Martin (1977)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

George A. Romero

Writer:

George A. Romero (writer)

Release Date:

7 July 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

A Vampire for Our Age of Disbelief

Plot:

A young man, who believes himself to be a vampire, goes to live with his elderly and hostile cousin in a small Pennsylvania town where he tries to redeem his blood-craving urges.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Razor Blade | Blood | Black And White Scene | Teenager

Cast

John Amplas	...	Martin Matthias
Lincoln Maazel	...	Tada Cuda - Martin's Eldest Cousin
Christine Forrest	...	Christina - Martin's Cousin
Elyane Nadeau	...	Mrs. Abbie Santini
Tom Savini	...	Arthur
Sara Venable	...	Mrs. Willard - Housewife Victim
Francine Middleton	...	Train Victim (as Fran Middleton)
Roger Caine	...	Lewis - Lover (as Al Levitsky)
George A. Romero	...	Father Howard
James Roy	...	Deacon
J. Clifford Forrest Jr.	...	Father Zulemas
Robert Ogden	...	Businessman
Donaldo Soviero	...	Flashback Priest
Donna Siegel	...	Martin's Woman - Holding candles
Albert J. Schmaus	...	Family Member
Lilian Schmaus	...	Family Member
Frances Mazzoni	...	Family Member
Vincent D. Survinski	...	Train Porter
Tony Buba	...	Drug Dealer shot by Police
Pasquale Buba	...	Drug Dealer shot by Police
Clayton McKinnon	...	Drug Dealer shot by Police
Regis J. Survinski	...	Hobo
Tony Pantanella	...	Hobo
Harvey Eger	...	Man in Bathroom
Tom Weber	...	Man in Bathroom
Robert Barner	...	Policeman
Stephen Fergelic	...	Policeman
Douglas Serene	...	Biker
Jeanne Serene	...	Biker's Girl
Nicholas Mastandrea	...	Marine (as Nick Mastandrea)
John Sozansky	...	Marine
Ingeborg Forrest	...	Mrs. Anderson
Carol McClosky	...	Mrs. Bellini
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Gornick	...	Barry - Radio Talk Show Host (uncredited)

Directed by
George A. Romero

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
George A. Romero		writer

Produced by
Patricia Bernesser	....	associate producer
Richard P. Rubinstein	....	producer
Ray Schmaus	....	associate producer
Ben Barenholtz	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Donald Rubinstein

Cinematography by
Michael Gornick

Film Editing by
George A. Romero

Makeup Department
Tom Savini	....	makeup artist
Douglas Serene	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Michael Gornick	....	post-production supervisor

Sound Department
Tony Buba	....	sound

Special Effects by
Tom Savini	....	special effects

Stunts
Tom Savini	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Phillip Desiderio	....	grip
Tom Dubensky	....	assistant camera (as Tom Dubinsky)
Steve Lalich	....	grip
Nicholas Mastandrea	....	assistant camera (as Nick Mastandrea)

Editorial Department
Michael di Lauro	....	post-production assistant
Ed Keen	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Maurizio Guarini	....	musician (as Goblin)
Jay Mandell	....	music engineer: Triton Studio
Agostino Marangolo	....	musician (as Goblin)
Massimo Morante	....	musician (as Goblin)
George Olson	....	musician: viola
Fabio Pignatelli	....	musician (as Goblin)
Donald Rubinstein	....	musician: vocals, piano, guitar, & voices on percussion improvisations
Claudio Simonetti	....	musician (as Goblin)
Mark Zamcheck	....	musician: piano
Mike Avery	....	musician: percussions (uncredited)
Ellen Demos	....	singer: chant vocals (uncredited)
Richard Gertz	....	musician: bass guitar (uncredited)
Steve Gorn	....	musician: flute (uncredited)
Paul Johnson	....	musician: vibraphone & percussions (uncredited)
Dan Kellar	....	musician: violin (uncredited)
J. Michael Kelly	....	musician: guitar & voices on percussion improvisations (uncredited)
Lisa Korns	....	musician: flute (uncredited)
Sandy Lipsman	....	singer (uncredited)
Hankus Netsky	....	musician: oboe (uncredited)
Mike Pelham	....	musician: percussions (uncredited)
Hank Roberts	....	musician: cello (uncredited)
Betty Silberman	....	singer (uncredited)

Other crew
Barney C. Guttman	....	financial services
Tony Pantanella	....	technical assistant
Donna Siegel	....	assistant to producer (as Donna Siegal)
Regis J. Survinski	....	technical assistant
Joyce Weber	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Laurel Entertainment Inc.
• Libra Films

Distributors

• Libra Films International (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Grands Films Classiques (GFC) (1978) (France) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Arrow (UK) (DVD)
• Capelight Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Dabara Films (Canada)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (video)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• LMP (Brazil) (VHS)
• Laurel Productions
• Lions Gate Films (2004) (North America) (all media)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Goldberg & Snodgrass  legal services
• The Animators Inc.  titles

Also Known As:

George A. Romero's Martin (Australia)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2005) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | France:-16 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Braddock, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Laurel Entertainment Inc.

Trivia:

During a screening and interview at USC, director George Romero related that the MPAA objected to a shot of Martin slicing someone's arm open with a razor blade. The entire shot would've earned the film the notorious "X" rating, and so he had to trim it by several seconds. The length of the shot, not the subject matter, was objectionable.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the very beginning of the film on the train, Martin sneaks in and attacks a woman in her cabin. At first, she has a cold cream mask on. During the struggle, it suddenly disappears without a trace.

Quotes:

Tada Cuda: You may come and go, but you will not take people from the city. If I hear of it, a single time, I will destroy you without salvation.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in After Effects: Memories of Pittsburgh Filmmaking (2005) (V)

A dark family drama in the guise of a typical Romero horror-fest; one of his best as writer/director

One of the two horror film sleepers of 1977 were not necessarily definable under the usual typecasts of the genre: David Lynch's Eraserhead, which drew itself more to a kind of surreal horror from paintings and animation; and this film, George A. Romero's Martin, where the horror is not what is usually expected from the director. Indeed, before I saw this film I generally related Romero to the status of a horror-film maverick, where he brings out much of the violence and tension in his films that we as the audience wouldn't get on TV. His subversion's of the genre, however, can be sensed in his zombie satires, as he makes his characters and situations, for the most part, far more believable aside from the dark fantasy/graphic comic-book quality of the designs and look of the films. There's something to think about with his films, even as flesh and blood get tossed about.

But this time, for Martin, he made a story that deals with the human relationships even more so than the creepy and supernatural elements of his other works. Martin is a vampire movie, and there are some key scenes that deliver the good for the fans (and, again, going against expectations, as if Romero was a "new-wave" filmmaker from Europe), but also giving something for people who may not be expecting depth in the themes and situations with these people. The main characters of the film, aside from the protagonist Martin (a twisted and very confused protagonist at that), are all developed very well, and aren't necessarily one-sided or even two-sided portraits of caricatures in other vampire movies. For example, the sort of 'Van Helsing' character in this film is in the form of Martin's uncle Tada Cuda, played by Lincoln Maazel. He's the only one that knows, and is terrified of, Martin's secret life, and upon first bringing him into his home, Tada tries to use crosses and holy water on Martin. Martin can't be fooled, and so Tada resigns, for the moment.

While Tada is the kind of typical, harsh old man that acts like something of an antagonist for him and Tada's daughter, he may not be entirely one-sided by the end of the film. The theme of Christianity, as shown in certain variables as the film cuts to black and white flashbacks, explores it in a very on-target way. Why do vampire movies have this kind of magical ability to wash everything with a cross and silver and garlic? Martin seems to ask these same questions, when he calls up a radio show (his only real output of his frustrations, though a media that still treats his despair as a joke). Martin himself, played in a peculiar, low-key way is John Amplas (an actor who has his peak in this film, having only appeared in bit parts in other films, mostly Romero's). He is often observing, never sure what it is he'll say, and much to how his character is and evolves, has skills of a predator. He was perfect for the role, as he has a level of vulnerability and sincerity that can be connected to, while at the same time in a conflict about what to do with his craving for blood. That the other actors, all indie actors (one of them, Christine, played by Romero's wife), are really quite good with the material, helps the feel and flow of the film.

Some directors can't stand editing their own films (John Ford once said he hated sitting in on it, as other have as well), and while they sit in with the editors and make notes, few actually go to the machines and do the work themselves. Romero is one of the few that seems to really enjoy the process, and has fun with it. In some ways his movement within the frame, and with the pacing of Martin's sense of reality and of the past, makes the film seem like it should almost belong in an art-house (so to speak) as opposed to at a midnight cult-horror theater. That's not to say he doesn't have it in him to give people their money's worth expecting to get the pants scared off their waists. In fact, there is one big sequence in the film (where Martin stalks and attacks, needle in hand, a married woman who's having an affair) that is one of Romero's most suspenseful and unusual. Not to mention there is an ending that wraps everything up rather terrifyingly- one knows something like this would be coming, but not from this direction.

Simply this, Martin is smarter for it's regularly intended audience out for simple thrills and cheesy characters- it's a drama that involves searching for companionship, the significance of religion on people, and trying to fit in to one side or another. And it's also a low-budget 70's horror film with a few scenes that hit more on a visceral level than on cheap effects (not to say there aren't a couple, ho-ho). To put it another way, I viewed the film for the first time on a video released in the 80's. Now I'll be on the look-out for the DVD a.s.a.p.