Change Your Image
tonyklarc
Reviews
The Beast Must Die (1974)
Staggeringly boring and inept
Considering this is meant to be a fun, semi-blacksploitation Werewolf who-done-it - quite a rare sub-genre when you think about it - 'The Beast Must Die' is incredibly boring. And weird.
I suppose the pre-titles set up is fun, and the man hunt during the titles is slightly / moderately entertaining, but the rest of it is cacky poo-poo. The 30 second "Guess the werewolf" bit is a reasonable dash of fun, but by that point you genuinely couldn't care less. You just want it to end.
In terms of quality, I'd say it was good enough for a 4 am slot on ITV Night Screen, about 35 years ago.
Even if it had a GOOD Werewolf, rather than a dog with a bath mat draped over it, it would still be a massive dud.
I can't stress this enough: It's terrible.
Dead Ringer (2018)
DEA d Ringer (for love)
Now, on the plus side, I would suggest this: 'Dead Ringer' is more proficient on a technical level than 'Gangsters Gamblers and Geezers' - writer, producer and actor Amar Adatia's 2016 magnum opus. The sound has been recorded well; the foley work is good, and it looks better.
That said, it has almost nothing else going for it.
The Prince and the Pauper switcheroo is fine. Had they stuck with a modern, boy bandy retelling of the 'Paul McCartney was replaced by a doppelgänger' myth, it would've been fine. Working Title could've made a decent stab at it in the early 2000's.
However, the drug smuggling, kind of Florida based, sub plot involving 'venom' is total bobbins; not at all helped by any of the nonsense that accompanies it. That said, the weird line up of La Senza models being forced to assemble venom in a little factory (at gunpoint) does offer some value. Well done to the film makers for casting a diverse range of ladies to stand around in their undies.
The lead is terrible. The boy band AND the fake boy band are terrible. Tom Sizemore put in an afternoon of work, cash in hand... And Sinita turns up on a plane for one scene.
Essentially, it's poo poo, The whole story. And there's some unpleasant bits of misogyny dotted throughout.
That'll do it.
Enjoy!