At just over half an hour, Ninja Bachelor Party is a hilarious short film which was written, produced, shot, directed, and starred in by the legendary Legendary Bill Hicks and his two Texas buddies Kevin Booth and David Johndrow. I wouldn't listen to the other reviews on IMDb, this film is really quite brilliant and has Hicks written all over it...an amazing example of how great a performer he would become.

The film, follows Robitussan addict Clarence Mumford who dreams of becoming a Ninja Warrior. After having his dreams rejected by his parents, walking in on his girlfriend in the middle of an orgy and getting his ass kicked, Mumford- played by Kevin Booth- seeks out a guru, Dr. Death- played by Hicks- from whom he can learn the ways of the ninja. During a Robitussan binge Mumford is visited by a true Ninja Warrior in a dream- so Mumford heads to Korea. Part of his training includes smoking magic mushrooms which sends him on trip that results in a revelation (one which shows how Hicks had developed the philosophies which would greatly influence his later comedy very early). After completing his training he returns to Texas to seek vengeance on the men who stole his girlfriend and kicked his ass. The remainder of the film is a vicious slapstick stunt-filled martial arts spectacle, one of the finest ever captured on film for sure.

The voices are all done in voice-over, most of which are done by Hicks and Booth themselves. They are often out-of-sync which makes it pretty funny, like a true martial arts dub. The film was shot in Austin and Houston over a few years by the group of friends, and it really is well done considering their experience and resources. And to top it all off, you get to hear some original musical tracks written and performed by Hicks himself!!


This is the story of Clarence Mumford, a struggling dreamer / Robitussin addict who's only hope in life is of one day becoming a great ninja. His parents discourage him, his girlfriend cheats on him, and he is constantly getting beat up. Then one day, when his resolve reaches its lowest, he is contacted by a powerful sensei from Japan who tells him he must travel there and learn the art of the ninja from him. So he goes, and after one of the most brilliant montages ever, hes able to return home a ninja, though like a lot of kung-fu films he still doubts his true ability. To become a master ninja he must conquer his self doubt, and in fitting fashion there is a showdown in which he proves himself, and wins back the woman. All of this is embellished around superb acting, action packed choreography, a disregard for continuity, and a highly stylized joie de vivre thats quite personal, fans of Hicks know what I mean.

The dialog is all over dubbed, and the OST pushes the story along backed to a cliché 80's glam sound. What is not too love about this movie?... I used to think Hitchcock was a master, then I saw what Bill Hicks could do.


I didn't just give it a ten because Bill Hicks is god-like, no sir. This short film is one of the most god damned hilarious pieces of cinematic literature I've ever seen and it is also just enjoyable to watch as well. When I finally came across it, I had to watch it at least every other day, it became the thing that motivated me to get up in the morning. And it's not even good in a so-bad-it's-good sort of way. No sir, it's good in the not-bad-no-it-really-is-good sort of way.

Another reviewer said it wasn't funny at all but then he made a comment about how Kung Pow also tried to use bad dubbing to a humorous effect and critics didn't like. All I have to say is if Kung Pow is his idea of a funny movie, no wonder he didn't like this. Also this movie had absolutely zero budget so the bad dubbing has a bit more of an authentic feel to it than Kung Pow, which had an estimated budget of $10,000,000. I didn't really get his comparison there, of a recent movie that had TV commercials and everything to an old obscure short film made almost entirely by two people, so I wouldn't pay attention to him if I were you.

So you should see this movie, it's good.


Not quite slapstick but nearly entertaining, Ninja Bachelor Party is your best last resort for a dying party or boring summer afternoon. The plot meanders, the mostly intelligible voice-overs are funny, and the almost steady camera work will make you wish you had Dramamine®. A must see that will leave you scratching your head as to just exacly WHY it's a must see.


I saw this film because it was a labor of love by Bill Hicks and his best buddy, Kevin Booth. They filmed it over a number of years with home video equipment and it (clearly) had no budget at all.

However, looking it up on IMDb I am surprised to find a 7.3/10 rating, and I know this must be due to the Bill Hicks cult fans out there voting "10" for this without even seeing it.

Look, Bill Hicks or not, this film stinks! I'm not trying to bash it for no reason - I have plenty. First off, it's just not very funny. The quality is so poor and most of the "jokes" are just lame things. Oh, wow, the audio is dubbed poorly and out of synch, and they re-dubbed in post-production to make it look like a foreign ninja movie! Haha that's so clever! Well guess what? "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist" did the same thing years later and was trashed by critics. What's the difference here? Nothing -- except its budget is even lower and therefore the fake dubbing is even more annoying.

Is Bill Hicks good in this? Not really. He plays a ninja expert who teaches some helpless addict kid to beat people up. Oh my, I'm bursting a gut laughing just thinking about it.

NOTE: IMDb reviewer "ganryu" has replied to my review with one of his own. He mocks my comparison of this film to "Kung Pow" and claims that if I liked that film it's no wonder I didn't like this.

Obviously ganryu cannot read or comprehend because he would have realized my comparison with Kung Pow - which I never said I liked here - was only to point out how much more annoying the fake-dubbing effect is on a lower budget production. Ganryu even goes so far to point out Kung Pow had a $10,000,000 budget and Ninja Bachelor Party did not - which is ironic since this was my entire point in the first place - Kung Pow was annoying to begin with, so just imagine how much more annoying seeing the same thing is on a shoestring budget.

Maybe ganryu should study English.


I saw this film in LA, and I have to say that I was practically transported to Cedar Sinai after the screening because I was laughing so hard...

The cast was so funny and brilliant, that I wasn't sure who the real "pros" were and who were staged actors. SO needless to say my porn collection has grown now to, but not many of the actors in the film are easy to find...

The two leads were excellent, these guys should have their own show on Comedy Central HBO or Oxygen!

I have bought the DVD, and finally realized the true comic stylings of these guys once I saw the outtakes, special features, etc...

This is the perfect Hanukkah gift for any comedy lover or porn aficionado...


Where else can you see a film with Ron Jeremy, Lou Diamond Phillips and Scott Thompson?? This is a hilarious send up of the porn world. It's a comedy, so there's no nudity, but that's the whole point. Bill and Earl have turned the porn world into a family friendly environment..except for the last porn scene which gets...a little messy. The writing is strong, the acting is so sincere, and the women are gorgeous. I heard this short is being turned into an animated series where Bill and Earl are super heroes. Looking forward to seeing it. Anyone who wants to check this short out for themselves can see it at the atom films site. Enjoy!


I caught this brilliant short at Dragon Con last summer and then rediscovered it at AtomFilms.com. It only got better the second time around. Many great little bits lost in the huge con screening, were found on the online screening. Lou Diamond Phillips is a comic genius! This man needs to do more comedies. With kick-ass cameos by Scott Thompson(Kids in the Hall) and Ron Jeremy(the Hedgehog), this film rules cause it constantly flips your expectations of the porn world and It's just so damn funny! The guys behind this flick are ill... and I mean that in the best possible way!

Grade: A+


One of the funniest shorts. Great cameos - Lou Diamond Phillips is hysterical as is Scott Thompson of "Kids in the Hall". It's not for the faint of heart, definitely. But if you like really edgy comedy, then you'll dig this. Those of you (like me) who are Ron Jeremy fans will love the showdown scene between Ron and Scott. And the final scene will literally blow your mind! I'm still laughing about it! Dead on satire of the porn industry. For an eight minute short you get more bang for your buck than most features.

Truly original!!!


Stunt C*cks is just one of the funniest things I have ever seen, so funny I cried with laughter and tightened every muscle in the lower regions of my body so as NOT to wet myself. Shot in "documentary" style, this film details the lives of Bill and Earl, two college friends who utilize their "gifts" to their advantage as Stunt C*cks... or Adult stunt doubles. Cameo appearances by Lou Diamond Phillips (who obviously appreciates a good laugh) and porn-star Ron Jeremy make this short even more surreal. This is definitely the kind of film you would show to all your friends the minute they walked in the door. Even those right of right would have to snicker at the "innocent and pure" matter of fact approach to the art of shooting a load. Damn funny!


Not exactly something for the 'whole' family, as the plot of the flick is about the porn industry (with a slight twist). However, if above the legal age of viewing, totally worth the look. I laughed so hard I missed a few of the jokes, they where one right after the other. Very well done. One to try and catch whenever/wherever you might be able to.


For years, I've bemoaned the switch from film to digital video for low-budget horror movies, but I'd rather watch anything shot on video than watching the waste of film that is Dead Life. Don't be fooled when I say this movie is shot on film. It seriously looks like it was shot on a 1950s 8mm camera. It's perpetually grainy, dark, fuzzy, and shaky, and not in an artsy way. My $200 video camera looks infinitely better than this. The video quality is appropriate, however, as it's matched in wretchedness by every other facet of this stink-fest. The sound is murky and undecipherable, the acting is strictly amateur hour, the characters are paper-thin with no distinction or purpose, the story is non-existent, the dialog is a completely worthless bore, there's nothing remotely scary, and the special effects (including a couple of computer effects that look like they were made on a Commodore 64) are laughable. Or, at least, I wish they were laughable. That would've at least made for some sort of enjoyment instead of the utter torture of this (high school) student film. It's movies like this -- cheap and devoid of any real effort to uphold the horror legacy, but which get cherry spots on Blockbuster shelves because they're packaged with slick cover art -- that give horror movies in general (and zombie movies in particular) a bad name, and that make horror fans so wary. Disgraceful!


A terrible unprofessional looking film with an awful script,scene chewing acting and cartoonish "special effects".The plot is a silly unexplained mix of zombies and skin disease with the characters mostly standing around in a house and wondering what is happening while their neighbors all mill around outside and shake their heads really really fast.I guess the fast head shaking is supposed to scare us or something.I'm mostly scared I'll accidentally rent another movie made by this crew.

This film is embarrassingly bad and not in that "so bad its good" kinda way either.

Avoid this mess like you would a big steaming pile of dog dookie.


this zombie movie was just corny,and made no sense.It was also so slow the jokes were just hours long and the dialogue was cut and so slow this was one of the worst movies i have ever seen by far.Mostly I never read ratings and decide if the movie is bad or not on my own but this was one of those cases when you should.There's bad and there's horribly stupid disgusting waist of time and this is past that.The makeup was horrible and was more of a porno then a zombie movie,The acting was the worst i have ever seen, a 5 year old could do better.Wow I'm still disgusted on how horribly bad this movie is blah!blah!blah! It reminded me of a 13year old kid in the neighborhood making a movie with there friends it was seriously that bad,Maybe the 13 year olds would of been better.


Without comparing this to any other zombie film out there, this was one of the worst movies I've ever watched. The acting was bad, and that could be attributed to this being the actors first film ever. The lighting was very very bad, it appears throughout the movie that they are trying to use natural lighting, if that's the case, why shoot the film in shady areas or late in the day? Most of the time you can't see the actors expressions or faces because of the shadows. The special effects are horrible in most places, sometimes the blood is red, sometimes it's black. You see a lot of blood that looks black and congealed running out of one wound while there's fresh red blood running out of another wound (This being on the same body at the same time). The story doesn't run very smoothly at all with dialog being forced to move the plot along. One or two of these things in an independent movie isn't enough to kill it, IF the remaining factors are strong enough to carry the weak points of the film. When you have all negative points in one movie, the movie sucks.

If you do compare this to other low budget zombie movies out there (Braindead or Dead And Breakfast to name two), it doesn't even begin to compare and ends up looking like a High School students weekend project that is paid for with his allowance.

Bottom Line: Don't Rent, Don't Buy, If it's on cable late at night watch an infomercial instead.


i have seen a lot of bad movies. I'm serious - my friends and I make it a point to watch some crappy horror movies, and we have a heck of a time making fun of them. I thought that I had seen some of the worst of the worst - this film smacked me around and made me cry uncle.

it has some of the worst production quality possible. it really seems like they made it a point to make a terrible movie. you know how in a lot of movies, there's always that one redneck a$$-backwards guy who says stupid things and a complete moron? take that guy, give him a camera, ten extras and ten dollars budget, and you get this movie...

only worthwhile if you're seriously drunk and wasted, and even then, it's a questionable draw (and i rented it for free!)....


A long haired guy watches as a zombie eats away on a living person. Does he run? No, instead of using logic, he simply drops his pants and proceeds to hump the zombie. She turns around and bites off his manhood or what appears to be a sausage.

The actors decide to stay in a house surrounded by zombies all the while they have a car outside...

The blood looks like red paint and the stuff coming out of their mouths looks like motor oil.

The acting was the worst I've ever seen and believe me I've rented some real horrible grade B movies.

It was a good attempt at a movie but was simply horrible... what was the purpose of dry humping a corpse anyway?


Dead Life is without a doubt the saddest attempt at film-making I have ever witnessed.

From a technical viewpoint, this film is a mess. The image quality varies greatly throughout the entire movie, sometimes switching to black and white for no apparent reason. The computer graphic scene is reminiscent of an early Atari game.

The soundtrack is out of sync during much of the film, and it's quality fluctuates.

The plot is thin and hard to follow. It is often impossible to understand the motivation for the actors actions.

The skill of the actors makes it painfully clear that they were chosen for their ability to arrive on the set, rather than talent.

This film is full of inconsistencies, hair length and clothing change inexplicably, the same extras appear in two consecutive scenes, supposedly miles away...

The list could go on, but I'm getting bored with this review, just as I was when watching this poor excuse for entertainment.

After watching Dead Life, I was surprised to find that it wasn't made as a middle school drama class project.

I'm a big fan of B movies, but Dead Life is an F at best.


The Title of this film is how one could describe the time that the cast and crew took out of their lives to make this stinker of a zombie flick. Dead Life barely looks like a movie. It looks like it was shot on Super 8 film and director William Victor Schotten apparently has no idea how or where to place the camera. His shots make Kevin Smith's early work look like a Scorcese film by comparison. Not that better camera placement would have helped the drab, absolutely non creepy environments the flick was shot in. Oh, and if you're going to shoot a film in Super 8, don't bother adding computer graphics. Special effects on a lower par than those of a Sci-Fi Channel original series just make a crappy film look crappier. In Dead Life, zombies start appearing with no real explanation. One of them falls into the lake, and suddenly it's a nationwide epidemic. The only hope for a small band of white trash misfits is a guy who mainly just drinks beer in front of a half built house he claims to be working on. The script is terrible. The acting, even the zombie acting, is downright embarrassing. Everyone in Dead Life talks like they've only been awake for ten minutes. Have you ever tried to talk to somebody after they wake and bake? If so, you can imagine what the communication in this film is like. Not only is Dead Life poorly made, it fails to make any kind of sense. How can a zombie falling into a lake contaminate the whole continent? Who would find a zombie eating one of their neighbors and then casually start f#@king it in the ass? Come to think of it, what kind of person would let anyone, living or dead, get their mouth anywhere near their genitals after seeing that same person gnawing raw human flesh right off the bone? Give horror fans a break! We're sick, we're not stupid! Dead Life managed to almost bore me to death and insult my intelligence at the same time. This piece of crap deserves nothing but ridicule and disdain.


"Virus or something makes people zombies." This should be a separate category at the video store, right? I mean there are a million of 'em. Sadly, I own the worst one (compairing only to the others of course). I did however kind of like the whole 8mm aspect, but this was supposed to make it look like a 70's movie and it doesn't.

The acting is really bad. The director obviously made a very common mistake many DIY horror film directors make, hiring your friends to be your actors. A very bad and bias thing to do. No one is an actor. I think like half the cast and crew worked at hardware stores, implies the commentary/featurette. They are not dedicated to the film at all, some of them lost weight, got haircuts, dyed their hair, etc without a care in the world that they completely changed the appearance of their character.

The violence is pretty graphic for such a homemade movie. While the film does succeed at pushing the envelope, the violence is kind of hard to handle. This isn't good though because it's more shameless than horrifying. Maybe it all could have worked if the scenes were build-up more seriously rather than so juvenile like.

This was probably made because someone said "Dude, wouldn't it be cool if we made a zombie movie?" I bought it because the cover looked scary. I made that mistake. Never trust the covers! I guess there's a supposed drinking game involved in this DVD so says the commentary... any jocks out there? A movie to avoid (or buy from me, hehe).


This is without a doubt the worst zombie movie i have ever seen! There really isn't anything good to say about it at all.I read some of the comments made by the films makers ETC, claim this was professionally transferred to video BAHHHHHH.No way known this was done on a real Telecine, I'm with the handy cam filming the image projected onto a wall.For gods sake WHY they bothered shooting it on 8mm is beyond me, but they could have at least had it professionally transferred. I have seen enough professionally transfered films, mostly 16mm but some 8, to know this Isn't one, my father was a Telecine operator for 30+ years for a local TV station.


After reading several positive reviews I decided to seek this film out as an avid Zombie film buff. I've now came to the conclusion that those reviews could only have been written by the film makers.

As the film starts it is somewhat promising, as the shaky camera moves through a seemingly abandoned house by the means of clumsy editing and what can only be described as library muzak in the background, you however comfort yourself with the fact that this is an amateur film and hopefully when the movie gets going all of those failures will be forgotten.

What instead happens is the viewer gets attacked by flaming egos not seen since "Brown Bunny," I can only assume the script writing process involved asking a depressed 15 year old to recant what he would of done in his moments of social failure, whilst mixing in lines rejected from "Mall Rats".

The acting and narrative is unnatural, tired and clumsy to say the least. During every bite scene the victim fails to flinch nor attempt to get out of the way and those around him stand with their mouths open as weapons suddenly appear out of thin air. And the zombie with the pentagram on her rear? This terrible scene is one you must view for yourself, it would make Ed Wood himself cringe.

I could talk forever on the failings but I'll spare you, there is one up side to this film, if they get sponsorship from a tight-vest company (as several of the cast can be caught wearing them) they may raise enough money to have every copy of this film burnt and their names and reputations spared.


If I were writing a script about the making of this movie I would have had a few friends sitting around after watching Shawn of the Dead and Day of the Living Dead (original) while getting high and munching on Rice Krispie treats and canned chili.

One of them would suddenly jump up and scream, "hey, let's make a zombie movie."

One would remember the old 8mm movie camera in Dad's closet, one would admit to having been in the school production of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (probably as the tree), and someone would reveal the fact that he had been hiding a bunch of Smurf blue skin dye for years.

Okay, so it was very low budget and looked like a high-school class assignment, it was still somebodies baby. And they got it made while most people sit around criticizing something that they have never done themselves. Most of the people who make these films don't aspire to become a Spielberg or a Coppola, they just want to make movies any way the can. I say god bless them all. We should all do the things that we enjoy, even if we aren't that good at it.

Even if you hate the movie, remember two things: It is easier to criticize than to do; even a bad example is still an example.


Stay the hell away from anything that William Victor Shotten has done, not because it's cheesy, or because the stories are terrible, or because the cast's performance makes you physically ill, but because he makes even the worst YouTube directors look like Peter Jackson, hell, he even makes Uwe Boll look like Peter Jackson.

There was nothing good about this movie what so ever. I was bored, the entire time. I want to see an indie movie at least match the original Night of The Living Dead. Nowadays, the ease of making a NoTLD-type movie have significantly decreased. Jesus William, buy some meat from your local butcher or something, don't waste our time.

Oh, and apparently William Victor Shotten has a new movie out, Sabbath (www.sabbaththemovie.com). Just finished watching it, just realized that it was his movie. Stay away, incredibly boring.


Zombie movies, they've been with us for a long time. They are easy to make too. All you need is a camera, 6 or 8 friends living to wear raggedly clothes stained with stage blood; 4 or 5 other friends willing to run around a scream; some offal from a local butcher's shop and some guns with blank cartridges. Put them all together and presto, you are ready to make a zombie movie.

That's not to say that all zombie movies are GOOD though; and that brings me to the movie I am here to-night to talk about, William Victor Schotten's DEAD LIFE. This movie is bad! No, I mean REAL bad! It's not even so-bad-it's-good!

It starts with a young boy named Maxx who watches his dad go insane and kill himself. Dad was a worker at a chemical plant that was working on some mysterious toxin . . . but I am getting ahead of myself. Many years later Maxx is all grown up (and played by Michael Hanton). He and his buddies don't do much more than sit around, drink beer, listen to heavy metal music, complain about how bored they are and lie about their sex lives. Life gets a little more interesting when one of Maxx's buddies is attacked by a weird looking guy with silver skin (note to director: zombies are supposed to have a gray complexion!) and oozing a black fluid from his mouth. Pretty soon the guys are noticing more and more people with rotting faces and an appetite for blood. Luckily this is Redneckville, USA and everybody has a gun so defending themselves is no problem. Problem is, these infected people are tough! Nothing stops 'em except . . . all together now . . . a bullet to the brain. Finally the good 'ol boys figure out that somehow the recently dead are coming back to life as . . . now let's all say it together folks . . . flesh eating zombies!

Their town is pretty much toast by the time they figure this out so it's time to hit the road. While looking for a safe place they meet up with a doctor who tells them the zombies were created by a disease called Necrotising Faceitis M, which is an actual disease that the filmmakers embellished. The adult zombies eat flesh because their minds have been corrupted by bigotry, greed, corruption and all the things we experience when we grow up. Child zombies don't eat flesh because they have retained their innocence. Sound logical to you? It does? Good because it sounds like a load of tripe to me!

Well anyway the guys can't decide if they want to go live on a deserted island or in the desert. By the end of the picture it becomes a moot point anyway.

The plot is really off the wall, acting talent is non-existent; the zombies are . . . well . . . as convincing as any zombie is capable of being. Near the end of the film we even get to see a zombie clown with tears of blood leaking through his makeup (symbolism?) being followed by a bunch of living dead children, one of who is carrying a huge teddy bear. Somebody in the production crew was very fond of the Japanese cyber-punk subgenre because whenever someone turns into a zombie the camera is undercranked while they shake their heads violently back and forth. I have noticed this in movies like TETSUO THE IRON MAN and PINOCCHIO 964.

There are a lot of zombie movies out there now like FEEDING THE MASSES, DAY OF THE DEAD II, SHAUN OF THE DEAD and many more. With so many to choose from you can skip this movie and you will not have missed a thing.


It's so much easier to pick out all the bad things in a film and write a really crappy review. Trust me, I've written my share of crappy reviews. However Dead Life was not one of them. Dead Life IS in fact shot on 8mm, and it looks grainy and low quality and you know what? That's a good thing. The film quality adds to its gritty retro feel. The effects are MUCH better than what you see in indie. Amateur acting, gee that's funny given that the actors are...wait for it...AMATEURS! I will concede that Dead Life isn't for everyone. If your true love is stupid teens and tired horror cliché's then steer clear. If your love for zombies is insatiable then you could do a whole helluva lot worse than Dead Life. At least the dude on the cover is IN the movie, which can't really be said for a lot of independent horror these days. Don't base your judgment solely on what's written here at IMDb, if you're a zombiephile do a search, you'll find plenty of reviews singing the praises of Dead Life.


While watching another indie horror flick, I'd made up my mind that I need to start reviewing Indies as a separate entity from Hollywood films; they simply can't compare. Then I watched "Dead Life" and realized that may just be the biggest crock since the "Weaopns of Mass Destruction" excuse.

For the first 38 minutes, it's average; not bad, just average. The acting is, like most Indie releases, a mixed bag; some (Michael Hanton) are above average and could easily make the transition into bigger-budgeted productions and others...well, let's just leave it at that. The effects, too, could use some work in the beginning of the film; it's hard to suspend belief when a closeup of a zombie face shows the reflective glare from the cream-based makeup and, around it, a half-inch border of normal skin.

At the 39 minute mark though, "Dead Life" not only does everything right, it actually surpasses most Hollywood films and does a lot of things better.

Schotten wisely pulls his cameras back a bit and lets the zombies strut their stuff without revealing flaws in the effects. The script begins to tighten its focus and, while much of the film owes its existence to Romero's "Dead" trilogy, it also throws in a couple of unexpected twists of its own. Even the film's grainy, artifact-filled visuals work to create a gritty, creepy experience.

Add to that an unexpected, underlying morality and some of the most creative one-shots I've seen in a while (the zombie who eats himself, for example) and you've got a helluva ride. From start to finish, the carnage never lets up. Thank you, William Victor Schotten and the "Dead Life" crew, for showing this jaded reviewer that there are some gems to be found in Indie Horror.

My rating: 8 out of 10 guys looking for "food" in the hardware store may not be in the wrong place.


Dead Life (2005) was an interesting film. Unlike most of these independent films that are popping up all over the place at my local video store, this one was shot on film (well Super 8) and the results were mixed. But one scene in this movie made it for me. A chemical accident involving the main character's father has traumatized him for the longest time. Years later, we find the dude restore the family homestead with the help of his friends. But a strange virus has swept across his home town turning the residents into the "living dead".

The movie itself is okay. But there's a scene in it that makes it worth watching. It involves a head banger and a local "girl". Drop a few bucks and rent it. To describe it would be too telling. A watchable "survival horror" film. I recommend this movie for bad movie fans as well. I just wished the director would shoot on 16mm or digital video next time. It was cool to see a movie on film but it's not necessary anymore. Super 8 is as dead as the dinosaur.

Recommended.


i'm not much on watching zombie movies but this movie in my opinion is one of the best zombie flicks i've ever seen. all of the effects were done for under 300 bucks and the effects were great and real looking. most of the people in this film were first time actors and they did a great job. the soundtrack to this movie was one of the best i've eve heard and to me a great soundtrack can also make a great movie. if you have the DVD it has a special feature where you can see a band called kitchen knife conspiracy preform one of there songs live. this live performance adds to the greatness of this movie.i'd recommend this film to any B horror movie lover like myself.


I have been quite interested in seeing this zombie flick from the first time that I had heard it was being made. The wait was finally over and I got the chance to check this film out. All the waiting that I did was well worth it.

Dead Life has quickly become one of my favorite zombie films and there are plenty of them out there. I was very impressed with the acting. Michael Hanton and Jayson Garity are terrific in this film and I hope to see a lot more of their work in the future. I think what impressed me the most was the special effects. I have seen a lot of low budget films lately, but some of them failed with the gory special effects, but Dead Life is different. When the zombies start feeding, the gruesome bloodshed begins, in a big way.

William Schotten did such an amazing job with writing and directing this film and I am really looking forward to seeing his new projects.

All in all, Dead Life is a fun zombie epic of a film with a cool plot, really good acting, lots of zombie mayhem and some kick ass music (metal all the way). Check this one out as soon as possible.


One of my all-time favourites. A nice idea in the spirit of "The Car" or "Christine" with great action (mostly of well-show car chases in Tucson, Arizona). The characters were well constructed and (on the whole) well implemented by the actors, with Nick Cassavetes stealing the show as nutter, Packard Walsh.

It also launched the careers of Charlie Sheen and Sherilyn Fenn (Fenn's fans will be happy to see "more" of her in this one).

The rock soundtrack is superb and a real collectors' item nowadays.

The original video cover was nice in that it was a holographic cover. Subsequent sell-thrus resorted to a standard litho-printed cover.

For a night in with a pizza and a few mates round, this is a great film.


It makes me laugh when I read bad reviews of this movie. No one claimed it was a classic, no claimed it would win awards or prizes for depth of storyline etc.

What it does have is earnest performances, fantastic fx, amazing score and very pretty photography.

Yes, laugh at the shadow of the camera (in the days before monitors) during the race scenes, at least they bothered to use real cars on real roads at high speed, unlike pathetic cgi cars (fast & the furious, 2 fast 2 furious, gone in 60 seconds) with crap physics.

This movie is totally innovative, nothing like it before or since and there are a lot of techniques used in this movie that I haven't seen bettered since. The bit where Jake's scrambler breaks into 4 meteorites still looks great, the tasteful re-animation of the Wraith mobile after crashes (nowadays that would probably be done using reverse photography).

The action scenes in Mad Max & Mad Max 2 are sped up and look ridiculous. (Watch the bit in Mad Max 2 just before he crashes his Interceptor...you'll see.)

The acting is pantomimish (baddies=very bad, goodies=very good) but that is the style of this movie. We know that these actors are capable of more in-depth characterisations, but this is a shallow b-movie. That's all it's supposed to be. Anyone who watches this movie and expects anything other than popcorn fodder is an absolute idiot. Moaning about technical problems and poor acting only makes you look like an idiot. And let's face it, even today's biggest blockbusters are chock full of mistakes and glitches.

You don't watch a Carry On movie and then say "Oh, that was quite unrealistic, and the acting is bad." That's the point. It's silly farce. You're not supposed to take it seriously!

I'm also aware that Charlie Sheen hates this movie and he must have good reason.

Strangely enough, I'm surprised that this movie was not seized upon by the pompous comic book brigade! I guess, if it was a little more Gothic and The Wraith was brooding and had a troubled back story it would have been more accepted. I'm glad it didn't and wasn't.

If it was made now, it would have stinking CGI fx and too much back story.

It's a bubblegum movie. You don't like it, don't watch it. As a b-movie for it's time, it is a technically superior easy watch which still towers over many newer movies of the same genre.

The Crow? Pompous nonsense!

Hellboy? Crap!

The Wraith? Know's it's place and doesn't try to overstep it's mark!

And for people moaning about rubbish acting, check out Matthew Barry's performance when Billy Hankins realises Jake is his brother. It's an amazing, emotionally charged moment. I dare you to disagree and if you do you must be tripping.

Stop henpecking this movie.....it's ace, I tell you...ACE!


Let's be serious... this movie isn't meant to win an Oscar. It's just supposed to be fun and in my opinion succeeds on every level. The script is hokey, yet there are some really tender moments, like when Billy Hankins realizes who the Wraith really is. The acting is OK but this isn't Shakespeare. This movie is a great escape. Plus the revenge angle is definitely cool. The ending is actually a little reminiscent of "High Plains Drifter", where there is that one unspoken moment where fantasy and reality blur. This is actually one of my favorite films of the 80's. Sure it is massively dated, but, interesting none the less. Just a side note.... one of the waitresses at the drive in is a young Brook Burke of Wild On and Rockstar INXS fame!!!


Very few films past or present stray from the predictable form of a fluid linear narrative. Exposition, conflict, resolution, and possibly an occasional flashback or revisiting of an earlier moment---these are all staples of visual story telling.

Charlie Sheen's late 80's action masterpiece THE WRAITH, however, successfully ventures down a road much less traveled by filmmakers, a road which guides viewers through an assemblage of scenes which seem somehow related, but give no indication of how or why.

Ingeniuosly, the many questions of THE WRAITH, much like the guiding directions in other impressionist images, provide a grander picture of a straight forward story of love, loss, and revenge. Who is the angelic avenger that, one by one, picks off the gang of road-rash-ruffians in a futuristic car? Who, inexplicably halfway through the picture, receives his untimely demise from the ruffians in the trunk of car? Can it be the same character so craftily played by Sheen, a charming young man who both befriends the young short-order chef and knocks boots with the buxomly Sherilyn Flynn?

Thankfully the audience is given a clue to THE WRAITH's avante-garde modus in the air brushed leather jacket of Nick Cassavettes: the skull-among-flames symbolizes many things, maybe most important of which is the picture's dramatic refutation of sensible organization. The line between the beautiful, bone-white skull and the jacket's hot, licking flames, is blurred in the same fashion as the line of narrative arch which threads through THE WRAITH.

80's Action connoisseurs will appreciate the steely-eyed performance Sheen gives, as well as the supplemental contributions of Chuck Howard and Randy "Uncle Eddy" Quaid. From the first moment Flynn appears on the screen, there can be no doubt that Sheen will take her to the mat---or in this case, an Arizona hot spring---and there can be no doubt that Cassevettes and co. will receive their devilish comeuppance. During the course of such a spectacle, the audience must then ultimately ask itself, will we be able to handle the power contained in rest of this film? And if so, more importantly, will we be able to ever again stomach the banality of traditional film?


The Wraith is the perfect movie to watch on a Saturday night. The film is much more than the amazing cars and the great 80s soundtrack.

The Wraith is a film that centers on the arrival of a new guy in town-Jake Keesey (played by Charlie Sheen). His arrival will disrupt the activities of Packard Walsh's gang of car thieves. Almost at the same time as Jake's arrival, a new car roars into the lives of Packard and his gang. This strange black car causes everyone in the gang to feel as if they need to race it. Yet what no one knows is that the new strange car is out to destroy Packard's gang. And there is something else. The Wraith. A mysterious spirit that is somehow connected to the new car. Packard soon realizes that there is something strange going on, something that is perhaps connected to him..to something that he and his gang did..perhaps even connected to that new guy in town, Jake.

I think The Wraith is a fantastic movie,although in my opinion, the film could have been more creative with the car racing sequences and maybe could have explained a bit more about Jake and his past, but otherwise I have no other criticisms. The gang of bad guys was mean but at the same time they offered comedic relief and fun. Characters such as Skank (played by David Sherrill)will always be memorable whenever I watch this film. I also have to comment on the fantastic soundtrack, great wardrobe, and great opening sequence.

The Wraith is a fun thrill ride through the 1980s.


The Wraith is a fairly typical mid-1980s teen movie, with the twist of a revenge-seeking ghost. It's kinda neat seeing the bad guys get their due, and it has a nice happy ending.

But who really cares about any of this...? The movie has Sherilyn Fenn in it - - 'nuff said. She's great (as usual), and Charlie Sheen is alright as well. Highly recommended, but mostly just for Fenn fans.

Score: 7


I watched this on BBC 2 a short while ago and thought it was brilliant. The 80's look in the movie looked dead corny but that was the time. I was surprised when I looked at the TV Mag and they gave it 1 star. I was shocked.Anyway The movie is about a young guy Jake Kesey (Played By The then unknown Charlie Sheen) who has been killed by a gang of street racers lead by Packard Walsh (Played by Nik Cassavetes). But Know he has risen from the dead with a new face and to seek revenge bringing with him this high powered car called "The Turbo Interceptor" and one by one he gets them all. He also has a love interest Keri (Played by Sherilyn Fenn) who was once his girlfriend when he had a different face.On to more things the soundtrack is Fantastic. The Main Song "Where's the Fire" by Tim Feehan is great 10/10. My other favourite songs are "Secret Loser" by Ozzy Osbourne , "Hold On Blue Eyes" by LaMarca , "Never Surrender" by Lion and the score itself. The stunt driving was very very good especially the interceptor and Packards Chevy Corvette going Head to Head. I also liked the old SFX. To finish off This is a great Friday night movie watch out for Clint Howard (Rughead , Who played the guy Johnstone in The Austin Powers movies. and did the Voice for The little Elephant in Disneys "The Jungle Book.). Great slice of 80's cheese.


Maybe if you've seen one 1980s horror/sci-fi/romance, you've seen them all. But you still need to see "The Wraith". It portrays a young guy (Charlie Sheen) riding into a small Arizona town which seems to be nearly run by a gang of hoodlums. The gang leader (Nick Cassavetes) is very jealous of one of the teenage girls (Sherilyn Fenn) and gets nasty if it looks like anyone else is approaching her. But things start to change for everyone once a strange black car starts driving through town.

Think about what all this movie portrays. First off, it stars Martin Sheen's son, John Cassavetes's son, Ron Howard's brother (Clint Howard sports a crazy hairdo and plays the only intelligent member of the gang), and Dennis Quaid's brother (Randy Quaid plays the sheriff and was noticeably leaner back then). Speaking of weight, women in movies were meatier back then; check out Sherilyn Fenn in her waitress outfit (or in another scene)! But another thing is about the definition of the title. A wraith is an apparition, often portending someone's doom (the word comes from Scottish, but I don't know the full origin).

Are the car races the highlight? That's debatable. The road looked very much like the same road that they used for the desert scenes in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", which of course starred another hot babe (I mean Dorothy Provine, hubba hubba).

Anyway, this is one that you're sure to love. And just keep watching the skies.

Back when Martin Sheen's father immigrated to the US from Spain and John Cassavetes's father immigrated to the US from Greece, they probably never guessed that their grandchildren would co-star in this sort of movie. Hell, back in the days when Ron Howard played Opie on "The Andy Griffith Show", people probably never guessed that his brother would star in this sort of movie. I don't know what people would have thought when Randy Quaid debuted in "The Last Picture Show".


i saw this movie,and it's my love now. But i don't have it at home. It's my only one problem with it. I love Charlie,as an actor,and i love this movie because it can touch my heart. It's the best!!! I need to watch it every time i want! Yes,i love the another movies too. You can understand what i feel if i see the movie,if you had a lonely life like mine. i am a hungering girl,i love cars,so i love this movie. I want to meet another people who feels like me. i need to know if i am not alone. i don't have anything about Charlie sheen except maybe a little photo of he. But i have the title song from the wraith... If secret loser from Ozzy is that song...


This is one of my personal favorites not just because it has a truly awesome car,The Tubo Interseptor,but it also has a cool almost Western like plot.The story starts with a bizarre spirit forming in the middle of a vacant Arizona road,he apparantly comes from outter space,along with his super-flashy car.This spirit or Wraith as he is referred to in the title is actually the avenging spirit of a murdered local kid back to take on the gang who killed him and that has been terrorizing the roads of Arizona.Charlie Sheen plays the Wraith and Sheryle Fenn plays his girl-friend who is being practically held captive by the leader of the same motor gang that killed Sheen's characterfrom the beginning.Naturally,The Wraith,or Jake as he is called when in human form,takes on these motor thugs one-on-one in some very cool and dizzying death races.In my humble opinion,the best part of this film is the soundtrack.With awesome hard rock from Ozzy,Billy Idol,Robert Palmer,Lion,Honey-moon suite and my personal fav Motley Crue. This film is really like High Planes Drifter meets The Road Warrior,being it combines classic revenge western with action road rage films.My only complaint is that the dialouge could have been much deeper and more serious but then again,this was never meant to be Shakespeare.Randy Quaide needed more screen time as well.All in all ,however,this one is 100 times better than any of those bloated,computer created dumb kiddy rides like Fast and The Furious or Tourque.This is a real road rage film. 4 out of 5 stars.


This is my second favorite movie behind maximum overdrive! It just so happens that both movies are from 1986. The Wraith has great cars, great music, great racing action & decent actors. Too bad that most viewers of this movie will see it cut up on TV, but if you hurry, you can get it on VHS or DVD like I did.


How could one not love a movie such as this. I have loved this movie since the first day I saw it. What made me watch the movie originally was the car. However, after seeing the entire movie, I was not disappointed. Plenty of cars, good story, and a good ending. Got to love it!!!

Maximus Tyre Knight ô¿~ P.S. - Why couldn't I get the car instead of his brother? ;o)


I MUST HAVE THIS SOUND TRACK!!! No longer in production, as you watch this movie and how the sound track rolls with it you'll see why both the movie and sound track are classic collector material. Some of the the dialogue was odd (like the plot), but what in the 80's wasn't? Not be goofy with any "message", but I like the love conquers theme and always good vs. bad. The special shots of the races, close to the road were nifty, it gave it a somewhat other-worldly feel and oh that car!!! Dodge really ought to go back to the production line and sell some to Joe Public. Granted not many of the stars may be thrilled with such early work and wish to be thought of as more serious, mature actors, but we all have come a long way, considering it was later that Charles Sheen was in Platoon. He's come a long way, but even in The Wraith, his star was shining, much like Mr. Quaid and Ms. Fenn....& As always, Mr. Howard provides an excellent supporting role. A must for 80's movie collectors.


This film is a lot like THE CROW only with fast cars. I love the premise of the film. The characters are very good; although, I felt that Charlie Sheen was a bit wasted as the title role of the movie. I wish that we got to see a little more of that shotgun he uses. Nick Cassavetes is great as the villain - in fact, he's so evil that I named a character in one of my stories after his character of Packard Walsh just as a reference to show how evil my character is. The action is good. And the script is well-written with a lot of good and bizarre twists. But what I liked most about this film was the soundtrack. I wish I can find at a used record store or something. I love the song "Hold on Blue Eyes" by LaMarca which plays in the scene where Charlie Sheen and Sherilyn Fenn are making love in the pond. In fact because of that song (and other reasons), I thought that was the best scene in the movie. The only thing that I didn't like about this movie was Sherilyn Fenn's annoying performance. If I was Charlie, I'm not sure if I'd really want to return from the dead for her.


The Wraith starts late one night deep in the Arizona desert as what looks like several balls of electricity fly along just above the ground eventually they merge together & form a futuristic black car & a shadowy mysterious figure that is the wraith. Packard Walsh (Nick Cassavetes) is the leader of a local gang of thugs who terrorise a small town & force other drivers of particularly nice cars to race & forfeit their car if they lose, which of course they always do. Well they always did until the wraith & his supernatural powered turbo charged car turns up, each time one of Packard's gang races the wraith they end up dead starting with Oggie Fisher (Griffin O'Neal) whose car ends up taking a dive off a cliff, Loomis (Randy Quaid) the local Sheriff is on the case. If Packard's ever shrinking gang & the ensuing police investigation isn't enough for him to worry about a new kid in town named Jake Kesey (Charlie Sheen) seems to want to date his girl Keri Johnson (Sherilyn Fenn). As Packard loses grip on the power he has he becomes determined to take revenge on the wraith, however Packard isn't the only one with revenge on his mind...

Written & directed by Mike Marvin I really didn't think too much of The Wraith. Before I start I should point out that if you read the IMDb's 'main page' for The Wraith & look at the cast list it gives away the supposed twist at the end, not that you wouldn't have guessed it within 10 minutes anyway but the IMDb usually frowns upon spoilers doesn't it... The script is as daft as they come & it takes itself very seriously, people don't speak like this in real life Mike, OK? The terrible dialogue is delivered straight faced which just doesn't work when your making a film about a supernatural car. If you think The Wraith is a silly concept for a film you would be right, it's also a crap concept for a film. Nothing is explained, how was the wraith created? Why does he get a second chance & no one else? When a couple of dead bodies are recovered from burning cars why are the bodies intact & their eyes missing? This happens a few times during The Wraith & no explanation is given whatsoever & the plot device isn't even used, at all. Why doesn't the wraith just blow Packard away with the shotgun when he had the chance? Why is the only plot twist in the entire film so easy to see coming? What on Earth is Clint Howard's hair do all about?! Why are all the character's so dumb & one dimensional? Why does Charlie Sheen get top billing on the credits yet has about 10 minutes worth of screen time & all but disappears for 45 minutes (not that I'm complaining)? Why did they decide to end things off all 'happily ever after' with plenty of cringe inducing sentimentality in a way Disney would have have been proud of? To it's credit it sort of entertains in a bad grade z sort of way & it moves along at a fair pace so at least it's never overly boring or dull.

Director Marvin brings little imagination to the action scenes, two cars racing along a virtually deserted road starts to become tedious after the fourth time. He doesn't seem to know what sort of film he want's to make, action, horror, romance, comedy, Sci-Fi or thriller & ends up with bits of each that don't gel. The wraith himself looks like some sort of Stormtrooper reject from Star Wars (1977), a very cheap suit & crash helmet & he barely has any screen time either. Marvin tries to create some style with the use of bright neon colour although completely fails of course. Forget about any sort of violence as there isn't any worth mentioning but there is some nudity.

With a supposed budget of $2,700,000 The Wraith is technically good although nothing spectacular & they should have put more effort into how the wraith himself looked. The stunts are OK & there are some decent explosions but it's nothing we haven't seen a hundred time before & the tings we haven't seen before including a car which can magically reform itself are just plain daft & feel out of place. The photography is good, the rock music is highly annoying & adds nothing to the film but generally speaking it's quite well made. The acting isn't great & Clint Howard's hair deserves a credit all of it's own, Sheen & Cassavetes also have bad 80's hair-dos.

Personally I didn't think much of The Wraith although it's just about daft enough to have a certain charm & maybe have a few admirers. I will give it three out of ten stars for some OK explosions, the silliness of it all &, of course, Clint Howard's hair.


This film may show its age nowadays but I recently bought it on DVD on the back of one viewing I made back in 87 and it is STILL awesome. Charlie Sheen is superb, many ask why he made this AFTER platoon but I think it was a wise move. The rest of the cast is outstanding and the final result is a masterpiece. Back then as a child I wanted a Turbo Interceptor, now as an adult I want one even more....BRILLIANT!


I'm 15. I was only a year old when The Wraith was released into theaters. As I grew older, I would always try to catch it when it was on T.V. but a lot of the time, I couldn't. Now after finally buying I could finally watch the film in its entirety.

One night, a kid named Jamie was caught making love to a girl. All of a sudden, a gang of punks, led by the fearsome Packard(Nick Cassavetes), bust in and they beat up and finally killing Jamie.

Now a year after his death, a kid named Jake(Charlie Sheen in a pre-stardom role) mysteriously rolls into town on a bike. He immediately starts a friendship with a kid named Billy, who works at the local burger joint. When Jake begins hitting on Keri(Sherilyn Fenn), who also happens to be Packard's girlfriend. Soon after, a mysterious car, the incredibly rare Turbo Interceptor, rolls up and challenges one the gang members to a race. As the race draws to a close, the gang member crashes and has a fiery death. One by one each of the gang members meet with lots of gruesome deaths. I won't go any further than that.

This movie is totally underrated. I'm surprised it hasn't gotten much attention over the last 16 years. You'd think it would, even with Charlie Sheen in it.

I especially like some of the performances, mainly the two gang members Skank and Gutterboy. You can easily tell they are the comic relief in this movie. Seeing Skank get high off of anti-freeze is absolutely hilarious.

Now to get to what I think is the prize of this film: The Turbo Interceptor. From what I read somewhere, only six were ever made, hence making it probably one of the rarest cars ever brought into existence.

10/10


I've seen this movie several times, but it's still amazing! I like the performers, the cars, the location-everything. The story is not the best, but the feeling during the movie is undescribable-at any rate for me. The soundtrack is fantastic. So 10 points-in my list! Watch it!


This movie had a few cheesy teen-like aspects to it and some of the acting was a little..... well lets just say off but The plot, The car, Sheryln Fenn, the special effects.... How can you not like this movie.


Essentially a revved-up sci-fi version of High Plains Drifter with 80s teens and the cute young spirit of vengeance driving the Mad Max Interceptor instead of riding into town on a horse, The Wraith is one I've remembered fondly since first seeing it on Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs in the 90s.

The story is, as other reviewers have noted, pretty hopelessly stupid, with dialogue alternating between bland and quotably goofy. Sheen, though top-billed, has little to do and isn't particularly charismatic when he's on screen. Consequently, the Wraith experience is all about the superficial elements: slick car action, hot 80s pop, eye-pleasing girls, etc. Also noteworthy, however, is the colorful supporting cast, including Randy Quaid as the sheriff, and scene-stealing comic relief cretins Skank, Gutterboy, and Rughead (the eternally fascinating Clint Howard sporting an Eraserhead 'do).

It's amusing to see the wild array of user reactions to The Wraith, ranging from exaggeratedly laudatory ("Sheen's Post-Impressionist Masterpiece", whatever that means) to dismissive ("Really bad 80's cheese") to indignantly blunt ("crap!!"). It really depends on how you feel about the wacky decade that unleashed The Wraith, a disposable 80s trash flick par excellence. All you need to know is that this movie is 80s to the max. I might be disposed to dismiss The Wraith as time-wasting crap, myself, if it weren't for the fact that it's such utterly fun and nostalgically classic crap.


Back in 1986, The Wraith just about qualified as a moderately entertaining alternative should the video rental shop be all out of copies of Aliens or Top Gun; however, when watched twenty three years later from a nostalgic point of view, this silly supernatural revenge flick actually proves to be a whole heap of fun. Charlie Sheen's lifeless performance; the sheer naffness of the race scenes; an ever-present pop/rock soundtrack; Nick Cassavetes' ridiculously nasty boo-hiss bad guy; a collection of annoying comic-book punks with idiotic names and silly mannerisms: The Wraith is perfect for anyone looking for some mindless popcorn action and a bit of a laugh at the expense of the decade that taste forgot.

Sheen plays a restless spirit who returns from the afterlife in a turbo charged ghost car to seek revenge on the reprehensible road pirates responsible for his death, rescue roller waitress Keri (the scorching Sherilyn Fenn) from the clutches of psychotic killer Packard Walsh (Cassavetes), and say goodbye to his younger brother Billy (Matthew Barry).

Although the film's star isn't really given that much to do (for much of the time, Sheen's character is hidden behind he wheel of his otherworldly car or in a silly cyberpunk suit and black full-face helmet), the excellent supporting cast more than make up for his absence: Randy Quaid is great as a desert cop trying to make sense of the carnage; Clint Howard gives another memorable performance as a mechanic with crazy hair; and Fenn is effortlessly sexy, and gets her top off once or twice during proceedings.

With more cheese than one of the burgers served up by Keri at the Big K bar, The Wraith is a great time-waster and recommended to all fans of 80s cult cinema.


Oh I feel dirty now, I actually liked this movie! Of course it was some typical '80's cheese but I also have the feeling that the makers really didn't thought that they were making something classic. It's pretty good for what it is; a simple '80's revenge flick, with basically every '80's ingredient in it thinkable.

Yes this movie has '80's written all over it! Fast sport cars, crazy dressed punks, roller-skates, bad '80's music and of course '80's star Charlie Sheen in it, just before his "Platoon" role, which really marked his breakthrough.

The movie and its story is kept fairly simple and because of that the movie also feels very straight-forward, which definitely is a plus for these type of movies. The main plot-line and fun characters are interesting enough to keep your interest. Its a pretty crazy concept and the movie mixes numerous movie types, such as science-fiction, action, horror, a racing movie, drama and much more. It's impossible to label just one genre to this movie and its even more difficult to say how to describe this movie. It's a cheesy silly B-movie, that because of that also at the same time becomes very entertaining to watch.

The movie has some nice looking races and the 'Wraith's' car is just basically every teen-boy's, from the '80's, dream. Also the other cars in the movie are really great, despite the fact that I'm really normally not a 'cars' type of person.

Let's be fair, Charlie Sheen has never been on any 'great actors lists' and this movie makes you see why. He's too flat in his role but luckily he isn't featured that much in the movie, at least not as much as you would expect from the 'main' character. The movie more focuses on the gang of drag racers, who are the bad guys of the movie, and on whom the 'Wraith' takes revenge, for killing him in the past. The gang features actors such as a young Nick Cassavetes (who now days is perhaps better known as a director) and Clint Howard in it. Further more, Randy Quaid also plays a role in the movie as the sheriff. He's good in his role but he's not really supported by most of the other actors in this movie, which also makes his performance look bad at times.

A very enjoyable, good looking, silly, cheesy, typical '80's flick, that you just have to take for what it is.

7/10


If you accept that it takes two of the characters a long time to figure out who Jake really is, even though the evidence of his past is written on his back, the film is a decent revenge film. There is no redeeming quality at all to the bad guys and you have to feel that they deserve whatever is coming to them. Hot rod buffs will drool over the cars in the film, and rock fans will love the soundtrack. It is hard to imagine today that Charlie Sheen was making movies at that age. As someone else noted, this is not Oscar winning stuff, but it is an interesting 92 minutes. But how to classify it? Drama, Action Adventure, Science Fiction or horror? It's your choice.


The Wraith is one of the few movies growing up in the Eighties that l found truly captivating from numerous reasons.Most enduring as a young male at the time of its release were the unique cars,race sequences and a mysterious plot.

In my opinion the key elements which make it in every part a "sci fi classic" is it still remains the one movie l can continually watch over and over again.If you allow yourself not to scrutinize certain predictable outcomes and appreciate the legacy of what essential was a low budget film,it has in my opinion more than delivered a satisfactory movie.

The movie coupled with the fantastic soundtrack,meant that in years gone by it was always first amongst the movies on video night.Two movies which l feel a similar and most definitely be appreciated by fans of The Wraith, are two Australian films made slightly prior to The Wraith.The obvious movie being Mad Max,however the second less obvious is the movie "Running on Empty",similar plots lines,identifiable characters and outback,desert type settings are all evident.

In summary a truly enjoyable movie,where you strap yourself along for the ride.Win the race,Win the Girls heart and get the second chance everyone so desperately wishes for.


Great and funny movie! The smaller parts of Skank and Gutterhead were hilarious. I just loved those two guys. They almost stole the movie from Charlie Sheen. Charlie and Keri (lead boy and girl) were well cast. It was a toss-up who was the prettier of the two. While watching I thought Keri amazingly sexy and wondered if she was some Playboy Centerfold who won a part in a small movie. (check out her biography on IMDb, she WAS a bunny at one time). Every outfit she had was absolutely cute and hot looking. The cars were cool and it was fun watching them race. Two bloopers I caught were when Skank and Gutterhead had a shotgun. They kept talking about putting "bullets" in the shotgun. You would think scriptwriters knew that you put shotgun SHELLS in a shotgun, not bullets. Bullets go in a gun. Also, I had to look up Cassavetes birthplace. For 99% of the movie he speaks "standard American English" (no identifiable accent). But one scene where he is in his bad guy garage, and Randy Quaid approaches him, he slips into some kind of New York/New Jersey accent. See if you can catch it, it's only a few lines but he gives away his birthplace. I looked him up on the IMDb and he's from New York. Randy Quaid is perfectly cast, as usual. The guy is a legend.


Wow. I discovered this little gem of a movie when my dad bought a crap load of DVD's from one of his friends.

Before I begin with this review, I have to say that the soundtrack of this movie is really unbelievably great. If you want it, you might have to spend upwards of 80 dollars for it... it's been out of production for quite awhile now. In fact, I downloaded the two best tracks from it: "Where's the Fire?" by Tim Feehan, and "Hearts vs. Heads" by Stan Bush. You have to download them right now.

Anyways, on to the review.

The movie is about a weird guy in a funny looking suit who comes to town in a very snazzy futuristic car. His mission is to get revenge, and the person is seeking is a guy named Packard (Nick Cassavetes), a person so unflinchingly bad, he stretches the known laws of space. The opening is of him and his stupid idiot henchman taking a car from a couple by cheating in a race.

Just to get it out of the way right now, Packard is a sadistic son of a whore. You'll get a clear picture of just how ridiculously mean he is later on, but for now, let's continue with the story.

Anyways, around the same time this "wraith" comes to town (ahhhh, sheer brilliance, i must say), a young man named Jake (Charlie Sheen) comes to town on a weird sounding dirt bike. He tries to pick up a girl named Keri (Sherilynn Fenn), but Packard won't have it. See, through flashbacks of a certain night a long, long time ago, we see a guy who kinda looks like Jake having sex with Keri. The flashbacks become more and more clearer as the movie goes on, and from there we see that Packard killed the young man to get Keri all his own.

What a guy, I tell you.

Anyways, if you haven't already figured it out, Jake is the young man re-incarnated, and he's also the stranger with the car. He's here for one thing, and that's killing everyone who was involved with his death. How does he do this? Well, Packard's gang is very keen on racing people for their cars, so he does this to everyone is Packard's gang, and at the end of each race, he sits there and has their car run into his and explode.

Right...

So, this is all looking very weird, and the local sheriff, Loomis (Randy Quaid)is not really concerned, since it seems that it's only Packard's gang this killer is hitting. So that's his role: to talk to Packard, and go on vein attempts at nabbing the killer.

Wahoo.

So, while that is going on, Jake gets with Keri, meets his brother, Billy (Matthew Barry), etc.

The ending is probably what you expected: Jake and Packard duke it out with their cars, with Jake ultimately prevailing. It's at that time his identity is finally revealed, and he leaves his car to his brother and rides with Keri into the sunset.

Wahoo. But seriously speaking, I really, really enjoyed this movie. There are some decent performances, especially from Cassavetes, who apparently likes playing a prick. Charlie Sheen does what he can with what he's got, and he pulls it off well. Sherilynn Fenn does what she does best: shows her breasts (well, one of them anyway), and finally there's Clint Howard! Basically, it's dumb fun at it's finest, and I'm glad I have it in my collection. It shouldn't be too much money, so I suggest you buy it.


I don't know how many times i watched this movie when i was younger. Surely one of the most under rated B-Sci fi movies of the 80's. The special effects are decent enough and the story line is VERY good considering the type of movie it is.

The story centers around Packard Walsh (Nick Cassavetes), Keri (Sherilyn Fenn), and Jake (Charlie Sheen). Only problem is. Jake is killed by Packard and his gang of misfits. (always wanted to say that) Thats when he comes back as The Wraith. With his mystical car and revenge on his mind, as well as the love for Keri that Packard wasn't able to take from him. This movie has probably been on the Sci Fi channel, USA, WGN, as well as others more than any other movie of its type. late at night of course.! its one of those that now a days you'll find at 2 or 3 am. But, its still just as fun to watch as it was when i was younger and watched it. Of course this isn't the best sci fi movie made. and it is by far the worst. its just a fun movie to watch with the actors in it that have made more of a name for themselves now than they did then.! of course, just like the other movies i review. grab a 6 pack on a rainy day, and you'll LOVE this movie for sure.!


As far as B movies go, this one's up there. The acting isn't great, the plot's a little cheesy... but the movie still has very redeeming qualities: First off, the Dodge Turbo Interceptor is a bad-A car. Also, the movie never really drags on, which is a hard thing to say for most B movies. Lastly, even though their acting may not be real hot, Gutterboy and Skank are fairly believable (and hilarious) characters. If you like Charlie Sheen and want a glimpe into his humble beginnings, check this one out!


This movie is kinda cheesy but its good, I love the appearance of the "Turbo Interceptor" (the car that the wraith drove", the ending is a happy one, and the gang well.....that would be telling too much!


I recently found this movie on DVD and instantly knew it had to be in my collection. Yes, other reviews will tell you all about the 'holes in the plot' or pick apart the making, but for sheer nostalgic value, this is a hit. Admittedly, a lot of my enthusiasm for this movie has to do with the fact that I was thirteen years old in 1986. I have had several talks with friends about the 'cool' movies we remembered growing up, and "The Wraith" always surfaces. Movies like this one are fun to sit back and grin a little bit at how serious they really were when making it, and poke some fun at a young Charlie Sheen and Randy Quaid. It may be slightly on the guy side of the chart, but for anyone that likes a little cheese now and then (especially if you were a young teen in the 80's), check this one out.


This Columbo episode is one of the best episodes of this popular long running series. It is based on a California Senate campaign. I loved to watch this one to see Katey Sagal as the candidate's secretary, years before her Married with Children fame. I enjoy watching Joanna Linville's performance as the drunken candidate's wife. Columbo is at his greatest in these classic episodes. The plot is well written and sensible to understanding the motives and actions of the murder. One of the best scenes is when Columbo goes to an exclusive tailor in Beverly Hills and ask about buying a suit. They recommend Sears or some mainstream department store. After all, Columbo can't afford a tailor made suit on a detective's salary.


Nelson Hayward (Jackie Cooper) is running for senate as a man tough on crime. His campaign manager Harry Stone (Ken Swofford) demands the candidate dump his mistress (Tisha Sterling) and backs up the demand with threats to expose the politician's shady past. But Stone approves of the candidate's publicity-minded lie that anonymous killers are threatening the politician's life, little guessing that Hayward will murder him and blame it on these invented assailants. Hayward sets up a tricky alibi for himself that includes a surprise birthday party for his wife (Joanne Linville). No one guesses the truth except that annoying Italian cop in the rumpled raincoatour redoubtable Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk).

Except for comic scenes included to pad the running time, this is a top-notch "Columbo" episode. The dialoguefrom a script credited to four writers, not counting the story creditis particularly sharp, especially in the scene where Cooper turns the tables on Columbo and insists on giving him his undivided attention; this time it's the suspect interrupting our clever detective with irrelevancies. Swofford, Linville and Sterling all give sterling support; and Jackie Cooper makes a splendid villaina charming but unscrupulous politician with a wrinkled but handsomely boyish face that makes him look like a mortified schoolboy in the last scene.


It's not the best Columbo movie out of the series but it's just as good and perfectly watchable as most other Columbo series from the long running series of fine movies.

The movie features some very long sequences, of which some are really too long. Some sequences just go on and on without getting swiftly to its point, while it easily could. Also not all of the sequences seem to be relevant for the actual movie and its main plot. The movie is also one of the longest Columbo movies made, with its 98 minutes. It doesn't make this the fastest or best flowing Columbo movie but its story still keeps the movie interesting throughout.

It also isn't the most clever Columbo movie in terms of the killer his plot and it isn't a Columbo movie with many twists to the story but it simply is a well written solid story that remains interesting throughout its characters and settings.

Having a candidate for senator as the movie its killer works out fine. It provides the movie with some tense sequences between the killer and Lt. Columbo, since Columbo is obviously somewhat reluctant at first of making accusations against such an highly respected man, that also above all things is his wives favorite candidate. And of course the senatorial candidate is underestimating the lieutenant.

The movie also features all of the other usual Columbo movie ingredients, including some good relieving humor. Perhaps a tad bit more humor than the usual Columbo movie but it's welcome.

The movie is also made great to watch thanks to its fine performances. Peter Falk is great in his role and he fits the part like a glove. Can you just imaging any other actor portraying the iconic figure? In this movie he is playing opposite Jackie Cooper, who is best known to the main public as Perry White from the Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve. He is really great and charismatic in his part and a worthy 'important' opponent for the lieutenant.

Simply another fine Columbo movie entry, of the usual high standards.

7/10


I saw this film, accidentally, in t.v., and I feel astonished how dramatic stories can be expressed by so simple and poor instruments and, still, be so strong and unforgetable. A love story in an impossible circumstances of war and slandering (in Hungary of World War 2) - could exist? may be love cannot exist without freedom? Or, in opposite: real love is possible only in a crazy times? it's very realistic and sad movie which tell us about a short love but real one (because this love stand against all difficulties of those days). I recommend you to see "confidence" and you will not forget this masterpiece drama.


Who can you really trust? Your husband of many years, or a stranger you have only just met, but upon whom your life depends?

Janos and Kata are thrown together during the war forced to pose as husband and wife to hide from the Nazis. As they grow closer, the intensity and suffocating intimacy of their new relationship and the circumstances in which they find themselves, forces them to confront past prejudices and assumptions and challenge what they truly believe.

The nature of our trust and faith in others is delicately, yet powerfully explored in this profoundly moving film by István Szabó.


This was shown as part of a festival of films by Szabo Istvan at the National Gallery of Art Feb-March 08. nga dot gov.Suspense and tension is superbly developed. The ensemble work among actors, director, and cinematographer remind you of the best of Carroll Reed's films. Except they are all better. The male lead must have been the George Clooney of his day in Hungary. What does it mean to trust, surrender, take and give sexual intimacy, and love when you are explicitly denying your identity and suspect what even your love for your spouse? The print was excellent. The English subtitles were projected below the screen. I hope this means a transfer to DVD can be and will be released. I would rent or buy this for at least one more viewing. This is a more personal and affecting film than Szabo's "Sunshine." See it if you have a chance, even before Szabo's other, bigger films. (Colonel Redl, Mephisto, Hanussen.)


This is the best movie I have ever seen. It still is even though the year is 2005. Mani's talent is proved in this single movie. This movie made him my favourite director. I keep watching this movie at my leisure time. I would have seen this movie at least for 25 times. I remember each and every scene. A great inspirer at times of problems. The story is about how two lovers who struggle for their love inspite of the pathetic situation they are in. Each and every character has acted naturally. They have lived their roles which makes this movie more interesting to watch. This movie also shows that life should be lived to the extent possible and love between a mother and a son is very well shown. Love in its pure form is shown in this movie. This movie is for every age and a good movie to watch with a family. I suggest this as a must see movie. I have this movie 9 even though I could have easily given it 10. Don't miss this movie.


the guy (nagarjuna) has a rare disease where his days are numbered , he wants to get away from his surrounding. so , he goes to a hill station. there he meets a girl (girija) who is naughty and teaser.later, he finds the girl is also suffering from a rare disease where her days are numbered too. but, she is not worried . he begins to like her and vice versa. but, hides about his health. later, the heroine does'nt want to be with him as she is afraid he might die before her. but, what happens later is the movie.

a must watch movie. good performance by the heroine (girija). good music by illayraja and good direction by mani ratnam.

the movie has won national award for s.p.balasubramaniyam for best male playback singer.


Geetanjali, a great movie by Mani Ratnam with arguably the best music album of Ilayaraja...

This is the only Telugu movie directed by mani ratnam till date and he has ensured that his place in the annals of telugu movie history is safe with this movie.

Ilayaraja, that maestro of Indian movie music is known for providing his best to Mani Ratnam. Even considering this, Geetanjali was Ilayaraja's greatest single album ever.

Both Mani & Ilayaraja were at a great advantage, working in this movie because they were unencumbered by living up to the expectations of their native Tamil movie background.

As it emerged both of them reached heights they never did before or after with this movie... (yeah, i know the entire series of maniratnam's movies and most of Ilayaraja's music...)

The main protagonist's death is but a matter of ti me, and the leading lady is in a similar situation. But as it happens, the protagonist learns to live his life "in the now" from the leading lady and in the process they grow together. I wont say they fall in love because the movie never considers the romantic side of their life.

Despite there being a whole song showing them kissing each other, it does not appear that they are sexually involved. That song depicts them getting together as companions in their struggle against their destiny, rather than sexually involved.

Other aspects of the movie worth mentioning are the great photography and fabulous screenplay. Despite being saddled with a large number of songs, and no real story to speak of, viewer will never feel the time ticking by during the movie.

And at the end of the movie, you think if only this movie lasted longer... That probably is the best compliment you can give a movie.

The comedy track interspersed with the movie is the only part that sticks out like a sore thumb and i think that was mani's way of taking care of the commercial interests of the producer. Luckily in most versions on television that i saw eliminated this track and i never missed this piece. But i detest this track and so the movie gets only 8 out of 10.


great movie,great music and fantastic direction.it is not possible for any directors to direct such a story with heart touching scenes.even the one who hates love will have a thought of doing love if he/she watches this movie.it is very hard for everyone to believe that this is the first movie for both hero and heroine.they played such an attracting role.songs like "OH PRIYA","OM NAMAGA",OH PAPA LAALI" make to watch this movie repeatedly.the movie's story is simple but the way of direction and cinematography makes us to love this movie.this is one of the biggest hit for the director in all major languages in India.definitely a must watch movie for all ages.


I Like ManiRtanams movies

But Geetanjali is something different and its a class of its own in the sense even if you see after 15-20 yrs its still looks fresh story. all the characters Justified it. They are lively and well suited.

Ilayaraja supplimented this with excellent music.

Girija acting in her first movie was the center of attraction as she suited for the role and acted very professionally.

I wonder not to see her again in films. Nagarjuna did his job perfectly but the credit goes to the director who portrayed these roles and refined them.

Hats Off Mani Sir. Expecting more from you like these classics.


very nice movie with romance and lovely music by Ilayaraja and dance by Sundaram. The photography by P.C.Sriram is beautiful


Great story and great action! Needless to say anything beyond this!!


Hey, I know by far that Spain produces the best comedy series ever, perhaps even better than any American. I can't say the same of other kind of series, but we are GREAT at comedies. For example: "Aquí no hay quien viva", "Los Serrano", "Aída", "7 Vidas", "Médico de Familia", "Todos los hombres sois iguales", etc, etc, etc... Yeah, we might not be the best making movies, or making mystery series, but we are good with the comedy series. 7 Vidas? A very good example. And, it's not like Friends at all. It's just some kind of humor that makes it singular. The main theme it's not very much. There is a guy who had an accident and was in coma for 18 years. Then his sister, his best friend, his best friend's mother and his cousin try to get him into the world again. The most important thing of 7 Vidas are it's jokes and it's stupid stories, the singularity of the characters that make you laugh. The actors are so good, too. Javier Camera is a genius, Amparo Baró does it pretty well and Anabel Alonso (I gotta say, my favourite) is a great comedian. If you haven't see it yet, you have to see it.


Although I try not to miss any episode of "7 vidas" now, I have to say that I never watched it on its first seasons. However, the impression I have is that, like it happens with wine, this sitcom has been getting better and better throughout the years. Does anyone really remember that its initial premise was the awakening of a young man who had been in a coma since his late teens?

Nowadays "7 vidas" portrays the lives of a bunch of people of different ages and backgrounds who constitute an atypical group of friends. However, the plot is the least important feature in this series, since it's mostly based on its humor. Puns, witty remarks, some physical comedy and an ironic view of Spanish society make a few millions of Spaniards await their weekly share of "7 vidas".

Amparo Baro is the heart and soul of the series, but very few remember that her character was originally a supporting one. Blanca Portillo and Anabel Alonso have proved their great ability as comediennes, but the great discovery here has been unknown Carmen Machi, who had mostly worked in theater before and is now heading for a spin-off based on her character, Aida. Javier Cámara and Guillermo Toledo are sorely missed since they decided to leave the series, but new faces like Santi Millán or Santi Rodriguez have managed to keep viewers stuck to their TVs.

This is, in fact, the live proof that a witty, well-written series can actually be successful in our country, and I hope it will still run for a few more years to come.


The show clearly started as a vile 'Friends' copy, whoever denies this should pay more attention, some plots and scenes weren't changed at all. But the 'Friends's stage only lasted a couple of years, the post-coma plot disappeared and the series became a standard comedic show. Once there it became repetitive and bland. The kind of humour in this show was formulaic and predictable, just awful. A short conversation always preceded the punchline read by an angry character to the 'dumb' one followed by the canned laughter. Later, they included political jokes, giving a 'political' dimension to some characters, this was, in my view, a mistake.

The cast significantly changed throughout the years, and not for the better. I deeply respect Javier Camera and Amparo Baró's performances but I can't say the same about the rest of the cast. People like Eva Santolaria, Guillermo Toledo or Santi Millán should be kept miles away from a camera.

The success of the show can only be explained with the lack of competition and the abyssal level of Spanish TV.


What happened to the sweet, precocious little girl we all grew up with? When the series was canceled, I felt there was something amiss and I wanted the network to bring Punky Brewster back... they never did. Now I cannot find reruns anywhere, did everyone forget how special and beautiful this little show was? It was one of those hidden gems, a show that brought the whole family together.

When I came home from school in the afternoon, there were two shows: Small Wonder and Punky Brewster. When they came on, I would stop whatever I was doing, glue myself to the television, slip on my different-colored sneakers and instantly I'd have Punky Power! I remember how Soliel Moon Frye lit up the room every time she smiled, it was like you knew everything was going to be alright. I loved how the show was always fresh and innocent, much better than the violence-induced cop shows and legal dramas of today's audience.


The timing for this episode was perfect. My daughter, then, 9 or 10, was curious about the Santa thing, she was definitely asking questions. This episode gained another 2 years of magic for her, well me really. I was touched beyond belief with this episode. I sat with my Daughter and watched this with her, it was a magical episode. I think we watched it another 6 OR 7 times over the course of the holiday season. I felt it should have been a Holiday special every year, along with the Frosty's, Grinches, Rudolph's etc. I am now purchasing this boxed set for my Grandson, who is turning 9 soon. I can't wait to sit and relive the wonderful experience of this episode again. Truly one that shouldn't be missed and should be watched by all family members, together!


This show was so much fun. I suppose it could get on your nerves but it was never meant to be taken overly seriously. I was a kid when it first came out and I've seen every episode. That is probably the reason I like it so much. And I love Soliel Moon Frye, she is still pretty cool. THis is just a fun little show from the 80's that is just meant to be enjoyed.


This Show Is The Best I Have Ever Seen Henry Warinmont The Photo Man Talks About Childhood Memories Like Mister Rogers Has A Heart Like Mister Warbucks One Episode Dog Dough Afternoon When Punky Started A Dog Grooming Business She Wanted To Do Anything To Make It Last But Realized That Mister Warinmont Said You're Not Expensive You're Pricless That's A Way To Say I Love You When Punky First Cleaned Mister Warinmont's Aparment When It Was A Pig Pen In The Poilt Episode Punky Finds A Home It Was Another Way To Say I Love You Like The Song In Mister Rogers Neighborhood That Goes There Are Many Ways To Say I Love You


Very impressive cast in a better than OK murder mystery. With touches of All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard, this film moves along at a good clip with only a few draggy scenes.

Ginger Rogers plays a bitchy stage diva who is married to a mousy man (Reginald Gardiner) and lives in the same apartment building as her producer (Van Heflin) who is also married to an actress (Gene Tierney). While Tierney is away, Heflin attends one of Rogers' big parties and meets a quiet young woman (Peggy Ann Garner) who actually has no real interest in acting or theatre. She is a writer. He invites her out for a real meal and she insinuates herself into his life.

The party scene is pretty funny with Ginger ripping off several "Margo Channing" ripostes at the expense of Bea Benaderet. Heflin is infatuated with the serious young Garner whose only link to the stage is her uncle (Otto Kruger) who is an actor. She also befriends a young brother and sister from Boston (Virginia Leith & Skip Homeier) who are doing the Greenwicj Village beatnik thing.

Well there is an apparent suicide and that brings in a detective (George Raft) who hounds everyone. When the suicide is discovered to be a murder, things get really dicey for all involved.

For the most part the acting is solid. I never liked Heflin but he's OK in this film. Rogers plays the diva well and looks great. Tierney gets a few good scenes. Raft is solid as the detective. Gardiner is especially good, but Peggy Ann Garner, a top child star of the 40s is quite excellent as the moody and strange young writer. Oddly, she didn't make a film after this one for another 12 years. She reminds me here of Barbara Bel Geddes. Bea Benaderet as the party guest, Otto Kruger as the uncle, and Leith and Homeier as the beatniks are all good.

Also in this film are Cathleen Nesbitt oddly cast as a cleaning lady, Mabel Albertson is the bar owner, Hilda Simms plays the sympathetic waitress, and believe it or not, the gangly witness from the movie theater is Aaron Spelling, who would have a major career as a TV producer.

Worth a watch.


No matter how pretentious the cocktail party, never escape by asking another wallflower out for dinner. That was theatrical producer Van Heflin's mistake when, on the terrace of Broadway diva Ginger Rogers' apartment, he took pity on hopeful young writer Peggy Ann Garner. Just a few months later, she was found hanged in the bathroom of his apartment.

It was all very innocent, though. While his wife, another star on the Rialto (Gene Tierney), was away tending to her ailing mother, Heflin let Garner use his place as a daytime office so she could write in quiet comfort. (Well, not so quiet: She listens to `The Dance of the Seven Veils' from Salome incessantly and fixates on a line from the opera: `The mystery of love is stronger than the mystery of death.') But when it turns out not only that she was pregnant but that she was murdered, the police sensibly enough find in Heflin their prime suspect.

Black Widow, written and directed by Nunnally Johnson, assembles an impressive array of Hollywood luminaries across whose resumés long shadows were beginning to creep. Along with Rogers, Tierney and Heflin, there's George Raft as a police detective, Otto Krueger as Garner's actor uncle and Reginald Gardiner as Rogers' whipped spouse. It's an ensemble-cast, 40s-high-style mystery movie, made about a decade too late but not too much the worse for that (even allowing for its color and Cinemascope).

Heflin's technically the center of the movie  the patsy racing around to prove his innocence. But the meatier parts go to the women, except for Tierney, all but wasted in the recessive role of the elegant but dutiful wife. Garner makes her abrupt exit early in the movie, but returns in startlingly revisionist flashbacks. And, as the grande dame (named `Carlotta,' perhaps in homage to another grande dame of the stage, Marie Dressler's Carlotta Vance in Dinner at Eight?), Rogers strides around in big-ticket outfits and fakes a highfalutin drama-queen accent. For most of the movie it seems like ill-fitting role for the essentially proletarian Rogers, but it's shrewdly written, and near the end she shows her true colors, becoming, briefly, sensational.

Like Repeat Performance and All About Eve, Black Widow uncoils in a high-strung, back-stabbing theatrical milieu that's now all but vanished  all the money and the glamour have moved west. (Not to put too fine a point on it, but the tiny part of a struggling Greenwich Village actor is taken by television producer Aaron Spelling, now one of the richest men in Hollywood.) The movie cheats a little by withholding information essential to our reading of the characters, but it's a forgivable feint; the characters are all `types' anyhow. There is, however, one baffling omission  there's not a single widow in the plot.


Now on DVD, 1954's BLACK WIDOW is a handsome, intriguing and enjoyable whodunit. Filmed in the glory days of CinemaScope and stereo sound, this is what Fox did at its best. Their scope films from THE ROBE on should all be released on DVD. BLACK WIDOW stars Ginger Rogers, Van Heflin and Gene Tierney. Peggy Ann Garner is the "new" girl in town with aspirations to become a writer. As luck would have it her Uncle happens to be an actor in a show produced by the Van Heflin character and then things start to get sticky. A small drawback is the use of so many interiors with fake backgrounds and some static blocking of scenes, something like a stage play. Other than that the picture rocks with twists and turns with some good acting by some old pros. Ginger Rogers (probably not unlike her real self) is wonderful as an aging diva. Van Heflin is properly perplexed in an undemanding role. Gene Tierney still looks good, but doesn't have much to do. Peggy Ann does very well as the center of attention. Virginia Leith, a Fox contract player, is awesome in her few scenes. She should have made more films. A nice bit is turned in by an unbilled Mabel Albertson, and a very nice performance by a Hildy Simms helps the plot along. People writing about this should NOT do any spoiler alerts as I was surprised as to who did Peggy Ann Garner in. A wonderful transfer and two short but interesting specials on Gene and Ginger. A very insightful commentary makes this a disc to have. Now Fox has to release some other titles of the same era such as NO DOWN PAYMENT; WOMEN'S WORLD; IN LOVE AND WAR; and UNTAMED.


This is the 1954 movie, not the latter one with Debra Winger in it. It's rare to see this film although it's shown on Fox Movie Channel once in a while. Directed by Nunnally Johnson who also adapted it from a story by Hugh Wheeler, it tells the tale of a young girl, excellently played by the famous child star, Peggy Ann Garner, all grown up, who attempts to make it big in NYC. Along the way we meet many characters who she uses to get where she wants to go. Among them are Ginger Rogers, in an overacted yet delightful performance as a famous actress who demands to be the center of attention; Van Heflin as an underplayed playwright, becoming one of the victims; Gene Tierney, wasted in a thankless role as the supporting wife to Van, going around looking pretty but nothing much else given to her to do; Reginald Gardner, a distinguished veteran in films, playing hen pecked hubby to Ginger; George Raft, in his usual dead pan performance as the detective investigating the case (he must have taken classes under Buster Keaton's tutelage); another veteran character actor, Otto Kruger makes an impressive appearance as does Cathleen Nesbitt, the distinguished English actress I've had the pleasure to have worked with, in a surprisingly small and thankless role as an American housekeeper; Virginia Leith, young 20th Fox starlet as Garner's roommate and another child actor grown up, Skip Homeier (remember him in TOMORROW THE WORLD?) as Garner's boy friend.

Put all the stars together and you have a strong cast of players. Add Technicolor and cinemascope and you have good entertainment of it's time.


Van Heflin is a theatrical producer who's suspected of murder in "Black Widow," a 1954 20th Century Fox Technicolor film directed by Nunnally Johnson. The film is set in New York among the sophisticated Broadway set, and the cast is full of familiar faces: Ginger Rogers, Gene Tierney, George Raft, Reginald Gardiner, Peggy Ann Garner, Virginia Leith, Otto Kruger, Mabel Albertson, and even Aaron Spelling.

Garner plays a young writer who, new to New York, keeps making increasingly important friends until she winds up an apparent suicide in the apartment of producer Peter Denver and his beautiful actress wife, Lottie. Soon, however, it's revealed that she was murdered, and Heflin is the prime suspect. During his own investigation as he tries to keep George Raft from putting him in prison, he learns that the sweet young thing may have been young, but she wasn't sweet.

Though a little slow at times, this is a highly entertaining film with its shots of New York and panoramic views from luxury apartments. The acting is wonderful. Ginger Rogers is great as the glamorous, acid-tongued Iris, a well-known actress with a ne'er do well husband, played effectively by Gardiner. Gene Tierney looks lovely but has a supporting role in this as Heflin's wife. The film sports two former child actors: Peggy Ann Garner as the murder victim and Skip Homeier as one of her love interests. Newcomer Virginia Leith is Homeier's sister and Garner's confidante. Garner looks appropriately innocent.

The looping in this film is very obvious for some reason - at least on television, some of the sound was fuzzy and then boom! the dubbing would come in. A very minor point. The mystery is intriguing, the glamor high, the dialogue sharp - an engrossing way to spend one's time.