Martin **** (1978, John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel, Christine Forrest) – Classic Movie Review 5049

Writer-director George A Romero’s blood curdling 1978 horror shocker Martin stars John Amplas as a troubled and disturbed 17-year-old American lad called Martin who thinks that he is an 84-year-old vampire escaped from Romania. It has claims to being Romero’s best movie.

Romero toys with vampire myths while exploring his hero’s psychosis with flashes of black humour in the style of Hitchcock’s Psycho, and making eye-catching use of his hometown Pittsburgh locations.

Martin is rough, raw, intelligent and extremely well done. It is less gruesome than Romero’s Night of the Living Dead zombie trilogy, but it is still plenty chilling enough. Amplas, making his debut, is outstanding in the lead.

Also in the cast are Lincoln Maazel, Christine Forrest, Elyane Nadeau, Tom Savini, Sarah Venable, Fran Middleton and Al Lavistsky.

It runs just 95 minutes. The score is by Donald Rubinstein.

A re-edited European version places Martin’s flashbacks at the beginning so that the story is linear. It is re-scored by Italian rock group Goblin.

Amplas appeared in several other Romero films: an Hispanic gang member in Dawn of the Dead (1978), a jester in Knightriders, a zombie in Creepshow and a nerdy scientist in Day of the Dead (1985).

On 1 November 2021, it was revealed that a long-lost version of Martin has been unearthed almost 50 years after its first release.

Michael Gornick, director of photography on the film, posted on Facebook: ‘I simply can’t say enough about the efforts of KEVIN KRIESS and THE LIVING DEAD MUSEUM in locating the seldom (if ever) seen, black and white, 16mm version of MARTIN. This ‘Director’s Cut’ of some three and a half hours in length was always Romero’s preferred version. May it soon return safely to the custody of Richard Rubinstein and Braddock Associates for digital revitalization and distribution to the world.’

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5049

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com