FREAK, RAPIST ASSHOLE! - GEORGE A ROMERO'S "MARTIN" 4K REVIEW

We were, all of us collectively, blessed by the existence of GEORGE A ROMERO. You perhaps don’t know it, but trust me, we were. I’m not even just talking about his original TRILOGY OF THE DEAD, and I’m not even extending that to movies like CREEPSHOW or THE CRAZIES. I’m talking about the real deep cut stuff like KNIGHTRIDERS, SEASON OF THE WITCH, and this, MARTIN, an unusual, melancholic, and introspective affair that also happens to be a vampire movie. Kinda. Sorta. It’s not really very clear. Let me explain…

Martin (JOHN AMPLAS), a young man who believes himself to be an 84 year old vampire, has been sent to live with his cousin, Cuda (LINCOLN MAAZEL), in Braddock; a dying town in a forgotten corner of Pennsylvania. Cuda also believes wholeheartedly that Martin is a vampire and has been tasked by the family-at-large with Martin’s rehabilitation. Who exactly sent Martin to Cuda and why he agreed to this relocation remains a mystery throughout the movie’s run time, but that’s kinda unimportant. In Braddock, Martin will forge real human relationships, seemingly for the first time, with Cuda’s vivacious and free-thinking granddaughter, Christina (CHRISTINE FORREST) and Mrs Santini (ELAYNE NADEAU), a depressed and lonely housewife who takes a shine to Martin’s singular and mercurial nature.

MARTIN is actually about a great many things. To suggest or infer that this is simply “ROMERO’s Vampire movie” is, quite frankly, insulting. Actually, in it’s simplest form, MARTIN is a coming-of-age tale about a young man, who may or may not be mentally ill, struggling to find his place in the world. And if that sounds trite, remember; whether Martin himself is an actual vampire or not, he is definitely a murderer AND a sex offender. Curiously, while certainly not downplayed, these egregious characteristics don’t really factor into your emotional response to Martin as a character. This could have something to do with the farcical execution of his crimes - - tragi-comic, semi-sexual fantasies quickly turning into awkward fumblings that invariably end in disappointment. Y’know, just like real sex. Or it could be something to do with the fact that Martin is silently and innocently asking the question “what exactly is so wrong with just being who are?” such is his life reasonably free of societal expectations.

Reality, and the juxtaposition of fantasy against reality, is key to the core of MARTIN. For example, frequent references are made to magic and it’s non-existence in the real world. Vampirism may be a fantasy in and of itself, but the reality is that Martin does drink the blood of his victims. Cuda, who regularly refers to Martin as “Nosferatu”, may have a romanticised ideal of Martin’s vampirism, but the reality is that, from a certain point of view, Cuda is right about him. Martin himself acts somewhat as ROMERO’s mouthpiece here - - all the cynicism and scepticism and the bucking against societal norms are as surprisingly overt here as they are in DAWN OF THE DEAD, and it’s difficult not to imagine ROMERO wryly grinning to himself whenever Martin launches into an impassioned, polemical tirade.

MARTIN is an odd duck but wonderfully sensitive and sincere, just like its titular character. Part gothic fantasy, part industrial film, ALL depression, it is as equally moving as it is moribund and definitely bound to turn a good mood bad and make a bad mood worse. Comparisons can be drawn between it and THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK and even MIDNIGHT COWBOY if you squint and look through your fingers at it.

Finally, MARTIN is available commercially for the first time in what feels like 500 years. Producer RICHARD P. RUBINSTEIN and his voracious appetite for money when he should be concerned about protecting the integrity of the work to which he owns the rights, has stalled the HD releases of not one but two ROMERO movies in recent memory, but thankfully those delicious bastards at SECOND SIGHT have got our backs once again.

For sure it wouldn’t be reasonable to expect miracles from the transfer given that ROMERO, despite his unsung genius, was frequently forced to shoot his movies on a combination of recycled toilet paper and pages from the Bible, but finding a better looking edition of MARTIN than this would be like looking for fairy wings in the asshole of a unicorn. The strength of this package lies in the bountiful supply of extras, collectible ephemera and the dedicated, perfect-bound book containing new essays and musings on the film (as an aside, I would also highly recommend RED LETTER MEDIA’s excellent re:view of the film which can be found here if you’re looking for further critical appraisal).

All in all, ROMERO’s personal favourite of his back catalogue has finally been granted the release it deserves. Snap up a copy before the wrath of RUBINSTEIN sees it taken off the shelves for another 30 years.

MARTIN is available to buy now direct from SECOND SIGHT by clicking here.