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Reviews
Ten Dead Men (2008)
A British gangster film with big balls and plenty of true grit
You can't out-run your past and Ryan (Brendan Carr) learns this the hard way. Ryan thinks his violent past is behind him until a friend in need asks for his help. He unwillingly crosses the ruthless crime boss Hart (played well here by actor Terry Stone), the one man he can never escape. With his girlfriend murdered in front of him and he, himself, left for dead, Ryan decides that if he can't escape his past life he must confront it head on. Ten men destroyed his life, now ten men are going to pay - as the poster blurb says.
Independent British action cinema takes another step in the right direction with the arrival of Ten Dead Men, Modern Life's superior follow-up to their cult hit 'Left for Dead'. Fusing action, drama and violence into a blistering whole, Ten Dead Men shows that us Brits can hold our own in the action movie arena.
It may be a little rough around the edges and lack the gloss of a big budget action film but Ten Dead Men holds its own and shows independent action cinema can serve up the goods, especially when made by people who so obviously love the genre. It's also great to see a film sticking to its dark roots and not wimping out come the final act.
My only real issue with the film, and it's a relatively small one is that it took me a while to get used to the lead actor saying nothing throughout the film and having to rely on the narrator to keep the viewer engaged with the central character. But between them writer, Chris Regan, and actor Doug (Hellraiser) Bradley manage to pull it off, although, I have to say, it did take me the first 15 minutes of the movie to get used to it.
In summary, an enjoyable low budget, gritty action/crime film with a lot of heart. I have no regrets choosing this film for a film festival I ran in 2008 as it went down a storm with the audience - pity not many others will get the chance to see it on the big screen...
Left for Dead (2005)
An ultra violent spin on the 'hit-man on the run' sub genre
It's funny how you sometimes come across films and how the first time you see a film can colour your perception of it forever. My first viewing of Left for Dead was of a screener copy sent to me for possible inclusion into a film festival I was running at the time.
Unfortunately things didn't bode well at first and the disc kept freezing up in my DVD player, but I persisted and I'm really glad I did as Left for Dead is a lot of fun.
This fast paced British martial arts flick (yes, you don't hear that said every day!) unfolds in the fictional city of Hope (ironic name me thinks!), which is ruled over by the iron fist of Kincaid, a mobster with a touch of class, played by Adam Chapman. His minions are highly trained warriors and no one dares to cross him, until one of his own enforcers (Williams) discovers he was set up by the boss and sets out to settle the bad guy's hash. Williams (a convincing Glen Salvage) is assisted by Kelso (a prize fighter with a personal grudge against the mob), and together they take on Kincaid and his not so merry men.
Shot over a period of 18 months in Brighton and Eastborne, (of all places), this Brit-flick demonstrates that it's not just Hong Kong and the US that can pull off action films. However, its main failing is its toilet tissue flimsy plot, which is simply used to string together oodles of ultra-violent fight scenes, some of which are admittedly well executed and exciting to watch. Director, Ross Boyask is to be commended for his handling of these scenes, which really elevate LFD above many similar flicks.
My main problem with the film, and I'm sure it's makers would agree with me, is with its length - at 105 minutes it's 15 minutes too long and needs to be cut down. There are a few scenes which are unnecessary and could easily be dropped, in particular the introductory sequence and the bike 'chase', although admittedly these do look cool.
In summary then, a fun slice of over-the-top martial arts mayhem that keeps you watching (even if your DVD player is struggling!) because of its audacious set pieces and the level of enthusiasm on show. Oh, and yes I did screen it at my film festival in the end!