Martin (1978)

good back-story, and good acting

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Martin boards a train from Indianapolis to Pittsburgh. He sedates a woman with an injection, strips her naked and drinks her blood. His elderly relative Tateh Cuda picks him up and they ride the train to Braddock. It's his new home with Tateh and cousin Christine after the death of his family. Tateh is a religious old man who tries to contain Martin using old style anti-vampire tactics. None of it works. Martin is forbidden to speak to Christine.This is a wonderful twist on the vampire genre. This is a great contribution from George A. Romero that isn't a zombie movie. It is surprisingly fresh. The actors are amateurs but they fit their roles very well. I would love a remake by somebody with both edge and visual style. Romero did his best with this no-budget indie.

I was 17 when I saw this movie. I so identified with the character of Martin that I wasn't able to view the film objectively. I absolutely lived his disengagement with the rest of the world. Although, in my defence, I did manage to restrain myself from performing any of the more extreme forms of behaviour. But essentially that was my life. I seemed to be surrounded by grim old people who didn't understand me. Like no teenager has ever experienced that!!!It's funny what scenes stayed with me through the years. Apart from all the sex and violence, I clearly remember the Shriners parade and the ghastly brown and orange interior decor (Yeeuurgh!)I recently had a chance to see it again, but this time viewed through the eyes of a fat, bald, middle-aged man who has lost interest in cheesy horror-flicks. I am astounded at what a good film it is. Romero managed to challenge all our perceptions of what a vampire should be. Instead of a sophisticated, intelligent but driven aristocrat here was a stupid, callow youth with no social skills. Was that really me?

I wasn't exactly sure whether Martin (John Amplas) was a vampire or a necrophiliac. He is not your usual vampire, if he is one. He has no fangs and goes out in the daylight. He uses razors and syringes to draw blood. Is he real or just delusional? His cousin Tada (Lincoln Maazel) is a strange one.Romero, who also plays in the movie, is trying to take us in a different direction here. Just as he made a statement on consumerism in Dawn of the Dead, he is making a statement on religion in this film. It will not meet the needs of the horror-obsessed, but it is true horror; more in the Taxi Driver mode.It really gets funny when he plans a kill and gets a big surprise.He finally manages to hook up with a depressed housewife for what he calls "the sexy stuff," but that ends badly and Tada finally loses it.It won't be for everyone, and you will never know if he is a vampire or just psychotic.

This was a decent horror movie. I was thrown off a lot but I still liked it. John Amplas (an actor I admire) gives his debut in this movie, as the lead role. And he pulls it off very well. Also, my man Tom Savini makes his big screen debut, although hes not much of a star here, I still admire his part. Martin was a character I could very much relate to. It was as if my life was based off the movie. I thought Cuda was sort of annoying, and the ending only further proved my theory. The ending was a bit shallow in my opinion, but it couldn't have been done much differently. Romero has made yet another great movie, among his many. The movie was difficult to follow at times but I suppose it all pays off in the end. I give this a 7/10, flawed, but great movie. A Must-see for Romero, horror and vampire fans.