and straightforward characterizations which make the film accessible to non-English-speaking audiences. As many readers know, the French are crazy about American film noir, and it's common to see parents bring their children to see movies like The Enforcer. I recently sat next to such a family when the film played in March 2003 at the Grand Action cinéma in Paris. It was almost moving to hear the father explain to his son that they would be seeing a film which, in his words, is a classic with great insights in the American psyche. Hearing them speak made me wonder how many American families use films of decades past to teach their children about the world in which we live.

By the way, the three cinémas in the Action chain in Paris regularly play American films noirs and other classic American movies, many of them in newly restored versions.

Don Ediger


Dist. Atty. Martin Ferguson (Humphrey Bogart) has the chance of sending the criminal Albert Mendoza (Everett Sloane) to the electric chair. He depends on the testimony of Mendoza`s right arm Joseph Rico (Ted De Corsia). Rico is so scared that commits a mistake and dies. Ferguson passes all the case again and again trying to find a new evidence or witness. Through flashbacks, the viewer sees what has happened until the death of Rico. Today I have just watched this movie on cable television, since it has not been released on VHS or DVD in Brazil. I can not understand how the Brazilian distributors have not paid attention on this spectacular film noir. It is almost a masterpiece, and unfortunately my friends, who are also fans of movies, do not know this magnificent film. The story is very tight, and all the cast has an excellent performance, with another great direction of Raoul Walsh. The black & white photography is fantastic, with the use of shadows specially in the exterior scenes. It is funny how the title of this movie is changed, depending on the country (`Murder, Inc.', in UK, and `A Price For Each Crime' in my country). The fans of film noir and police story will certainly love this unknown jewel. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): `Um Preço Para Cada Crime' (`A Price For Each Crime')


Although the star of the film in terms of first billed in The Enforcer is Humphrey Bogart, the film's main character is Ted DeCorsia in what is probably his best screen performance.

Taking a lot of inspiration from Citizen Kane, District Attorney Humphrey Bogart and his two police investigators, Roy Roberts and King Donovan try and piece back together a case against Everette Sloane who has started a new racket, murder for profit. The chief witness is Ted DeCorsia who after an attempt on his life, falls to his death while trying to escape from a window.

After DeCorsia's demise the night before the trial was to commence, Bogart and Sloane start listening to hours of tape from several witnesses to see if they can salvage the case. Like Charles Foster Kane's life, the story of the racket is told in flashback through the tapes.

DeCorsia is the main character because all roads lead to him as the number two guy, but only he can finger Sloane. DeCorsia is seen as the frightened witness and also as the tough racketeer. It's almost two characters in the same film, but DeCorsia delivers on both.

Everette Sloane is one chillingly evil villain. He's decided to sell the services of killers to those who need them. To other racketeers and to outsiders as well. No motive, the police can't track down the ] perpetrators. The words of this racket, like 'contract' and 'hit' are all familiar terms now, but then it was something fairly new.

Bogart's function is like the reporter{s} who pieced together the life of Charles Foster Kane. It's essentially passive, he's one of the few people whoever played a District Attorney in films who never got a courtroom scene. But in the end, frantically trying to find and protect a crucial witness, he becomes quite proactive to say the least.

Of course this is all borrowed from the stories about Murder, Inc. and it was familiar to the movie going public. But The Enforcer is a really taut crime drama that never lets your interest flag.

It's so good that I can almost forgive a major plot flaw. Through some gross stupidity on Bogart's part, Sloane realizes there's a witness out there who can nail him and he takes appropriate steps. I can't see in real life how that could have happened.

Still The Enforcer is a personal favorite of mine for Humphrey Bogart films and I think you'll like it too although when you see it you will see what Bogey did that almost blew the whole case.


This little movie may not be any Maltese Falcon, but it's a more than decent post-Casablanca Bogie flick. Quite well done and worth your time. Supposedly Raoul Walsh directed much of it, uncredited. While I don't know if this is true, it would certainly explain why the film is so entertaining.


Literally one of the darkest of noir films, though not everyone's favorite it seems.

THE ENFORCER is criticized in several comments posted on IMDb in part for its portraying cops learning code words such as "hit" and "contract", for the first time.

The words are a minor springboard device which aren't crucial to the evidence. Eye-witness testimony is what the cops badly need to put the top man in the chair.

The historical context loosely linking the plot to Murder, Inc. hardly diminishes the ability of the film to hold up as an edgy crime suspense drama some 55 years later.

It's a movie with a great ensemble cast of character actors relishing the juicy dialog.

Of course viewers today aren't going to drop their jaws over the cinematic debut of words that have long since become common in the colloquial lexicon.

Especially when there are plenty of great lines in the film to enjoy, and even mimic over and over again:

Such as Ted De Corsia's "He ain't human!", "I gotta get-out-of-here!" and "You know what to use. Use it!"

And the meeting between the #1 man and his #2 man, whose repartee enriched with sinister gestures is well worth rediscovering:

Mendoza- "I've been worked over by some of the best, and you're just what I'm looking for." Rico -"What? You want some more?" Mendoza - "I can use a guy like you!"

Rico - "You must be nuts!" Mendoza - "I've still got a dime left. C'mon, I'll buy you a cup of coffee!"

Mendoza - "Someday you'll realize I'm a great man. I'll make you a rich man." Rico - "I must have kicked you in the head!"

Mendoza - "This is my first contract. I'm getting paid $500 for the hit." Rico - "You'll never have $500 as long as you live!"

My favorite shock scene is when a hit man realizes he's about to be "taken care of" by an old crony, he makes a desperate break for it into the night, letting out a blood-curdling scream.

THE ENFORCER is not presented as a bio or semi-documentary at all, really. There is no narration, no final moral. Bogey doesn't indirectly lecture the viewers, instead he's picking his own brain as Ferguson.

Though he's a dedicated lawman, Bogey's not playing a preachy reformer as did John McIntire (Police Commissioner Hardy), quite admirably to be sure, in the 1950 John Huston crime caper classic, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE.

ASPHALT JUNGLE and FORCE OF EVIL are also films with scenes of double-crosses and back- stabbing that I enjoy as much as THE ENFORCER.

Relentlessly grim, and for the most part original, THE ENFORCER stands on it's own.

The ending is a bit anti-climatic only because it wraps up so quickly after all the tension and flashbacks have reached the anticipated moment of the "pay-off", so I rate it a 9 out of 10.

I had no problem with the way the story unfolds as we are given pieces of the puzzle. The flashbacks get better and better so my advice is stick with it.

Underrated gem, deserving better than the reserved reviews and short shrift it often gets.

Zero Mostel, Everett Sloane, Ted De Corsia, Jack Lambert etc. all contribute what are perhaps among their best, if brief, performances on film,

TWO ICE-PICKS, WAY UP!


I've long been convinced that popular fiction and movies are true barometers of social history and The Enforcer tends to bear me out. What five-year-old child at any time in the last forty years would be unable to interpret 'contract' and 'hit' when encountered in the context of a thriller/noir/caper/gangster movie yet here, in 1951, both hard-bitten detectives and an Assistant District Attorney are as bemused as Hoosier tourists hearing Urdu for the first time whilst on vacation in the sub-Continent. For a few moments this tends to strain credulity when watching this in 2010 but we're soon wallowing in the great casting that tosses such disparate actors as Bob Steele, Zero Mostel, Everett Sloane, Roy Roberts, Ted de Corsica and Bogie into the mix. Bogie is, it must be said, strangely subdued as yet another D.A. -he had, after all, been playing them since Marked Woman, Knock On Any Door, etc - but even the multi flashbacks can't really spoil this good old-fashioned 'thick ear' entry.


"The Enforcer" is a gripping tale about an investigation into the activities of a crime syndicate boss and the efforts of an Assistant D.A. to bring him to justice. The criminal in question was the head of a group of contract killers who carried out murders to order and avoided detection because their operatives never had any connection with their victims and so there were never any known motives or obvious leads for the authorities to follow up in their investigations. This concept, although very familiar to audiences today, was something very topical at the time of the film's release and also a matter of great public interest.

In the period immediately before the release of "The Enforcer", Senate Committee hearings on organised crime were chaired by Senator Estes Kefauver. These hearings were given national television coverage during a period when the medium was very new to most viewers and the revelations about the pervasive nature of organised crime and the existence of the outfit known as "Murder Incorporated" attracted extremely large audiences. It was during these broadcasts that the general public first became aware of some of the jargon used by hired killers and "The Enforcer" is credited as being the first movie to feature the words "contract", "hit" and "fingerman" in this context.

After a four year investigation into the activities of crime boss Albert Mendoza (Everett Sloane), Assistant D.A. Martin Ferguson (Humphrey Bogart) has a witness who has agreed to testify that he saw Mendoza kill a man. When the witness, Joe Rico (Ted de Corsia), dies suddenly as the result of an accident, Ferguson and Police Captain Frank Nelson (Roy Roberts) undertake a meticulous review of their investigation to date to try to find another piece of information which could lead to them being able to get Mendoza convicted.

The case files confirm that the investigation started when a frantic young man called "Duke" Malloy (Lawrence Tolan) visited a police station and reported that he's been forced to kill his girlfriend. It transpired that he was a hired killer who'd fallen in love with his intended victim and when he'd initially refused to go through with the job, he'd been pressured by other gang members into completing the contract. The overwrought Malloy hanged himself in a police cell and the investigation that followed involved police officers in gathering information from a variety of people including Malloy's fellow gang members.

Ferguson and Nelson's review eventually brings to light the name of another person who would be a perfect witness but unfortunately Mendoza becomes aware of this person's identity at the same and this leads to a desperate race against time for the police to find the potential witness before Mendoza's men do.

The movie's structure is interesting as an account of the police investigation is given in flashback with the stories of each of the interviewees often constituting a flashback within a flashback. The action is delivered with a good deal of pace and tension and despite the story's closeness to real events, the movie's style is always entertaining and not overly solemn in the way that some docu-noirs can be.

The colourful collection of characters featured in "The Enforcer" are brought to life vividly by the excellent cast and Humphrey Bogart is especially good as a man who is extremely determined and powerfully focused on his task but is nevertheless also very controlled and methodical when necessary.


In 1960 there was a movie called Murder Inc., telling the story of that infamous organization. The book by that name actually came out in 1951 and also inspired this movie. Humphrey Bogart plays the Burton Turkus character, who was so successful in putting away many of the members of Murder Inc. and sending to the electric chair the only major mob boss ever to be executed, Louis (Lepke) Buchalter. Turkus was an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn who became known to the mob as Mr. Arsenic because of his incorruptibility and ability to convict organized crime figures. He was also referred to in the press as the only honest man in New York City, an exaggeration, but perhaps only a slight one. Even Turkus' old boss, William O'Dwyer, who rode Turkus' good work into election as the city's mayor, was later forced to resign among charges of massive corruption and mob connections. Everett Sloane is excellently cast as the brilliant, brutal Lepke like character, a small, slight, but terrifying man, who one policeman described as having the eyes of a doe.

The movie is wonderful in revealing to audiences of the day the machinations of the mob. We see that these are not men of honor, but in reality a society of hoodlums whose every move is motivated by a desire to enrich and empower themselves, and where the rule for bosses on the run is kill everyone, friend and foe alike, who could conceivably incriminate them. We also see how the mob, now concerned about electronic surveillance has come up with code words like contract and hit to confuse law enforcement.

Bogart's device of confronting the incarcerated Sloane with reminders of his victims almost backfires, but instead sets up the film's climax as it demonstrates the long reach possessed by crime chieftains even behind bars. And though seemingly all of his witnesses have been murdered or otherwise neutralized, we see a way for Bogart to eventually prosecute his protagonist.

One moment in the film that is simultaneously comic and chilling comes when Rico is on the way back from a murder. Riding in the back of a truck with the victim in a laundry cart that is nearby, Rico, who is the chief, looks at one of his subordinates, Vince, who is acting very nervously. Concerned about a possible weak link, he turns to Vince and says, "You know, I think there's room for you in the basket too." With that he casually kills the man, as the group of thugs just calmly continue on.

In real life Lepke does get executed along with two of his chief henchmen, Mendy Weiss and Louis Capone (no relation to Al). Loyal to the end both men chose the same final meal as the boss, a chicken dinner.


Humphrey Bogart plays a District Attorney who works closely with police detectives in the hopes of solving a series of violent murders. As the film progresses we learn that the murders were committed by a ring of assassins under the command of a devilish gang leader called Mendoza.

Directed by Bretaigne Windust, the film is told largely through flashbacks. Unfortunately Windust's direction is flat and uninspired, the film only coming alive during 3 action sequences, two of which were ghost directed by Raoul Walsh.

7/10  Decades of television cop shows and police procedurals have diluted any impact "The Enforcer" might have once had. Bogart turns in a solid performance, but the rest of the film is simply lacklustre. The film's finale is handled well though, and a basement gangland meeting is suitably ominous.

Note: The film is often classed as a "film noir". It is not.


Finally after lots of hard work, Assistant D.A. Martin Ferguson has a good case against Murder Inc big wig, Albert Mendoza. But while Mendoza is in jail, the man lined up to testify against him loses his nerve and falls to his death, thus leaving Ferguson little to no time to rebuild a case against the crime lord.

The Enforcer is based upon the whistle blowing of one Abe Reles. Who opened eyes up to an organised crime mob called Murder Inc. Fusing that period of history with the subsequent Kefauver Committee investigations that followed Reles reveals, The Enforcer is a tough and gritty picture that many view as the key switch from Noir into the grizzled crime obsessed 1950s. At the time of writing this i have yet to have it confirmed, but it's thought that this Bretaigne Windust directed picture is the first mainstream picture to deal with the complexities of organised crime?, certainly the dialogue is now common speak (courtesy of Martin Rackin (Riffraff (1947)), but back in 1951 it surely would have raised eyebrows and intrigued the watching public.

Excellently photographed in stark black and white by Robert Burks, who of course is well known to Hitchcock devotees, the picture positively seeps with an underworld vibe, perhaps even coming into the realms of being documentary in structure. Starring Humphrey Bogart {Ferguson}, Everett Sloane {Mendoza} and the excellent, and wonderfully named, Zero Mostel {Big Babe Lazich}, it's also thought that Raoul Walsh had quite a hand in the final product. This to my knowledge, is still unconfirmed, but when viewing the picture as a whole, it certainly boasts the feel of Walsh's better known pictures. Highly engrossing and a template movie of sorts, The Enforcer is definitely one to catch if at all possible. 7.5/10


In 1949, Humphrey Bogart starred as a prosecutor in KNOCK ON ANY DOOR. The movie, in my opinion, was pretty lousy, as Bogart was amazingly "touchy-feely" and the film complained about how society is to blame for young hoodlums. However, with THE ENFORCER, once again Bogey was a prosecutor but with a much harder and clearly Film Noir edge. Instead of crusading to understand why young punks kill, this prosecutor was concerned with unraveling an organized crime racket whose income came through contract killings--talk about a change!

The film begins with the only witness against the head of this organized crime ring practically crawling out of his skin because he's so worried about being killed before he can testify in court. Through an accident, he does die and the case against "Mr. Big" seems dead. So, Bogey and his assistant review the case from the beginning and then all the things leading up to the current prosecution are shown step-by-step. It's a nice way to see how the process works and it manages to be tense and entertaining throughout. Because of the great camera work, snappy dialog and gritty no-holds-barred approach, this is clearly a Noir film.

The only negative about the film, and it's a tiny one, is that while Bogart's character is the prosecutor, he sure acts like a police detective! No sane prosecutor is going to take such risks and go on cases to investigate, as that clearly was the job of the cops. Still, if you ignore this small detail, it makes for a very dandy and satisfying film. Oddly, while an excellent movie, it is probably among the actors least famous and recognized films.

Finally, get a load of Everett Sloane in the film. This unassuming character actor sure plays against type in this movie--and it was surprising to see him in the role of Mr. Mendoza.


Dire! This hard-boiled crime melodrama is about contract killing and it traces, rather naively I thought, the genesis of the whole enterprise and is said to be based on fact. It's distinguished slightly by the use of flashbacks within flashbacks and by some fine, moody cinematography by Robert Burks but, with the exception of Bogart, (and even he is playing well below par), it is appallingly acted. Still, sometimes a bad performance can be even more memorable than a good one and in this respect Ted De Corsia's 'Squealer' ends up stealing the film. On the other hand, both Zero Mostel and Everett Sloane probably reach a career nadir here. As for the direction of Bretaigne Windust, it's perfunctory at best. Inhabiting a vacuum somewhere between "The House on 42nd Street" and "The Phenix City Story", the film is neither fish nor fowl, (it's mostly foul). Missed opportunities all round.


Bogart may be the star, but it's De Corsia who supplies the vitality. The opening sequence remains a riveting case study in wild-eyed fear, as Rico (de Corsia) sweats a bucket load even though he's safely behind police walls. He's got good reason to sweat. The real life character that Rico appears based on, Abe "Kid Twist" Reles, ended up dead in police custody, somehow falling from a fifth story window before testifying against Murder Inc. How convenient.

This may not be the Warner Bros. of the 1930's, but it's still fast, tough, and unsentimental. And when killer Digger lets out a yelp knowing his turn has come, I was chilled to the bone and without need of fancy special effects. If the first 15 minutes amounts to paranoia run amok, the last amounts to suspense in spades as a cold-eyed killer stalks an unsuspecting girl along crowded city streets.

What a great cast of character parts-- plug-ugly psycho Jack Lambert all wrapped up in ice and apparently loving it; Fatso Zero Mostel auditioning as an assassin but serving as a kick-me doorstop instead; and a menacing Bob Steele brandishing a revolver instead of his usual six-gun, along with such familiar yet unsung faces as police chief Roy Roberts and detective King Donovan who gets an unscheduled face wash and without a towel. District attorney Bogart's good too, blending in nicely instead of trying to hog the screen as major stars sometimes do.

No romantic clinches here, just a chilling tale about an ambitious guy with a bright idea that can't be advertised in the Yellow Pages. Things get pretty complicated trying to fit the flashbacks into the unfolding events, but it all comes together in the end. Can't say I was impressed, however, by the key that unlocks the puzzle. Seems pretty far-fetched and certainly wouldn't work in these days of colorized contacts. Nonetheless, this is a surprisingly tense and uncompromised look at touchy subject that's since become familiar, but still merits a look-see.


In this tight and well made crime drama Bogart plays a district attorney with the same grip and conviction as he did earlier in numerous roles at the wrong side of the law. He duly demonstrates his usual witty tough guy image, but there is also much grace and warmth brought with age in his performance. This guy does not fool around. Everybody get just what their deserve and the job gets done, no matter what it takes. What makes these roles of Bogart so compelling is the way they project a certain strong image of the man without having to use much physical power over other people. Here he becomes once again an embodiment of a thinking man's tough guy. Notice in the final scene how he gives his orders and announcements from a music store, surrounded by saxophones, guitars and other instruments. It symbolically but clearly points to the ways he is capable of playing with people and circumstances and conduct the whole case towards the solution.

There is no monkey business in the movie either. The crime is presented as a well organized and business-likely lead incorporation for paid murders with even own undertakers on the gang's payroll. It's like a Dick Tracy story made as realistically as possible. An interesting group of criminals is created by a great cast, a pack of believable personalities. The plot moves swiftly through the showing of clear methods of the law enforcement with parts of the case getting unraveled by several flashbacks during the interrogations.

The style of photography successfully blends together almost documentary-like sharpness and traditional film noir aspects of heavy contrast and shadows. The darkness seems to hang above and around the criminals as well as the law men, the business being mutual in spite of the opposite sides. Moody and hard-boiled as ever the movie has no humor or romance and it generally avoids using the most obvious clichés of the classic crime movie genre.


You won't hear "The Enforcer" mentioned when it comes to Humphrey Bogart's body of famous work, but it's a very watchable mystery that pulls you in early, and keeps you interested with each new revelation. Bogie's character is Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson, who along with police pal Frank Nelson (Roy Roberts), unravels a murder for profit enterprise in a deftly told story with a clever twist that finally sinks the big fish behind it.

Like the Charlie Chan films of an earlier era, I found that keeping a scorecard for the colorful cast of characters is helpful to keep track of the action. You've got names like Big Babe, Philadelphia Tom, Smiley, Sad Eyes and Duke Molloy to keep track of, all as the story unfolds in a flashback within a flashback framework. One of the more interesting things for me in this 1950 film was it's explanation of the terms "contract" and "hit", obviously recent additions to the crime lexicon for it's day, though hardly unknown today.

The movie offers a lot of clichéd lines that were probably fresh at the time, take Ferguson's command to the paranoid Rico (Ted De Corsia) the day before he's set to testify against mob boss Mendoza (Everett Sloane) - "He'll die, he's got to die, and you're going to kill him." Though Rico dies in a fall while trying to escape from testifying, we later see him in a flashback scene recounting how he was present at Mendoza's first "hit" of a café owner. Apparently, Mendoza's murder for hire racket had quite a few customers; when Ferguson has the authorities dredge a swamp where a couple victims were expected to be found, they wound up with an evidence room table filled with the shoes of his victims. That was one of the credibility defying scenes that seemed a little over the top, even though done in understated fashion.

With only a few hours to find a way to put Mendoza away for good, Ferguson strains his memory for a possible clue that may have been largely ignored when Rico initially gave himself up. I think they had a song for it - "Don't it make your brown eyes blue".

If you can get your hands on this little gem, give it a try. One of Bogie's last films, it holds up well, even though certain elements mentioned earlier mark it as a period piece. For all that, it offers a capable cast that delivers it's story well, amid dingy interrogation rooms and sordid back alleys. Have fun!


Reminiscent of some of the '30s Bogart/Walsh collaborations, in style if not in pace, "The Enforcer" is a first-rate crime thriller, and even more of an accomplishment when you realize that Bogart is, to be honest, miscast. He's actually not particularly believable as a crusading district attorney out to bring down a ring of contract killers. Bogart's character is presented as more of a dogged, plodding but sharp bureaucrat (when was the last time you saw an "action" hero who wears a bow-tie?) than an intrepid, guns-blazing crimefighter; unfortunately, Bogart's persona is too strong for the former and he is, frankly, too old for the latter, and he seems just a tad lethargic throughout much of the film. That being said, and Bogart being Bogart, this is still a top-notch noir thriller, with some of the best character actors in the business (Ted DeCorsia, Roy Roberts, Jack Lambert, Bob Steele, Zero Mostel) filling out the cast, a dark, oppressive and somewhat claustrophobic tone, and some particularly--considering the time in which it was made--gruesome moments (the scene between sadistic hit-man Bob Steele and gang member Danny Dayton, when it slowly dawns on Dayton that *he* is the intended victim, will make your hair stand on end). Even taking into account Bogart's miscasting, this film is still a nail-biter with a surprising little plot twist near the end. Don't miss it.


A curiously flat fictional retelling of the rise and fall of Murder, Inc., with Bogart in the Tom Dewey role. Director Bretaigne Windust has done better work than this, and the star looks tired. He had been down the path too many times before, and his boredom was showing. A lot the movie consists of flashbacks, which are distracting. I wish it had been better written and tighter all around. There has yet to be a definitive movie on this topic. It has been tried many times. The supporting cast outshines the star in this one. Zero Mostel is very capable as the sweaty, nervous Big Babe Lazich, while Everett Sloan makes a dapper Mr. Big. The actor who wins top honors in my book is Ted De Corsia, whose strange combination of warmth and menace enables him to steal every scene he's in; and he steals the picture, too. One remembers him long after the movie is over.


"The Enforcer", whose US title should have remained "Murder, Inc." is a greatly underrated film noir. With all the praise heaped on Humphrey Bogart over the decades, it is surprising that more viewers do not know this film at all.

Perhaps the reason for the relative neglect of "The Enforcer" lies in its total lack of romantic interest. In Bogart's most popular work, he is usually paired with a well-liked female star. And in common with the contemporary "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" (starring James Cagney), there is a pervasive atmosphere of evil. More than half the film is shot in nearly pitch-dark interiors, creating a strong sense of claustrophobia and fatalism.

"The Enforcer" sets Bogart's detective Ferguson against one of the darkest and most amoral villains in the annals of noir. It isn't likely that Everett Sloane ever received his due for this brilliant characterization: his 'Mendoza' is so matter-of-fact, so chillingly calculated.

Told in a complex, but intelligible series of flashbacks, the film establishes a world where evil exerts an overwhelming influence. In the opening sequence, we see a tough hit man (Ted De Corsia) reduced to whimpering terror at the thought of Mendoza's revenge turned upon him. De Corsia gives an extremely fine performance, as do Bogart, King Donovan, a then nearly unknown Zero Mostel, and Jack Lambert, to name just a few.

One slight criticism: how could it be that Ferguson and his men have never heard the terms "contract" and "hit" before? Did these now well-known underworld expressions originate here? It seems unlikely. But this, and an occasional reliance on happy coincidence, should not subtract from the many pleasures of this dark gem.


The Enforcer ranks as one of Bogey's best films. A look at the supporting cast will tell you why.

Bogey plays crusading DA Martin Ferguson who is trying to convict mob kingpin Everett Sloane of murder. The crime organization appears to be a thinly disguised version of Murder Inc. (aka the Mafia).

Told mostly in flashbacks, we meet an assortment of characters, each of whom is a piece in the overall puzzle. Veteran Ted DeCorsia stands out as Rico, Sloane's right hand man as does Zero Mostel as one of the mobsters. Lawrence (aka Michael) Tolan plays Duke Malloy one of the hitmen who is forced to kill his own girl friend. Roy Roberts and King Donovan appear as the cops.

Special mention is saved for veteran western actor Bob Steele (billed as "Robert"), who plays Herman a hit man from Kansas City. Steele plays the character much like the chilling Canino in the earlier "The Big Sleep" (1946). His death scene at the end of the picture is not to be missed.

An oddity of this picture is that there was no love interest for Bogey. Know what, It makes for a better and more compact movie. The Enforcer will hold your attention from start to finish. A very entertaining film.


Bogey is superb as a crusading D.A. matching wits and organizations with evil crime lord Everett Sloane (in a chillingly believable performance). Many terrific character actors on both sides of the law lend support. And the film does not play softball with the manner in which women inevitably are the victim's of men's violence. Well worth watching, this makes an excellent companion piece to "Knock On Any Door."


This is a movie, that never enjoyed much popularity and is counted as one of Bogart's minor works, however, from the first time i watched it, it offered a certain fascination to me. So i pick it out of my collection time and time again, maybe once every 2 months. Yes, it has a complicated, multiple nested structure of flashbacks into flashbacks, but it is well worth watching even more. Bogart strong as a stubborn DA going after Murder Inc., not knowing such a thing exists, offers credibility. The list of criminals, however, has much more meat to chew on and does so, lead by the villainous leader Everett Sloane and his deputy, Ted De Corsia as well as all the others to be listed. One exception : Zero Mostel, who helps to break the case, but is really to small a crook to be involved here. And listen carefully to follow to the final solution, which is handled in a one on one shootout. Take a look at it, where you can get it.


This film has a great cast of super stars, Humphrey Bogart(Dist.Atty.Martin Ferguson)"The Caine Mutiny"'54 who wears a bow-tie and was in the prime of his acting career which ended in 1957. He had great supporting actors namely: Zero Mostel (Big Babe Lazich) "Fiddler On The Roof"'64; Everett Sloane(Albert Mendoza) "Somebody Up There Likes Me" '56'; Jack Lambert (Tom Zaca) "Riverboat'59" TV Series '59-'61 who played gangster and hoodlum roles in Western's for many years. Tito Vuolo(Tony Vetto) was the top gangster who gave Martin Ferguson a hard time. If you look close enough, you will see Veteran actor Bob Steele (a great actor of the 30's and 40's mostly appeared in Western's) If you like Bogart and good actors from the past, by all means view this film!


If only this were as good as the old Perry Mason TV series, but it's not. So contrived, it unintentionally makes you laugh and cry at the same time. So unbelievable. Zero Mostel as a small-time thug? For serious Bogey fans only.


In the era of the DVD, when video stores already pressed for space now find themselves in the position of having to clear out mucho shelf space to make room for both VHS and DVD copies of the newest Kate Hudson film, many odd and obscure VHS films that have sat for ages are now disappearing.

Sure, many of these films will probably be refurbished on DVD someday, but will these releases trickle down to the rental market? The answer to such a question could really hurt the horror industry in the long run.

For instance, how many people would buy a DVD special edition of "Screams of a Winter Night" if they haven't paid 99 cents to rent it first? If the answer to that is zero, like i think it is, than distributors who dare to spend lots of money attaining the rights to obscure films like this will end up taking a bath when no one buys them.

So, I guess it all comes down to the rental outlet. Which is where my interest in this movie began. One of my local video haunts is a semi-major chain, at least in my area. And it's one that has the biggest rep for stocking odd and offbeat VHS films. But I had noticed that within the last few months, many of these films were being sold off to make room for DVD's like I mentioned earlier. So, in and effort to see as many of these "targeted for deletion" movies before they were gone, I started renting them A through Z.

By the time I reached "Screams," most of these movies were already gone, either bought by geeky film dweebs like myself, or just carried away by the staff.

"Screams" caught my eye thanks to it's thick black clamshell VHS box (an increasing rarity) and odd picture of an indistinct monster trudging through the woods. The title of the film was written in a jagged font that remined me of those off beat comics from the 70's like Marvel's "Man-Thing" or DC's "House of Mystery." The text on the back promised an anthology film, and since I have always had a weak spot for those, I gave it a chance.

I'm glad I did. Over the course of around 90 minutes, I knew I had found that dusty, out of print VHS rarity: The nugget of gold amongst the dirtpan.

The Plot: A group of college students about to graduate travel to a woodland cabin for some R and R. Once there, many of the girls start to feel uncomfortable (something which I'll come back to) after which the guys start telling "true" horror stories they heard from someone who heard them from someone else.

The three tales include:

1. A couple taking a late night drive start hearing scratching noises on the roof of their car. 2. The best of the bunch, and oddly enough, the one people rag on the most, has three frat pledges fufilling their dare to spend the night in an abandoned hospital with a rep for having a haunted second floor. 3. A quiet and shy college girl turns out to be a psychopath, much to the surprise of her roommate.

What surprised me the most was the material in between the stories. There's something really unsettling about this gathering, and the way they all interact with each other. Has anyone out there ever been to a party of some kind where you could just tell the vibe wasn't right? Well, that's what this is like. From the way the girls seem to be uncomfortable around the guys, to the way that the guys seem to be divided into little sub-groups, there's just a feeling that their little trip wasn't going to go well even if evil, supernatural things didn't happen.

As for the stories, yes, that first one is real moldy by today's standards. But you have to keep in mind, that while talk of "urban legends" are pretty commonplace today, back in the late 70's, these legends were just that: Legends, not the stuff of Discovery Channel debunking programs, or community college courses.

It's the second one that really got me. Dark and dingy, with the characters pretty much spending the whole telling cowering near the stairway to the second floor, there's a real feeling of danger as each one of them goes upstairs and dosent come back. The director could have easily copped out and just not showed what the evil green light was, but he did. And while the revelation of the light is a common snickering point among reviewers, I have to admit, something about the unexplainable nature of the explanation has stayed with me to this day.

Add some colorful touches such as the opening sequence: A dark screen backed with increasinly nightmarish sound effects that follow a linear pattern (something which has been done recently in movies like Cabin Fever and the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and an impressive finale where chaos breaks out.

I've seen movies that try to scare by cranking up the wind machine and having the cast yell before. "Screams" is just about the only one where I really felt fear for the characters. These actors may have been amateurs, but when called upon, they really do make the ending of this one sing with apocalyptic passion. I almost expected at least one person to survive only to throw open the cabin door only to find a yawning black abyss.

"Screams" is no four star classic, don't get me wrong. But it is proof that not all zero budget cheapies are made equal. I can see I'm not alone on this one. The call for a DVD release here is small, but definitely there. Hopefully, we'll get what we want someday.

As for the copy I rented, I hovered over it for months, waiting for a "sale" sticker to appear on it. I showed up one day, and it was already gone. Oh well, I hope it found a good home.

As long as it didn't get bought by the same jerk who snatched "Her Summer Vacation" out from under me too. I'll probably never see that film again, no matter how popular DVD's become.

That's another story though.


A cheap and unknown, but scary horror movie about some teens who travel to a cabin, deep in the forest. On their way to the cabin they get some warnings from a local drunk who scare them with ghosts and other horrible things which took place there some years ago (I wonder if the people behind "Friday the 13th" got some inspiration here). Inside the cabin and around the fire place the kids start to tell scary stories about a blood-thirsty female student and a legend of an Indian ghost. This stories is what the movie mostly is about, but in the end the teens find them selves right in the middle of a rather unfriendly storm which seems to come from nowhere.

Recommended for horrorfans which liked Friday the 13th.


This film is a sinful pleasure. Granted it is not the best film to come out of Hollywood, but that's because it did not come from Hollywood. Here is my point: First of all the film was written, directed and produced by kids (early twenties) from Louisiana. The initial distribution was with 4 prints they carried around to their local north Louisiana theaters. After it performed quite well it was picked up by a "Hollywood" distributor ( and of course the kids who made it got screwed). The film then performed very well both here and abroad. Another point is they raised all the monies to make the film(the movie cost less than 2 tickets and popcorn at a theater today) so you got to give them credit. Horror buffs can certainly see where some of the other films borrowed from this little indie. In conclusion, if you have ever thought of or dreamed of making your own film this is worth seeing (if you can find it).


When I was 10 years old, I saw the previews for this movie on television. Seeing spooky shows/movies on t.v. and in the safety of my home, I was intrigued as a little girl to see this movie. I begged my family to take us to it when it would come to our local drive-in. It happened to show the week of July 4th in our town. My family and my dad's brother's family all loaded up two full size vans to go see this movie I begged for all of us to go see! My dad and uncle tried to make light of the spookiness for the rest of us by laughing and joking at crucial parts in the movie, but I was already spooked. I got half way through the movie and climbed over the back seat of the van to try and avoid seeing or hearing anymore! It didn't work. I was too curious and would peek over the seat at what seemed to be the worst parts of the film. I was thoroughly scared and regretted that I got what I asked for. This movie gave me more nightmares than any other movie or story I had ever seen, read or heard. Not even the Exorcist or The Shining scared me as much as this movie and I don't know why. The story telling was creepy and the visuals were just enough to frighten!


I watched this on Halloween night that year with the whole town and it scared the heck out of everyone at the theater. Good enough for me to look it up after all these years. Just something way creepy about the green light scene I can't forget. Im sure some of it is my youth perspective in 1979 but I think its in the class of something like Legend of Boggy Creek which is a classic because it brought something new though campy as all heck. Screams is dated by now Im sure but still good fun compared to a LOT of other bigger budget movies. Be nice to see it posted somewhere like on you tube as Im sure its a rarity! I gave it a seven meaning you ought to check it out for yourself.


I was 14 in 1979, and my brother and I went to a twin theater in Bowie, Maryland. I don't remember what film we intended to see, a comedy I believe, but when I saw there was a horror movie playing in the other theater I decided to watch it while my brother saw the comedy. So there I was, sitting by myself in the near empty theater with about ten other people sporadically seated throughout. I figured a PG horror flick might be good for some cheap thrills, maybe a few laughs, but nothing I couldn't handle. Then the movie started, and from the scary opening which is comprised of sound effects over the credits through the second story, I was scared nearly to tears by this. It's hard to say exactly what it is, but this movie just has that special "something" that can't be planned, but must come through in the execution. I recently attained a copy of this and watched it again after all these years, and I still think it is quite effective. Reading the other reviews here, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with a soft spot in their heart for this little unknown movie. To the filmmakers who just might read this, I say ignore the negative critics. That little movie you made way back in the 1970's still holds up well, and has a good creepy atmosphere that many of today's big-budgeted have not a clue of how to accomplish. Oh well, thanks for reading!


The first time I saw this movie, I was a kid and we'd gone to the drive-in. This movie was so deliciously scary that it's haunted me for years! I spent 10 years trying to remember the title and the last 5 trying to find it to rent it. The vignettes in this movie were all scary, and at the time, our local residents were trying to claim the frat brothers' vignette was based on the old Oregon Institute of Technology -- several buildings that were abandoned and haunted. "Gravity Hill", a place where your car could be pointing uphill and you'd put it in neutral and it would roll... UPHILL... existed near old OIT as well.

No big budget, no known actors, and yet it was one of the best scary movies I've ever seen. I want this movie in the worst way. Somehow, somewhere, there has to be a copy!


"Screams of a Winter Night" was made with student actors attending Northwestern State University in Natchitoches,Louisiana,a college that has since been abandoned,the neglected campus becoming a popular teen hang-out.It consists three genuinely spooky stories told by a young campers in an old cabin.The first one is about 'The Moss Point Man',a Yeti-like creature encountered by a local girl and her boyfriend deep in the woods.The second one is about a mute psychopath in an allegedly haunted hotel with the climax somewhat reminding me "The Blair Witch Project".The third story is about a sexually repressed girl turning psycho after an attempted rape.The strange,howling wind is becoming stronger and stronger...Creepy low-budget gem from late 70's without gore and nudity.It has some great scares and surprising twists.8 out of 10.


First of all, I don't presume myself to be an Otaku or some sort of Anime/Manga Highlord, however this is THE single best anime I have ever seen and I have seen quite a few. If you are like me and enjoy animes that are not as long (Only 13 episodes plus a 25 min OVA!) and can stand some violence and can look at female nudity without going all childish and horny about it this anime is for you. It has a very deep story, along with the best anime song I have ever heard... after watching the anime I got into reading the manga and all, it is a very rich story and it is very beautifully directed. Also if you got nothing to do one day you can easily watch it in its entirety, fall in love, laugh, and cry with the characters. If you enjoyed Evangelion you will most certainly enjoy this, and it is better than Evangelion.


I watched this series over 2 days which isn't really fair because it's probably about as long as any of the Lord of the Rings movies and I watched that in one sitting. Anyways, this series of anime is my favorite story of any book I've read, game I've played, movie or show I've watched. Even though this series is 13 episodes long, it is really just astounding how powerfully moving it is.

I'm not going to give a description of what it is about because you can find that elsewhere. What I can tell you is that it is the saddest but perhaps greatest love story I know. If you haven't seen it yet, even if you hate anime, see this movie. I can barely even describe the wonders that are packed into this short series.

-thank you


Elfen Lied is notorious, at least among fans of anime, for its graphic violence and frequent nudity. However, these aspects are merely part of what is in fact an excellent series. More than just an unsettling mix of cute little girls and intense gore, Elfen Lied is a series about nature vs. nurture, love vs. hate, the future of humanity, and similar themes. Yes, the show is quite violent, but this violence underscores these themes well and as we later learn, is not merely just a product of instinctual brutality. With only thirteen episodes in total, Elfen Lied is short but sweet and well worth watching. Just remember, you'll never look at cat-girls the same way again.


I saw the first episode of Elfen Lied and thought it looked pretty cool, so I went and bought the rest of the series. It was even better than I thought it would be, much better. Even with only 13 episodes, This series is awesome. Elfen Lied is sad, moving, violent, has some great characters, emotion, and it is completely enjoyable. The first episodes aren't brilliant, but this is a series that gets better and better as it progresses, and the last two DVDs are a joy to behold. If you don't puke at the sight of blood, this is a series you should most certainly see, and you'll know why once you've watched it to the end. A must have for anime fans!


Elfen Lied is presented as a series of 13+1 24 minutes episodes. Although the plot is not new (mutants that have enough power to exterminate the whole human race) the characters and the story flow are fresh and most of all very surprising. The main character is a diclonius (two-horned human) named Luci / Nyu and she have a special ability called vectors (invisible extra strong energy hands). The main plot follows the usual formula boy takes innocent girl in, falls in love with her, but there are also any complex character dilemmas. Perhaps not everyone will enjoy this anime because of the gore, blood and nudity content. But I guess it all works toward the strange horror-comedy experience. Who would've ever guessed that an innocent looking, pink-haired girl would be capable of causing such a major blood bath? You see heads being ripped off, bodies torn in half, and blood dripping everywhere. Once again if you are not comfortable with this kind of scenes, then is likely that Elfen Lied is not for you. If you liked anime like: Akira, Blood: The Last Vampire and Evangelion, you might have some fun with Elfen Lied. Perhaps, the animation is nothing out of the ordinary and if compared with the manga version it is a little bit short and the extra episode 14 does not help toward the end (is more like a retrospective episode in between 7th and 8th episode). Rate: 8.5 out of 10