Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes (1994)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

best movie i've ever seen.

A Masterpiece!

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Sam Dietz is back for the fourth time to track down another serial killer, only this one has a thing for ritual executions.RELENTLESS 4 is yet another strong entry in the popular detective series but towards the ending I found myself being rather disappointed with this film, first I missed Robert Costanzo from the third film, his character made the third film extremely enjoyable, second thing is RELENTLESS 1, 2 and 3 had great actors in the role of serial killer, in this one the guy that played the killer wasn't as good, even though you didn't see him that much he just didn't make the character very interesting and I don't even know who the actor is.Leo Rossi once again played his part very well and there was Famke Jansen who showed she had talent before she became known for her role in GOLDENEYE.Overall, RELENTLESS 4 wasn't the worst of the series but I myself was just disappointed because of a few things but I would recommend this film to anyone who wants to see it, at least its not a waste of time.

The Relentless series seems to be in my opinion, a very well made series of "To catch a Killer"-type films. After watching the first movie and then watching the second one, I decided it was time to view the third one, as well as the fourth one. And thanks to the good people over at Image Entertainment, we get both movies on 1 DVD.In part 3, Det. Sam Dietz (Once again, played by Leo Rossi, who this time around, gets top billing as well as even serving as one of this film's and part 4's producers) has returned from up north to the City of Angels, after being away for sometime. He is now divorced from Carol. This time around, Dietz agress to track yet another serial killer. The killer in this one, played by William Forsythe, finds various women and hacks them up and taunts the police by sending them the body parts. The killer is also someone Sam's arrested before. 7/10 In part 4, which is the better film, in my opinion, Sam is after yet another killer who kills women, based on their connection to therapist Dr. Sara Lee Jaffe (Played by Famke Janssen, in one of her first roles) in ritualistic-style murders. Sara herself holds the key to the case. Meanwhile, Dietz has other problems of his own, such as his teenage son Corey (Now being played by the late Christopher Pettiet), who's role in this seems to be somewhat bigger than part 1 or 2 and especially 3 combined (Watch 3 to know why). Also interesting to note that Ken Lerner, Michael Lerner's brother, who also appeared in part 1, plays a totally different character, a joke-loving coroner. 8.5/10. In closing, I believe 4 to be the superior film on the disc, mainly because of the intense ending, which I will not say how it goes. Both films I recommend. I hope Cinetel Films decides to make a Relentless 5 soon, although it may never happen, we may just end up with some lame remake of the first movie, but one can dream.EXTRAS: None, except for a good 1:85 widescreen presentation for both films.

It's easy to see why Famke Janssen is such a terrific actress, and has a loyal set of fans - not only the compassion she gives her characters, but right from the beginning she was, and is, a glamorous and talented actress, as seen in this, one of her earliest performances as Dr. Sara Lee Jaffee in "Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes".Never having seen the first three "Relentless" films is not an issue if you watch this film before the others (or don't even bother with the others), as the films are linked (as far as I can tell, after all, I've only watched #4) by Detective Sam Dietz. In "Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes", Dietz and fellow detective Jessica Parretti get involved in a homicide case which leads them to Dr. Sara Lee Jaffee, a psychologist who has an (off screen) history with Dietz. From here on in, a bizarre series of events follows as Dietz and Parretti try to solve the case, while Dietz also deals with his now teenage son who is doing some growing up. As the plot thickens and Dr. Jaffee's connections to the murderer are revealed, the final climatic showdown is a thrilling and tense tear-jerker.While "Ashes to Ashes" (which gets its name from the climatic finale) is a great, often quirky, film, it is certainly not without it's faults. The production values seem quite low, and there is a Telemovie quality about it. Also, Leo Rossi isn't the most appealing of all heroes. He seems to rely more on his comic skills, which at times are just not funny, although perhaps those who have seen the previous three films might be able to appreciate his character more. Colleen Coffery is undervalued as Jessica Parretti, but she has some good moments. Christopher Petit (RIP) takes over the role of Dietz's teenage son, Corey, and hottie John Meyers has a small role as a murder suspect.But of course it is Famke Janssen who is the real reason anyone would watch "Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes" as she proves why she has always been such a terrific actress, even in her early films. Her character of Dr. Sara Lee Jaffee may not be as high-profile as Jean Grey or Xenia Onatop, but she is a fun character, and the ending is very sad. For fans of Famke in particular, "Ashes to Ashes" is certainly worth a watch.

I thought it actually had a sense of realism, although the ending was contrived. Still a good story. I'd like to see the other relentless movies, but they don't appear to have the same cast.