Scott LeBrun Meet Martin (John Amplas, in his screen debut). He's a brooding teenager who's just travelled from Indianapolis to a small Pennsylvania town to live with his elder, Old World cousin Cuda (Lincoln Maazel). For years Cuda has been obsessed with family history and family curses, and as a result believes that Martin is a vampire. Martin also has bought into this, but he lacks traditional vampiric powers. He can go out in the sun, garlic and crosses mean nothing to him, and he lacks fangs. Therefore, he must resort to slicing up people with razor blades when he wants to suck up their blood.At his very best, the late filmmaker George A. Romero could be counted upon to explore some very interesting ideas, and shake up the horror genre in a compelling way. Even people who might take exception to the excellently nasty gore devised by Tom Savini are likely to find this an intriguing tale. It utilizes themes such as those who lend credence to superstition, and the power of that belief, as well as possible mental illness and suggestibility. Romero's use of the Pennsylvania locations (including the town of Braddock) give it some great depressed working-class atmosphere, and his juxtaposition of colour and black & white flashbacks is impressive. "Martin" further benefits from music by Donald Rubinstein that is sometimes discordant and unusual, and melodic at others.Amplas (actually in his late 20s at the time of filming) delivers a subtle, nuanced performance, receiving strong support from Maazel, as the zealot convinced that his kin is "Nosferatu", Christine Forrest (whom Romero married in 1981) as Cudas' rational-minded granddaughter, Savini himself in the role of her boyfriend Arthur, and Elyane Nadeau as single woman / deli customer Mrs. Santini. Savini displays a naturalness in this acting role that one realizes that he could have had more gigs in that capacity over the years. Romero himself has the supporting role of Father Howard."Martin" has a number of riveting sequences, from its opening murder set piece to its conclusion. Best of all, its main character manages to retain some semblance of sympathy even as he does some horrible things, and attains some sort of celebrity status as he repeatedly phones a radio call-in show and gets dubbed "The Count" by the host.One of Romero's most intriguing features by far.Eight out of 10.

Mr_Ectoplasma "Martin" follows the titular character, an awkward young man who has delusional fantasies about being a vampire. After relocating from Indiana to a small Pennsylvania town, he moves in with his cousin and aged grand uncle, where his vampiric tendencies begin to spiral out of control.One of George Romero's more understated offerings (I'd liken it in tone to his offbeat 1973 effort, "Season of the Witch"), "Martin" is as much a psychological character study as it is a horror film; in fact, it's something of a collision of the two. The film begins with a disturbing date rape scene-turned-bloodletting that is discomforting to say the least. This sets the tone for the remainder of the film, which is downbeat and atmospherically dreary, largely evoked through the idyllic small-town sets and emotive camera-work. Black-and-white photography is utilized to full effect for the vampiric fantasies, which are surreal and eerie.The success of the film largely depends on John Amplas's performance as the title character, and he does the character justice. Martin is both sympathetic and abhorrent, disturbed and misunderstood—the balance struck between both extremes is nuanced, and the tension within the character's identity is where the majority of the film's power lies. The conclusion of the film is in line with its downbeat tone, and renders the film something of an unexpected modern horror tragedy.Romero has said that "Martin" is his favorite of all his films, and it's understandable why. It feels like one of his most personal works (perhaps his most personal), and Martin as a character is able to evoke a multitude of feelings from the audience. The film is both disturbing and amusing, horrific and depressing—it also maintains a high-brow aesthetic throughout in spite of its budgetary limitations. An understated, atmospheric, and compelling character study that functions just as well as a horror film. 9/10.

Dagon 1977's Martin is Romero's fifth horror film. Technically, I consider this his fourth because I believe 1973's The Crazies draws too wide of an angle to be considered true horror. Martin is also acclaimed special effects/makeup artist Tom Savini's first collaboration with George Romero that would eventually form a great working relationship between the two. Savini lent his talented hand to other horror films throughout his 30-year reign but most fans hold his work with Romero in the highest regard. He drew quite a bit of influence from his time served as a combat photographer in Vietnam and due to these horrific experiences, Tom was able to recreate gruesome yet realistic carnage that was highly innovative at the time. Aside from working in the special effects and makeup department, Savini also starred in a number of Romero films as an actor - sadly, he officially announced his retirement from special effects a few years ago but still participates in other areas of film-making.Martin is about a young man with an affliction; he craves human blood. A shy and reclusive soul, he ends up killing young women just for the opportunity, not necessarily on purpose, but as a result of his desire. His second cousin, sworn to uphold the principality and honor of the family, believes Martin is of vampiric decent and has chosen to watch over him and cease his activities.As I mentioned before, Tom Savini starred in a few of Romero's works - this was his debut as an actor. Savini delivers a believable performance while he accompanies the rest of the cast in an "average" performance overall. The acting could have been better but it was decent enough for what it needed to be. Romero succeeds in creating a solid, desolate atmosphere that represents Martin's inner turmoil perfectly. Throughout the film's duration you capture a sense of what it most be like for the main character to deal with the predicament he's in. Unfortunately there are various segments that don't seem to hold importance to comprise the film's message. The editing is less than stellar and the audio is merely "ok". These negative points give the impression that the film doesn't know what it wants to be. Luckily they do not overshadow the end result. A good portion of Romero's films operated on a lower-than-average budget. Later this would improve as his popularity increased. As far as his earlier works are concerned, what he lacks in resources he makes up for with intelligence. It's no surprise that Romero's films are laced with some sort of commentary; covering a wide spectrum of man-made or physiological facets that form the world we live in. Outside of its existence as a horror film, Martin explorers the fallacy of social stereotyping. Is Martin really a vampire due to his affliction or is it an inherited disease? Should he be shunned or medically treated?For viewers who are seeking a quick thrill and immediate action, Martin won't provide enough satisfaction. If you're the type of individual who enjoys giving a film some thought before jumping to any rash conclusions, this may be for you. There are viewers out there who believe Martin's overall presentation is lackluster, dull, and overrated. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the same group of people who attempted to discredit Creepshow 2. The only thing you can do in a situation like this is ignore them...or more practically, burn them alive inside a Brazen Bull, then push them off a cliff.

MWNiese Few horror movies have dared to be so different. This may be one of Romero's finest moments. The cinematography is brilliant and the directing is genius. This film shows Romero's creative ingenuity, unspoiled by studio interference. "Martin" is raw. It's realism is intertwined with haunting scenes of abstract flashbacks. The musical accompaniment is beautifully alluring and emotional binding. Every shot has meaning, nothing is wasted or taken for granted. This film gives us a Romero that has been lost in our modern culture based on selfishness. "Martin" should conjure strong feelings for those of us that remember the 70s and be a learning experience for those whom were not yet born. This film has certainly been overlooked by mainstream movie goers. "Martin" is about a young man with a need for fresh human blood, similar to that of a vampire. But Martin isn't a vampire: He has no fangs, he walks in the sunlight, garlic has no effect, and has no fear of crosses. Yet, his need for blood compels him to kill. "Martin" is a one of a kind vampire film, if it can be called a vampire film at all. Doing so conjures up images of Hollywood's slick portrayal of vampires, which couldn't be further from Romero's work in this picture. "Martin" is far from Hollywood's idealistic vampire showing. Romero defies contemporary vampire conventions by steeping Martin's vampirism in realism and the harsh light of day in a dying city."Martin" certainly isn't for everyone. As an avid Romero film patron, this film means much more to me than a Romero novice will most likely take away from this picture. Romero does a cameo appearance as a priest, which is a must see for Romero admirers. I can see how this film might be difficult for younger film goers or for film goers that don't have a true understanding of cinematic production and creation. The cinematography is original and invigorating as it uses a dying urban backdrop to create an emotional plethora of depression, death, and hopelessness. At the same time this urban backdrop offers reconciliation and hope to even the lowest ranks of American society.This film is simply beautiful. It is more art than film. And for those of us that can't see the special nature of this production, I recommend that you stick to Michael Bay movies. Is "Martin" a perfect film? Far from it. BUT! It's filming techniques are an excellent lesson in the art of camera placement, editing, lighting, and direction. This is a film that should be acknowledged more for what it does do than for what it does not do. And what it does do is offer us a rare glimpse into intelligent film-making at a time and place that is now lost. "Martin" is an inspiration and deserves to be at least respected by informed film-goers.