Martin (1977) Movie Review
Written By: K.M.C
Edited By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director: George A. Romero
Producers: Richard Rubinstein
Writers: George A. Romero
Date Released: May 10, 1977
Cast:
John Amplas as Martin Mathias
Lincoln Maazel as Tateh Cuda
Christine Forrest as Christina
Elayne Nadeau as Abbie Santini
Tom Savini as Arthur
Sara Venable as housewife victim
George A. Romero as Father Howard
J. Clifford Forrest Jr. as Father Zulemus
et. al.
Rating = 3/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
Martin, who physically looks like a teenage boy, has struggled his entire life with the fact that not only does he have a long life span, but also has a thirst for blood. He is then met with Cuda, his superstitious and cynical uncle who constantly reminds Martin of his hatred for what he dreams “vampires”. A brutal series of events start to unfold as Martin tries to cope with his new surroundings as well as his need for blood, specifically from young women. As Martin tries to lead a normal life, his dark cravings for blood keep putting him in situations where he may not live to kill again.
Gore Factor
Martin (1977) has it’s bloody moments that really make the audience squirm in their seats. From the way Martin draws blood from his victims to the misfortunate events that occur to the characters, the films main gore moments mainly revolve around brutal arm slits to stakes being stabbed through the chest.
The Grave Review
Approaching an overused concept such as a teenage vampire story with a twist is exactly what makes Martin an enjoyable, yet quirky, horror film. Romero did a decent job at reminding the audience of the basic vampire stereotypes that we are presented with time and time again through Maazel’s character. His character consistently challenged Ampla’s character in a way that left you rooting for the “bad guy” aka the vampire of the story. It was refreshing to see that the only vampire-like characteristics Martin has are his taste for blood and ability to have a longer life span.
The acting was a bit campy where Martin, specifically, could leave the audience questioning why he is reacting to certain things in the odd way he does. But this factor alone makes the audience come to the conclusion that his odd, almost cringy, behavior derives from years of running away, murderous trauma, and social isolation. So the question that the film leaves the audience with is “Was this phenomenal acting or terribly awkward acting?” In short, Romero did a fantastic job in conveying the social and delusional setbacks derived from trauma and misinformation not only through Martin, but with all the other main characters.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives Martin (1977)three graves out of five graves.
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