acidburn-10 The video nasties have always been something that has intrigued me over the years, I always love reading or hearing about it, and through the years I think that it's safe to say that I have seen nearly all of them, mainly the better known ones. This is probably one of the least remembered ones in my opinion as it kinda slipped through my radar for many years and have only recently came round to actually seeing it, as I have always enjoyed the home invasion genre of horror.This one sees 3 prisoners break out of jail and take a family hostage in their own home. I can see why this is so controversial seeing that the main villain constantly spews racist slurs amongst the family members, all the while murdering anyone who passes by and tortures the family in some very sickening situations. The positive aspects of this film are firstly the cast, from both the family members and the villains who are played really well. Plus while the story is very basic, it does move along at a decent pace and never gets boring, always keeping you interested at what's gonna happen next. The family itself are very decent and loving, giving you that nice warm feeling that these people are genially nice, following they're great chemistry with each other and they're interactions with each other, really makes you feel horrified when it comes to them being tortured by the impending doom that's about to wait for them.But the negative aspects of this are mainly in my opinion my personal tastes. Firstly the murder of the young boy was very disheartening and sickening in my opinion, just being there for shock value and I hated it, I would have rathered this being left out entirely, especially when you get to know the boy and his friendship with the black kid, was just uncomfortable. Also the level of violence that these criminals inflict on the family, does go over the top and becomes rather cartoonish, to be honest apart from this family being black, there was just didn't seem to be any reason why the main villain is doing this to them, except for just the fact that he's psycho and then only given a very quick tacked on excuse at the end, which just felt lazy. Then finally the pay off at the end when the tables are turned is very underwhelming, and didn't really feel that they quite got they're just desserts.The cast were very well played in their parts, William Sanderson who plays the ring leader Kane was the only standout from the bad guys side of things, and he was very despicable and really made you hate him, he played it very well and does have that eerie presence, never knowing what he's gonna do next. The other two convicts however were quite forgettable, while they did have their moments; there weren't any development on them to make them standout. The Turner family however made very solid performances, Robert Judd who plays the head of the family Ted with much dignity and restraint. The young son Reggie Rock Blythewood was played very well, showing true courage and braveness to a role that in any other young child actor's hands wouldn't have been half as believable. But the true standout was Lela Small as the wheelchair bound grandmother just stole the show, with her ballsy and no nonsense attitude was just a delight, especially when she shows no fear to her captors and cuts them down to size with her own brand of verbal abuse was just excellent, she stole every scene she was in.All in all "Fight For Your Life" is an okay overall movie, but it does leave a bad taste in your mouth and makes you feel uncomfortable throughout, but overall it is saved slightly by a very strong cast.

punishmentpark More than textbook exploitation, with plenty of intelligent twists and details to keep the viewer alert. Nót shying away from lots of violence, but (for instance) when it comes to the obligatory rape scene, the viewer must use more imagination than with other, similar movies, but in this treatment lies a nice twist of the top cop condoning vigilante justice. The acting is good enough, though not great, even if William Sanderson comes awfully close, portraying a seriously damaged white man who hides his fragile state by laying the racism, degradations and violence thick on anyone who gets in the way. The rest of the cast do their jobs adequately, but that's pretty much it.The ending, though it has the smart idea of exposing the fragile state of Jessie, felt rather off-handed. Even if exploitation films are all about the revenge, somehow this one didn't feel completely right. The best way I can explain this feeling is that the reverend's demeanor changes way too fast. It's sort of disappointing to see him lower himself to the baddies' standards, even if every blow he deals out is a just one - or am I getting too old for this shiii-it...? Nah. Other than that it is a pretty good exploitation flick, with a lot of violence (including the necessary gore and a little nudity) and some pretty smart writing here and there.A good 7 out of 10 for now, perhaps more in the future.

TheExpatriate700 Fight for Your Life is a better than average exploitation thriller with a serious racial edge. It delivers on all the thrills you would expect from the genre, while simultaneously featuring good performances and characterization, particularly from Robert Judd and William Sanderson.The film follows a trio of escaped convicts, led by Sanderson, who take an upper middle class African-American family hostage. Sanderson, a racist, begins to terrorize the family, which is led by Judd's near pacifist minister. As the situation escalates and people begin to die, the Reverend faces a choice between sticking to his principles and saving his family.The frequent action and good performances combine to make Fight for Your Life a truly engaging exploitation film. We actually care about these characters, which makes the film that much more frightening. The hard hitting racial theme, even if it caused the film's banning in Britain and elsewhere, also adds to the film's interest.The film is also noteworthy for depicting an upper middle class black family. At that time, many blaxploitation films focused on poor black people and ghetto settings. This upper middle class family is a piece of Americana, making it much more identifiable for Americans in general.The film's one flaw comes toward the end, when a major character, a police officer, switches character in a way that is not entirely believable. This change affects the plot, and makes it somewhat less credible. The film is still worth a watch, though.

renchloctc This is a movie for people who enjoy offensive dialog and taboos on display. Movies like this are not made anymore and i feel that is sad. We live in a country that's at war but we are too afraid to show fictional violence. This was made in the era that put out such cult classics like "Last House on the Left", "Cannibal Holocaust" and "I Spit On Your Grave". Three convicts escape jail and then hold a religious black family captive in their own home. This film has all the exploitive treats like rape, humiliation, child murder and racism. For it's time "Fight For Your Life" had to be one of the most offensive movies in 1977. I have news for you it still is today. The cast was wonderful, especially the bigot played by William Anderson. He hit all the right notes when it came to portraying a despicable and hateful character. He makes a minister do a shuck and jive dance while shooting at his feet for crying out loud. The thing i like about exploitive films like this is that it delivers with eventual revenge. I don't mind being showed ugliness because it reminds me how wrong things like bigotry and crime are. If you want to see a movie with guts and thats willing to push the envelope and entertain, this is the film for you. The Grandma in this movie is hilarious , especially when the whole family is singing gospel at gunpoint. ***1/2/****