Midnight Screenings 2006 / George A. Romero's Martin / USA 1977
Is Martin a sexually disturbed teen or an ancient Nosferatu? Romero plays with the iconography surrounding the celluloid vampire in this uniquely disturbing and rarely screened work. Trapped in a depressing Pennsylvania suburb, Martin lacks fangs and supernatural powers, but he finds other ways to satisfy his blood lust.
Little known and rarely screened, this uniquely disturbing work provides a poignant portrait of small town alienation as well as a clever deconstruction of the genre conventions surrounding the movie vampire. Is Martin a sexually disturbed teen, or, as his superstitious cousin insists, an ancient Nosferatu? This is but one of the teasing ambiguities that Romero toys with throughout the film. Does the black-and-white footage represent Martin’s past or his media-induced fantasies? It’s another question smartly left open to interpretation. Yet, whether mythic monster or modern psychopath, Martin feels compelled to kill and drink blood. Without fangs or supernatural powers, he must rely on innate craftiness and clinical tools such as hypodermic needles and razor blades. Scenes in which he stalks his prey evoke extreme tension, relieved later by ironic humor when he confesses his cravings to a radio call-in program.
95 min / Color, 35 mm
Director George A. Romero
/ Screenplay George A. Romero
/ Dir. of Photography Michael Gornick
/ Music Donald Rubinstein
/ Editor George A. Romero
/ Producer Richard Rubinstein
/ Production Laurel Entertainment Inc., Libra Films
/ Cast John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel, Christine Firrest, Elyane Nadeau, Tom Savini, Sarah Venable, Fran Middleton, Al Levitsky
/ Contact New Amsterdam Entertainment, Inc.
George A. Romero (b. 1939, USA) grew up in New York and attended the Carnegie-Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began his career producing industrial films and television commercials. He’s one of the top names in the modern horror film, thanks to his first feature, the low-budget cult classic Night of the Living Dead (1968), and its sequels Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985) and Land of the Dead (2005). His early works, made in and around Pittsburgh, tap into the zeitgeist of social commentary. His filmography includes There’s Always Vanilla (1971), Hungry Wives (1972), The Crazies (1973), Martin (1977), Knightriders (1981), Creepshow (1982), Monkey Shines (1988), The Dark Half (1993), and Bruiser (2000).
New Amsterdam Entertainment, Inc.
675 Third Avenue, Suite 2521, NY 10017, New York
United States of America
Phone: +1 212 922 1930
Fax: +1 212 922 0674
E-mail: [email protected]
Richard Rubinstein
Producer
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