Reviews (37)

A Small Masterpiece
This film needs your support! It was apparently completely disregarded by critics when it played theatrically... Written and directed by Henry Bromell, writer-producer of the Baltimore-lensed HOMOCIDE TV series, PANIC is a tight little masterpiece (clocking at less than 1 hour and 25 minutes) of ensemble acting and superior screenwriting. All principal actors hit just right notes in their roles, from William H. Macy (one of the best actors currently working in the US, who single-handedly made my experience of watching ultra-sophomoric FARGO durable), Donald Sutherland, John Ritter, Barbara Bain (Remember MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?), Tracy Ullman (TRACY ULLMAN?!) and, oh, Neve Campbell. The characters are so well-written and so devoid of historionics that some viewers may actually suffer from disorientation, adjusting their brains from the state of overexposure to usual mind-numbing stereotypes in Hollywood movies. Ritter's psychiarist, for example, is one of the two or three among hundreds of psychiarists I have seen in Hollywood movies who actually behaves like a NORMAL PSYCHIARIST and acts SENSIBLY. (MUCH superior to Lorraine Bracco's shrink in THE SOPRANOS) David Dorffmann plays Macey's son, and even though he is supposed to be a super-smart kid, he is NEVER annoying. The scenes are all underplayed with minimum of melodramatics, but they nonetheless pack emotional wallop. The quiet, beautifully lit sequence in which Donald Sutherland introduces the child version of the Macey character to "family business" is not only absolutely chilling, but also immesaruably sad. PANIC reminded me of Paul Schrader's AFFLICTION and Claude Chabrols' morally complex thrillers, such as THIS MAN MUST DIE. It is also like a particularly well-made 1950s film noir suffused with psychological insight ordinarily missing from them.

The DVD version includes a generally informative if a little reticent commentary by Director Bromell, and six deleted scenes. The deleted scenes provide additional background information for characters and deepen our understanding of them, but they also include some stilted and overblown dialogue completely absent in the actual film, the reason I suspect they were in the end dropped from the final product. I am a little disappointed that the audio commentary does not come with Macey, Sutherland and others discussing their acting strategies, given the fact that this film's success depends so much on their contributions, but this is nit-picking. I definitely recommend this movie for anyone who is a fan of Macey, Sutherland, Campbell and those who appreciate morally complex human dramas and/or thrillers. NOT RECOMMENDED, however, to those who want an action film like AIR FORCE ONE or a "quirky" movie like FARGO.

It's Hard Being Someone's Son
It's amazing to me that this film wasn't released as widely as, say, Memento or even Sexy Beast. It is an absolutely superb film featuring William H. Macy(Fargo) in his finest performance to date as Alex, a second-generation hitman railroaded into the business by his controlling monster of a father, played by Donald Sutherland(JFK).

The first thing that should strike any viewer about this movie is its cast. There isn't really a weak link in this movie, even though it does feature Neve Campbell. Campbell's performance, incidentally, really says something for Henry Bromell's direction: she's actually convincing, cast against type, and gives her strongest performance to date as the troubled love interest Alex meets in his psychiatrist's office.

The extreme circumstances featured in this film -- i.e. a middle-aged hitman seeing his shrink -- are really only a metaphor for the mid-life crises of half of America's middle-aged men, who went unwillingly into their father's businesses and sacrificed their own dreams. This movie is not about a love affair or a hitman; it is about how hard it is to be someone's son in America, about the expectations placed on men in our society and the outlets which we are given and which are denied us to express ourselves. Perhaps Neve Campbell herself delivers the most telling line in the film: "It's easier being a man, don't you think?" to which wife Tracy Ullman replies only with a knowing look, then turns her back.

It's a shame this film was overlooked. Henry Bromell's debut as writer-director on this film proves one of cinema's finest. William H. Macy gives the strongest performance of the year, far outdoing Russell Crowe's unintelligible stone-faced Maximus; it is also Macy's greatest role, the culmination of every unsure forty-something he's played. Do yourself a favor and see this movie. Then go home and love your son.

The Sins of the Father ...
What a find this movie was. Subtle, tense, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny and ultimately satisfying.

A hit-man wants out of the family business, and in to the pants of Neve Campbell. Which, I suppose, makes him a murderer and a philanderer. Not that you'll feel anything but empathy and compassion for William H. Macy's character: which, of course, is his genius.

In a story that explores, among other things, the whole family dynamic - from the damage our parents do us, to the effort needed to make a marriage succeed - you'll find it all rings true. The context of the story is alien and exotic, but the relationships aren't. Your father is probably not a controlling and manipulative sociopath (and, you know, small mercies and all that ...) but even so, how many of us would find it easy to step up and admonish him, when he steps over the line?

Donald Sutherland's performance as the sociopathic pater is astonishingly good. He actually had me shouting at the screen. And I'm British. We just don't do that ...

Give this movie a go. You won't find the experience entirely comfortable, nor will it be an escape from the rigours of the world (because there's too much of the world in the movie) but it will make you laugh, wince, cheer and, most importantly of all, it will make you think.

symbolic
There is a scene in the middle of the movie when Alex takes his son to see his grandfather, who has bought him a birthday present. It is the most interesting scene of the movie, and the heart from which everything else should radiate. It is the only time that Alex, his father, and his son are all onscreen at the same time and you realize that this is the conflict that is killing Alex -- he is his father's son, cynical, secretive, and ruthless, but he is also equally his son's father -- innocent, curious, and affectionate. Framed that way, both his father and his son can be seen as reflections of his own psyche. The reason why he is so blank, so tired and depressed, is that they cancel each other out. By then end of that scene I knew how the movie had to end.

The side story involving Neve Campbell isn't very interesting.

Great movie -- what a cute little boy!
The boy who plays Sammy, the hit man's son, is about the cutest thing I've ever seen! He's just darling! He reminds me of that kind from Jerry McGuire -- "the human head weighs 8 pounds" Soooo cute!

The rest of the movie was pretty good, but I just loved the little boy's scenes! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

good movie
This movie is about a man played by James Coburn, who is determined to find out the origins of the gun that killed his daughter. He tracks its history and finds out it has been all around the United States and has been used for both good and bad reasons. Very interesting twist at the end. Definitely a good movie.

Wow
James Coburn's very last movie and probably one of his best ever.

In the Christmas Eve, his daughter gets shot to death, and the only thing that consoles him in those difficult times is taking a journey to trace the owners of the gun who killed his lovely daughter.

It's one of the best thrillers I've ever seen but also one of the worst as the screen-writer made an enormous error that will leave you deceived when the movie is over.

Coburn's last film
American Gun is an independent film that was adapted in part from a book that was written about the travels of a gun. I was able to see this movie in the theatre and writer director Alan Jacobs was there to later answer some questions about the film. Jacobs was interested in telling the story of a family that was faced with tragedy, and over this story he also brings in what he thinks is a balanced debate about guns. Though he fails in this, and at times too much effort is put into the gun debate side of the movie, the movie is still a great story.

The story is fairly fresh; a WWII veteran (played by the then 72 year old Coburn) who has had a relatively successful life loses his daughter to a gun. He goes on a long sabbatical in which he traces the history on the gun that killed his daughter. Positive and negative aspects are explored. A poor inner city student shoots his friend then commits suicide with the gun. A young woman who was kidnapped and put in the back of a trunk uses the gun to save her life. As Coburn is investigating the history of the gun, he is writing letters to his deceased daughter in an effort to cope with the pain. All this is set to flashbacks from his war experience where he first learned to kill a man with a gun.

There are several subplots that are put into the movie; the story of Coburn is coupled with the rebellion of his only granddaughter and the ongoing tale of the gun that killed his daughter. Though it at times is a little messy, Jacobs brings the entire movie together at the end very nicely.

The best part of the movie is Coburn. At the age of 72, he successfully portrays a man that is in pain but who is still tough as nails. In one scene Coburn confronts a man much younger than him and his presence intimidated me. If anything else, this film is worthwhile for this fact alone.

In total, this film is entertaining and thought provoking. Though the general conclusion of Jacobs is that guns are lose-lose, the film doesn't suffer because of this fact. As a member of the NRA and firm gun rights advocate, I thought I was going to be annoyed at this film. I wasn't. The end has Coburn not fighting against guns, nor advocating confiscation, but merely moving on with his life and family.

Great Movie
Great movie that was quite surprising and stayed with you for at least a while after watching it. Heston, you should watch this movie and maybe learn a thing or two! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A nice tape
As the wandering Moon draws near to an Earth-like planet, Commander Koenig (played by Martin Landau) must decide if this is a planet that the home-sick crew can colonize. However, when an Eagle sent on a scouting mission returns to base bearing the strange addition of Helena Russell's (Barbara Bain) long-lost husband (Richard Johnson), the Commander realizes that a deep mystery is involved with this new world. [Color, originally aired in 1975 (season 1), with a running time of 60 minutes.]

As a childhood fan of the Space 1999 (both seasons), I was overjoyed to have this tape fall into my lap. J2 Communications produced the tape I have in 1990. There are no little "extras" on the tape, but it does have the episode in a reasonable quality. I am very glad to have this tape, and highly recommend that you get it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A nice tape
The crew of Moonbase Alpha receives a surprise when an alien spaceship enters orbit around the Moon, only to crash-land on its surface. When the alien crew is revived from their suspended animation, they find that they were bound for Earth when their computer recognized the now renegade Moon. The aliens are determined to continue on to Earth, and Commander Koenig (played by Martin Landau) realizes that the death of an alien crewmember means that one of the Alpha crew can accompany the aliens (led by Captain Zantor, played by Christopher Lee). But, one crewman, Commissioner Simmond (Roy Dotrice), decides that he *must* be that one who returns to Earth, and he will net nothing stand in his way.
[Color, originally aired in 1975 (season 1), with a running time of 60 minutes.]

As a childhood fan of the Space 1999 (both seasons), I was overjoyed to have this tape fall into my lap. J2 Communications produced the tape I have in 1990. There are no little 'extras' on the tape, but it does have the episode in a reasonable quality. I am very glad to have this tape, and highly recommend that you get it! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great action packed episode,must see for all sci fi fans
one of the first seasons best shows. special effects are great as well as story line.....this series should be reproduced for the new generation of people who like sci fi...lets start a letter writing campaign to itc,its distruibtor.

A crewman's past threatens to destroy Moonbase Alpha!
END ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A Small Masterpiece
This film needs your support! It was apparently completely disregarded by critics when it played theatrically... Written and directed by Henry Bromell, writer-producer of the Baltimore-lensed HOMOCIDE TV series, PANIC is a tight little masterpiece (clocking at less than 1 hour and 25 minutes) of ensemble acting and superior screenwriting. All principal actors hit just right notes in their roles, from William H. Macy (one of the best actors currently working in the US, who single-handedly made my experience of watching ultra-sophomoric FARGO durable), Donald Sutherland, John Ritter, Barbara Bain (Remember MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?), Tracy Ullman (TRACY ULLMAN?!) and, oh, Neve Campbell. The characters are so well-written and so devoid of historionics that some viewers may actually suffer from disorientation, adjusting their brains from the state of overexposure to usual mind-numbing stereotypes in Hollywood movies. Ritter's psychiarist, for example, is one of the two or three among hundreds of psychiarists I have seen in Hollywood movies who actually behaves like a NORMAL PSYCHIARIST and acts SENSIBLY. (MUCH superior to Lorraine Bracco's shrink in THE SOPRANOS) David Dorffmann plays Macey's son, and even though he is supposed to be a super-smart kid, he is NEVER annoying. The scenes are all underplayed with minimum of melodramatics, but they nonetheless pack emotional wallop. The quiet, beautifully lit sequence in which Donald Sutherland introduces the child version of the Macey character to "family business" is not only absolutely chilling, but also immesaruably sad. PANIC reminded me of Paul Schrader's AFFLICTION and Claude Chabrols' morally complex thrillers, such as THIS MAN MUST DIE. It is also like a particularly well-made 1950s film noir suffused with psychological insight ordinarily missing from them.

The DVD version includes a generally informative if a little reticent commentary by Director Bromell, and six deleted scenes. The deleted scenes provide additional background information for characters and deepen our understanding of them, but they also include some stilted and overblown dialogue completely absent in the actual film, the reason I suspect they were in the end dropped from the final product. I am a little disappointed that the audio commentary does not come with Macey, Sutherland and others discussing their acting strategies, given the fact that this film's success depends so much on their contributions, but this is nit-picking. I definitely recommend this movie for anyone who is a fan of Macey, Sutherland, Campbell and those who appreciate morally complex human dramas and/or thrillers. NOT RECOMMENDED, however, to those who want an action film like AIR FORCE ONE or a "quirky" movie like FARGO.

It's Hard Being Someone's Son
It's amazing to me that this film wasn't released as widely as, say, Memento or even Sexy Beast. It is an absolutely superb film featuring William H. Macy(Fargo) in his finest performance to date as Alex, a second-generation hitman railroaded into the business by his controlling monster of a father, played by Donald Sutherland(JFK).

The first thing that should strike any viewer about this movie is its cast. There isn't really a weak link in this movie, even though it does feature Neve Campbell. Campbell's performance, incidentally, really says something for Henry Bromell's direction: she's actually convincing, cast against type, and gives her strongest performance to date as the troubled love interest Alex meets in his psychiatrist's office.

The extreme circumstances featured in this film -- i.e. a middle-aged hitman seeing his shrink -- are really only a metaphor for the mid-life crises of half of America's middle-aged men, who went unwillingly into their father's businesses and sacrificed their own dreams. This movie is not about a love affair or a hitman; it is about how hard it is to be someone's son in America, about the expectations placed on men in our society and the outlets which we are given and which are denied us to express ourselves. Perhaps Neve Campbell herself delivers the most telling line in the film: "It's easier being a man, don't you think?" to which wife Tracy Ullman replies only with a knowing look, then turns her back.

It's a shame this film was overlooked. Henry Bromell's debut as writer-director on this film proves one of cinema's finest. William H. Macy gives the strongest performance of the year, far outdoing Russell Crowe's unintelligible stone-faced Maximus; it is also Macy's greatest role, the culmination of every unsure forty-something he's played. Do yourself a favor and see this movie. Then go home and love your son.

The Sins of the Father ...
What a find this movie was. Subtle, tense, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny and ultimately satisfying.

A hit-man wants out of the family business, and in to the pants of Neve Campbell. Which, I suppose, makes him a murderer and a philanderer. Not that you'll feel anything but empathy and compassion for William H. Macy's character: which, of course, is his genius.

In a story that explores, among other things, the whole family dynamic - from the damage our parents do us, to the effort needed to make a marriage succeed - you'll find it all rings true. The context of the story is alien and exotic, but the relationships aren't. Your father is probably not a controlling and manipulative sociopath (and, you know, small mercies and all that ...) but even so, how many of us would find it easy to step up and admonish him, when he steps over the line?

Donald Sutherland's performance as the sociopathic pater is astonishingly good. He actually had me shouting at the screen. And I'm British. We just don't do that ...

Give this movie a go. You won't find the experience entirely comfortable, nor will it be an escape from the rigours of the world (because there's too much of the world in the movie) but it will make you laugh, wince, cheer and, most importantly of all, it will make you think.

symbolic
There is a scene in the middle of the movie when Alex takes his son to see his grandfather, who has bought him a birthday present. It is the most interesting scene of the movie, and the heart from which everything else should radiate. It is the only time that Alex, his father, and his son are all onscreen at the same time and you realize that this is the conflict that is killing Alex -- he is his father's son, cynical, secretive, and ruthless, but he is also equally his son's father -- innocent, curious, and affectionate. Framed that way, both his father and his son can be seen as reflections of his own psyche. The reason why he is so blank, so tired and depressed, is that they cancel each other out. By then end of that scene I knew how the movie had to end.

The side story involving Neve Campbell isn't very interesting.

Great movie -- what a cute little boy!
The boy who plays Sammy, the hit man's son, is about the cutest thing I've ever seen! He's just darling! He reminds me of that kind from Jerry McGuire -- "the human head weighs 8 pounds" Soooo cute!

The rest of the movie was pretty good, but I just loved the little boy's scenes! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent
With Moonbase Alpha about to pass close to a planet, Piri, an Eagle (small, short-range spaceship) is sent to investigate, but its strange disappearance marks the beginning of a series of mysteries, including a series of strange results from the Moonbase computer. When Commander Koenig (played by Martin Landau) meets a beautiful woman (Catherine Schell, who later played Maya!) who claims to be the servant of the Guardian of Piri, she informs him that the purpose of the Guardian is to make people "perfect." When the Guardian takes control of the Alphans, it is up to Commander Koenig to save his people from becoming mindless, and ambitionless, inhabitants of a sort of land of the lotus-eaters. [Color, originally aired in 1975 (season 1), with a running time of 60 minutes.]

As a childhood fan of the Space 1999 (both seasons), I was overjoyed to have this tape fall into my lap. J2 Communications produced the tape I have in 1991. There are no little "extras" on the tape, but it does have the episode in a reasonable quality. OK, admittedly the episode is reminiscent of Star Trek's 1967 episode This Side of Paradise, but it is an excellent episode, and quite fascinating to watch. I am very glad to have this tape, and highly recommend that you get it! ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A Small Masterpiece
This film needs your support! It was apparently completely disregarded by critics when it played theatrically... Written and directed by Henry Bromell, writer-producer of the Baltimore-lensed HOMOCIDE TV series, PANIC is a tight little masterpiece (clocking at less than 1 hour and 25 minutes) of ensemble acting and superior screenwriting. All principal actors hit just right notes in their roles, from William H. Macy (one of the best actors currently working in the US, who single-handedly made my experience of watching ultra-sophomoric FARGO durable), Donald Sutherland, John Ritter, Barbara Bain (Remember MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?), Tracy Ullman (TRACY ULLMAN?!) and, oh, Neve Campbell. The characters are so well-written and so devoid of historionics that some viewers may actually suffer from disorientation, adjusting their brains from the state of overexposure to usual mind-numbing stereotypes in Hollywood movies. Ritter's psychiarist, for example, is one of the two or three among hundreds of psychiarists I have seen in Hollywood movies who actually behaves like a NORMAL PSYCHIARIST and acts SENSIBLY. (MUCH superior to Lorraine Bracco's shrink in THE SOPRANOS) David Dorffmann plays Macey's son, and even though he is supposed to be a super-smart kid, he is NEVER annoying. The scenes are all underplayed with minimum of melodramatics, but they nonetheless pack emotional wallop. The quiet, beautifully lit sequence in which Donald Sutherland introduces the child version of the Macey character to "family business" is not only absolutely chilling, but also immesaruably sad. PANIC reminded me of Paul Schrader's AFFLICTION and Claude Chabrols' morally complex thrillers, such as THIS MAN MUST DIE. It is also like a particularly well-made 1950s film noir suffused with psychological insight ordinarily missing from them.

The DVD version includes a generally informative if a little reticent commentary by Director Bromell, and six deleted scenes. The deleted scenes provide additional background information for characters and deepen our understanding of them, but they also include some stilted and overblown dialogue completely absent in the actual film, the reason I suspect they were in the end dropped from the final product. I am a little disappointed that the audio commentary does not come with Macey, Sutherland and others discussing their acting strategies, given the fact that this film's success depends so much on their contributions, but this is nit-picking. I definitely recommend this movie for anyone who is a fan of Macey, Sutherland, Campbell and those who appreciate morally complex human dramas and/or thrillers. NOT RECOMMENDED, however, to those who want an action film like AIR FORCE ONE or a "quirky" movie like FARGO.

It's Hard Being Someone's Son
It's amazing to me that this film wasn't released as widely as, say, Memento or even Sexy Beast. It is an absolutely superb film featuring William H. Macy(Fargo) in his finest performance to date as Alex, a second-generation hitman railroaded into the business by his controlling monster of a father, played by Donald Sutherland(JFK).

The first thing that should strike any viewer about this movie is its cast. There isn't really a weak link in this movie, even though it does feature Neve Campbell. Campbell's performance, incidentally, really says something for Henry Bromell's direction: she's actually convincing, cast against type, and gives her strongest performance to date as the troubled love interest Alex meets in his psychiatrist's office.

The extreme circumstances featured in this film -- i.e. a middle-aged hitman seeing his shrink -- are really only a metaphor for the mid-life crises of half of America's middle-aged men, who went unwillingly into their father's businesses and sacrificed their own dreams. This movie is not about a love affair or a hitman; it is about how hard it is to be someone's son in America, about the expectations placed on men in our society and the outlets which we are given and which are denied us to express ourselves. Perhaps Neve Campbell herself delivers the most telling line in the film: "It's easier being a man, don't you think?" to which wife Tracy Ullman replies only with a knowing look, then turns her back.

It's a shame this film was overlooked. Henry Bromell's debut as writer-director on this film proves one of cinema's finest. William H. Macy gives the strongest performance of the year, far outdoing Russell Crowe's unintelligible stone-faced Maximus; it is also Macy's greatest role, the culmination of every unsure forty-something he's played. Do yourself a favor and see this movie. Then go home and love your son.

The Sins of the Father ...
What a find this movie was. Subtle, tense, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny and ultimately satisfying.

A hit-man wants out of the family business, and in to the pants of Neve Campbell. Which, I suppose, makes him a murderer and a philanderer. Not that you'll feel anything but empathy and compassion for William H. Macy's character: which, of course, is his genius.

In a story that explores, among other things, the whole family dynamic - from the damage our parents do us, to the effort needed to make a marriage succeed - you'll find it all rings true. The context of the story is alien and exotic, but the relationships aren't. Your father is probably not a controlling and manipulative sociopath (and, you know, small mercies and all that ...) but even so, how many of us would find it easy to step up and admonish him, when he steps over the line?

Donald Sutherland's performance as the sociopathic pater is astonishingly good. He actually had me shouting at the screen. And I'm British. We just don't do that ...

Give this movie a go. You won't find the experience entirely comfortable, nor will it be an escape from the rigours of the world (because there's too much of the world in the movie) but it will make you laugh, wince, cheer and, most importantly of all, it will make you think.

symbolic
There is a scene in the middle of the movie when Alex takes his son to see his grandfather, who has bought him a birthday present. It is the most interesting scene of the movie, and the heart from which everything else should radiate. It is the only time that Alex, his father, and his son are all onscreen at the same time and you realize that this is the conflict that is killing Alex -- he is his father's son, cynical, secretive, and ruthless, but he is also equally his son's father -- innocent, curious, and affectionate. Framed that way, both his father and his son can be seen as reflections of his own psyche. The reason why he is so blank, so tired and depressed, is that they cancel each other out. By then end of that scene I knew how the movie had to end.

The side story involving Neve Campbell isn't very interesting.

Great movie -- what a cute little boy!
The boy who plays Sammy, the hit man's son, is about the cutest thing I've ever seen! He's just darling! He reminds me of that kind from Jerry McGuire -- "the human head weighs 8 pounds" Soooo cute!

The rest of the movie was pretty good, but I just loved the little boy's scenes! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This was the most thrilling SF movie till Alien 10ys later!
I was watching the Space 1999 Tv series in late 70's as my absolute favourite movie. It took 10 years for the filmmakers to make The Alien that finally beaten Space 1999, in my opinion anyway. I would love to have it in my video collection.

All the episodes will be one hell of a collection to have.
Since I was a young child I watched Space 1999 every week until they cancelled the show. A couple of years ago they show up on Sci-fi channel and I started recording the shows then they cancelled showing the episodes. I look forward to the episodes being available to the public on VHS Tapes or DVD. One hell of a show!!!

Hope they re-release soon
I just started collecting videos of my favorite childhood shows. I will keep on checking and hope the re-release it soon. This was one of my favorite shows and I would love to watch it again.

Outstanding series - Check Amazon Auctions
Space 1999 was an outstanding series. Since this release is no longer available check the Amazon Auctions and search Space 1999 for items.

great episode...one of the best.
one of the first years best episode....makes a person think that there is a higher being in another plane of existancethan our own. great special effects,as well as great charachter actingmake us care what happens to these people. check out year 2 of this series...even better,,.... enjoy......Joe marz@aol.com ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A laugh riot! Absolutely not about skinhead culture
Man this film is funny. Chuck Conners must have been high on fumes when he participated in this excrementitious travesty. There is nothing that one normally equates with quality or enjoyment in this thing. Its portrayal of skins is laughably one-sided. They are merely ciphers with no recognizably human characteristics. The purpose of this is merely to portray skinheads as vermin needing extermination. This treatment fails to take into consideration the simple fact that many skins are quite admirable. They aren't psychopaths and do not commit random acts of murder. However one feels about a particular group's perceived motivations and philosophy--they still deserve to be portrayed objectively.

For a film calling itself "Skinheads", this one shows nothing of the skinhead community. It is rather misleading in that it suggests that one might learn something about skinheads and how they think. All we have are cliches that can be gleaned from a typical article about skinhead violence in any commercial tabloid. The purpose is to not only demonize these particular skins, but all individuals (White separatists, etc) who hold similar views.

The movie merely tries to horrify its audience by making a cheap slasher picture with skinheads instead of a derranged idiot in a hockey mask. At least when Jason killed the couple for having sex, you got to catch them in flagrante delicto. These skins have no philosophy--they are just mad killers. The lead skin spouts off cliches about loving Adolph Hitler and the survival of the fittest/strong--but there is no indication that he possesses the capacity to articulate a justification for any of his beliefs. He certainly doesn't express anything remotely coherent about Hitler and why he considers him to be so sexy. He's merely a thug who is dressed up to be a skinhead. He's completely distructive and utterly devoid of the instinct for self-preservation. He doesn't care about his "people" any more than slugs care about "Fraggle Rock".

Strangely, the "victims" of the skins wrath are so utterly banal and worthless--that one wishes them to be horribly transfigured into mounds of gibbering flesh. Instead, we get a lousy shootout, with Chuck Conners replacing his walker with a rifle. His gleeful sexism and hatred of Nazi "scum" make him your all-American hero for like five seconds. I know the director and producers were counting on those images of leather-armed C.C. to give this trainwreck some integrity. I thought his moronic macho posturing was the funniest thing in the whole damn movie. Really, I would give this thing 5 stars for its comedy value, but I don't want to even incidentally praise this waste product for any reason.

1/5 stars *only because it is so funny (and because I can't rate it any lower)* ... Read more