News

Eli Roth’s ‘Death Wish’ is a Misfire

Published

6 years ago

March 5, 2018

When I walked into the theater for Eli Roth’s Death Wish (which is a remake of a 1974 ‘exploitation’ film of the same name) I expected to feel…something. Eli Roth is a horror film director with a storied history.

I was skeptical of this departure from his usual genre, but if nothing else, I expected Death Wish to be too much. Too offensive. Too visceral. Too…anything.

Instead, what I got was a fairly bland action flick, starring a rather bored-looking Bruce Willis, and featuring the kind of formulaic “Good Guy with a Gun” plot that one would expect in a direct-to-video film starring Steven Seagal.

The film revolves around Willis as Paul Kersey, a trauma surgeon working in the apparently war-torn city of Chicago. If this film’s portrayal is correct, then teams of people must have to walk the streets every morning cleaning up bodies. I don’t live there, but I have a distinct feeling that living in Chicago is not akin to living in The Purge.

Bruce Willis as Paul Kersey in Death Wish

Paul Kersey is well respected, and we are made to see him as an earnest saver of lives. Things change, however, when Paul’s wife and daughter (played briefly by Elisabeth Shue and Camila Morrone, respectively) are attacked during a botched break-in of their family home.

Paul’s wife is killed, and his daughter is left in a coma. And thus, probably the two best actors in this film disappear (with respect to Vincent D’Onofrio, this is not quite his best performance).

As Paul becomes increasingly filled with a need for vengeance, he begins to research guns and harbor thoughts of vigilante justice. In the end, he steals a Glock from a dying patient, ends his night-shift early, and kills two men who are attempting to steal a truck. He does all this while wearing a grey hoodie, leading to the local tabloids dubbing him “The Grim Reaper” (cue the chills and shudders).

The plot from here proceeds pretty much exactly how one would expect. One by one, Paul hunts down the men responsible for the death of his wife. He dispatches them with little difficulty, while the detectives on the case (played by Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise, who are the only two people who seem like they’re having any fun), draw ever nearer to him.

Paul Kersey “The Grim Reaper”

Eventually Paul’s brother, Frank (Vincent D’Onofrio, who probably should have played the lead but is instead playing a walking cartoon character), finds out about his heinous crimes, and…just…kind of goes along with it? Frank’s reaction sums up this film’s largest flaw: there are absolutely ZERO consequences or stakes for Paul.

Death Wish could have been a morality film. It could have portrayed the tragic story of a practitioner of medicine descending into a world of crime and murder. Eli Roth makes horror films, so one has to think that he has some understanding of the horrors of the human mind.

But, sadly, no.

Paul makes the transition from life-saver to brutal executioner with zero resistance. He never once seems to question his actions, never once stares at his own hands as a man’s blood drips from his fingertips, never looks at himself in the mirror and whispers “my God, what have I become…?”

Nothing.

Eli Roth seems all too eager to get all this mushy stuff out of the way and get on with the bloodletting. And that’s fine! If this had been a true modern exploitation film, in the vein of Robert Rodriguez’s GRINDHOUSE or Jason Eisner’s Hobo with a Shotgun, then I at least could have given it credit for that.

Instead the violence feels oddly gutless. It’s too clean. Too precise. Too…Hollywood. And the one “cringe-worthy” moment in the film, when Paul gleefully cuts open a perp’s leg as a form of torture, just feels out of character and sadistic, not boundary pushing and gutsy.

Death Wish tries to be a morality film. Death Wish tries to be an exploitation film.

Unfortunately, Death Wish is only shooting blanks.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Related Topics:Bruce Willis Death Wish Eli Roth

Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks.

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story.

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did.

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD.

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.