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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.

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Movies

Mike Flanagan Comes Aboard To Assist in Completion of ‘Shelby Oaks’

Published

2 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Timothy Rawles

If you have been following Chris Stuckmann on YouTube you are aware of the struggles he has had getting his horror movie Shelby Oaks finished. But there’s good news about the project today. Director Mike Flanagan (Ouija: Origin Of Evil, Doctor Sleep and The Haunting) is backing the film as a co-executive producer which might bring it much closer to being released. Flanagan is a part of the collective Intrepid Pictures which also includes Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka.

Stuckmann is a YouTube movie critic who’s been on the platform for over a decade. He came under some scrutiny for announcing on his channel two years ago that he would no longer be reviewing films negatively. However contrary to that statement, he did a non-review essay of the panned Madame Web recently saying, that studios strong-arm directors to make films just for the sake of keeping failing franchises alive. It seemed like a critique disguised as a discussion video.

But Stuckmann has his own movie to worry about. In one of Kickstarter’s most successful campaigns, he managed to raise over $1 million for his debut feature film Shelby Oaks which now sits in post-production.

Hopefully, with Flanagan and Intrepid’s help, the road to Shelby Oak’s completion is reaching its end.

“It’s been inspiring to watch Chris working toward his dreams over the past few years, and the tenacity and DIY spirit he displayed while bringing Shelby Oaks to life reminded me so much of my own journey over a decade ago,” Flanagan told Deadline. “It’s been an honor to walk a few steps with him on his path, and to offer support for Chris’ vision for his ambitious, unique movie. I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.”

Stuckmann says Intrepid Pictures has inspired him for years and, “it’s a dream come true to work with Mike and Trevor on my first feature.”

Producer Aaron B. Koontz of Paper Street Pictures has been working with Stuckmann since the beginning is also excited about the collaboration.

“For a film that had such a hard time getting going, it’s remarkable the doors that then opened to us,” said Koontz. “The success of our Kickstarter followed by the on-going leadership and guidance from Mike, Trevor, and Melinda is beyond anything I could have hoped for.”

Deadline describes the plot of Shelby Oaks as follows:

“A combination of documentary, found footage, and traditional film footage styles, Shelby Oaks centers on Mia’s (Camille Sullivan) frantic search for her sister, Riley, (Sarah Durn) who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her “Paranormal Paranoids” investigative series. As Mia’s obsession grows, she begins to suspect that the imaginary demon from Riley’s childhood may have been real.”

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Movies

New ‘MaXXXine’ Image is Pure 80s Costume Core

Published

6 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Timothy Rawles

A24 has unveiled a captivating new image of Mia Goth in her role as the titular character in “MaXXXine”. This release comes approximately a year and a half after the previous installment in Ti West’s expansive horror saga, which covers more than seven decades.

MaXXXine Official Trailer

His latest continues the story arc of freckle-faced aspiring starlet Maxine Minx from the first film X which took place in Texas in 1979. With stars in her eyes and blood on her hands, Maxine moves into a new decade and a new city, Hollywood, in pursuit of an acting career, “But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”

The photo below is the latest snapshot released from the film and shows Maxine in full Thunderdome drag amid a crowd of teased hair and rebellious 80s fashion.

MaXXXine is set to open in theaters on July 5.

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News

Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).