RETURN OF THE FAMILY MAN (1989)
Directed by John Murlowski
Raedon VHS
THE FILM
Somewhere in the "United States", two groups of disparate people meet up at a rundown house in the middle of nowhere for a weekend getaway. Someone else is on the way over to the house, too. It's The Family Man. A deranged killer of families who is returning to his home...the vacationers are going to be in a lot of trouble very soon. But, before this, a rather large amount of plot shenanigans and chicanery go on all around the two groups. And, we spend a lot of time watching the Family Man escape and travel.
Well, I can't love all of these things. When they're lackadaisical, they can, at least, try and be a little insane. This is lackadaisical and made by folks who had some sort of common sense. It isn't just about a group of people randomly arriving at a place where someone kills them. A lot of time is spent setting everything up for the Family Man's arrival and the beginning of all the killings. But, it's never too thrilling. There are nice moments. The opening drug deal shootout is OK. The wrecking of the bus with the Family Man inside is a good scene. Most of the film, though, follows the main characters as they go through various motions that move us closer to the end. There are many motions. Apart from all the different accents, these characters do become very tough to pick out of a crowd.
I always say that my favorite part of these movies is before the killing begins. But, in this one, my favorite part was neither before nor during the killings. I guess it was after the killings. I love when random characters get together and just hang out. But, this one, bravely, piles on the plotlines around them...But, those plotlines never really catch fire and the film kind of goes along from scene to scene until the killing begins. And, by that point, I just kind of wished it well and hoped it would end soon.
When I was younger, I would have watched this and thought it was OK. As a grown-up, I felt a bit like my time was being wasted. It's a valiant attempt that ends up with a sort of overall lifeless feel, a misfire. The whole thing just needed a little extra something, whether that be verve, style, nudity, sleaze or anything. I was going to ask who this was made for. Then, I realized that I knew the answer. It was made for me...a horror/ slasher film lover. Then, if it was made for me and I didn't like it, something went wrong. Where's the Loopiness? Where's the Life? Where are my Memories of this Film that I just watched?
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Raedon Rules! It looks and sounds much better than the other Raedon films I've seen. It's very professional looking.
EXTRAS
Trailers for The Family Man Strikes Again, The Revenge of the Family Man and Trail of the Family Man.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Isn't it perverse to spend ages selling your killer as a man who kills families and then have the main focus of the film be him killing a group of people who are in no way related to each other? I understand that they're in his house but it adds a sort of self-defeating air to the whole business.
Business. Perfect word to describe this one. I don't see the personal touch. That's what I need to make it a Great One.
My absolute final thought is that I plan on reviewing Appointment With Fear soon...I've watched that once. I'm interested in watching it again. I won't be watching Return Of The Family Man again.
— Dan Budnik, 02.24.11 |
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