Nail Gun Massacre (1985)

Directors:  Bill Leslie, Terry Lofton

 Stars:  Rocky Patterson, Ron Queen, Beau Leland

 Genre:  Horror | Thriller  

 MPAA Rating: Not Rated

 Running Time: 85 Mins

 Format: VHS

Tagline: "Cheaper than a Chainsaw"

(ZERO STARS!)

THE MOVIE ITSELF:

Those who know me are aware that I love B-movies; they have a certain charm to them. But, that's not the case with Nail Gun Massacre. This trash flick is the worst of the worst. I have seen quite a few 80's slashers, and I usually don't expect much out them; being that they all follow the same formula. But, this one has no style or formula, it just is-and that's shit. I wont lie, the title caught my eye, I was curious as to how absurd can a movie be that  goes by the title of Nail Gun Massacre...I found out the hard way.

The film starts of literally with a pretty disturbing rape scene, which I had to fast forward, It went on for a little too long.  After that scene, we are transported to the house of one of the rapist, who is brutally assassinated by an individual with a nail gun (hence the title of the film) he wears a taped up motorcycle mask and a one piece camouflage jump suit.  As the film progresses all you see is people randomly killed by the psychotic murderer;even killing people who weren't involved in the rape.

Now, spoilers ahead, we find out that the killer is the husband of the woman who was raped at the beginning of the film (as if that was a surprise) he is killed of and end of story. That is literally the whole movie, which is short, but drags on for a strange reason. Also, let me mention that the killer would spurt out the cheesiest lines after killing the victims...to be honest, it wasn't even funny, just plain corny!


Do yourself a favor, skip this movie, even if you are a fan of horror movies pass on this one. I thought too that this flick would be a fun horror movie, instead it dragged on forever, the gore scenes were more bizarre than scary and the acting was awful! It is a surprise this movie made it to DVD, and they have plans for releasing it on Blu-Ray...some people have poor taste in movies. Like I mentioned, I enjoy B-movies, but when they are done in a fashion that can be enjoyed. This movie wasn't an enjoyable experience, avoid at all costs.

PICTURE QUALITY:
 The quality of this 20+ year old tape has seen better days, and it is quite evident that the copy I own was an ex-rental at some point in time. The colors are pale and out of contrast, there are blurry lines from being over played, especially in the gory scenes, just show's that some sicko rewound and re-played the scene several times. Now, the issue I had with this tape is only a problem I had with the copy I own, the case may be very different for other tapes still available. Anyhow, the picture quality as a whole without the previous mentioned is of very poor quality.

SOUND QUALITY:
Sound quality is just as negative as the picture, it may be in Hi-Fi sound, but the volume had to be raised several times due the misuse of the tape. I had to actually clean my VCR after playing this tape. So, quality on sound is also very poor.

BOTTOM LINE:
Like previously mentioned, this movie is not worth the time, even for aficionados of slashers. The movie's title is more interesting than the actual film, and that's sad. The creators could have done alot more with the story and pace of the film, fixing those issues would have improved the overall experience of this turd. But, the movie is what it is: a piece of melon shit! Don't rent it, don't download it, just move on! Life will be just fine without having to see Nail Gun Massacre 

The Protector (1985) - American Theatrical Version

Director:  James Glickenhaus

 Stars: Jackie Chan, Danny Aiello, Sandy Alexander

 Genre:  Action | Crime | Drama 

 MPAA Rating: R (Strong Graphic Violence, Sexual Content, Nudity, Drug Use and Profanity)

 Running Time: 91 Mins

Format: DVD ( Keep-Case Edition)

 Tagline: "Now, New York has a new weapon - A cop with his own way of fighting crime"

                                                     
                                                                                                         

The Movie Itself: 

Not many know this, but Jackie Chan had a tough time breaking into the North American market. Sure, back home in Asia- Chan was considered the greatest star known to man; down in America it was a very different story. Jackie's first early attempt was in 1980 with "The Burly Brawl" a film directed by Robert Clouse, who is best known as the director of Enter The Dragon. Clouse, at the time, wanted to turn Jackie into the next Bruce Lee. As we all know, the style between both Martial Artists is very different to say the least. Bruce Lee's style was an authentic mix of the traditional art infused with his own techniques of Jeet Kune Doe. Whereas Jackie Chan is more known for frenetic and erratic style of fighting and moving; so much so that Jackie has made his name for his wild stunts. Ofcourse, his recognition here in the states wouldn't be recognized until much later. 

So, after the failure of " The Burly Brawl" Jackie Chan continued to work home back in Asia. His first attempt, while forgotten in America, would be a hit back home. However, Jackie wasn't about to give up breaking in to the good old USA.  Four years after, Chan was offered the part of Billy Wong- a no nonsense cop with a bit of an attitude. The part would have him play a cop who is out to find a kidnapped wealthy young girl named Laura Shapiro; Along with his partner (Danny Ailleo) they will search for the missing girl and bring down  the biggest chain of narcotics that extends from Hong Kong to America. 

The film on it's own is a great action martial art mash up, I don't exaggerate when I say that I view this movie several times a year. Sure, it's corny at times, and yes there is very little realism in terms of police procedure and politics..but, so what? this movie is not meant to be taken that seriously. It's just an action packed buddy cop movie. Now, I do agree this movie has a little to much drug content, and some unexpected swearing from Jackie Chan. These two main complaints were some of the concerns Jackie Chan had with the film when planning to releasing it back home in Asia.  His concerns were so high, that he fought to have the film re-edited and re- shot for the Asian market. Thus, resulting in a very different alternate cut of the film. The Jackie Chan cut of the film, while interesting, feels very out of place with the tone of the actual film. He inserts more humor, two other characters, changes alot of the fight scenes and minimizes the drug content. While I am glad the drug use was lowered, the fight scenes just don't work in his cut. 

The final edits made by Jackie helped made the film a success in the Asian market. But, back here in North America, the results were not so well. The film was considered a failure upon release, making this film the second failed attempt for Jackie Chan. He would not get another opportunity until 1995's Rumble in The Bronx and 1998's Rush Hour (both of which were great hits) 

As a fan of Jackie, I can understand why alot of people don't like this film. It heavily deviates from his style..so much so that even the director admitted that he didn't want a Jackie Chan film, he wanted a crime action film. Usually, I wouldn't agree, but I have to give credit to the director who gave a great fun action film that never bores you. Again, sure, it's a silly movie, but the style of hard hitting action with cheesy one liners worked quite well for this film. 

Exit Wounds (2001) -Steven Seagal

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak

 Stars: Steven Seagal, DMX, Isaiah Washington

 Genre:   Action | Comedy | Crime

 MPAA Rating: R (Strong Violence, Language, Drug Content, Nudity, and Some Sexuality)

 Running Time:  101 Mins

Format: DVD (Keep-Case Edition)

 Tagline: "This is Gona Hurt"

THE MOVIE ITSELF:

Yes, there was a time when Steven Seagal made good movies...sadly, that time has long since passed. I am surprised how many hail Exit Wounds as the last good Seagal movie, when in fact it's far from it. I wish I could feel the same way about the movie, but I really don't.Exit Wounds can be defined as a failed attempt at a crossover between rap music and aikido martial arts.

What makes Exit Wounds such a failure? Let's start with the plot of the film; The inept sub-plot of the film centers on the story of Orin Boyd (Steven Seagal) a no-nonsense cop who is decommissioned after saving the vice president's life (throwing him over a bridge) from unknown terrorists. This segment in the film only serves the plot in explaining that Boyd is uncontrollable, and will not follow regulation, that is all. Furthermore, we see Boyd attending an Anger Management class, where we get a few chuckles here and there. All of this doesn't really help towards the development of the film.

The real plot, however, could have been turned into a good film had they dismissed the earlier story of Boyd's mishaps and conduct issues. The real plot of the film is Boyd attempting the capture of a drug dealer (DMX) who is working with corrupt cops. As the plot unfolds,we find out that the drug dealer isn't a drug dealer at all, but a self made millionaire trying to bring down a chain of crooked cops dealing drugs and laundering money.

The plot on it's own could serve for a decent enough picture; the execution taken however ruined what could have been. The main problem the movie faces is the cross over between Seagal and DMX. Unlike "Romeo Must Die" and "Cradle To The Grave" the combination of a martial artist with a rapper doesn't work. Seagal may not be the most charismatic guy, but the chemistry on screen between both leads was terrible...it just didn't work. This is not to say that the other film I mentioned are masterpieces, they maybe in comparison to this film though.

However, the film does have it's positives, it was actually nice to see Seagal back in shape for once. We actually get to see alot of his own stunt work, with and without the assistance of a harness, but in essence it is Seagal doing the fighting. Also, Anthony Anderson was hilarious in this movie...so much so that his presence along Tom Arnold where better than the rest of the film.  Lastly, the martial art sequence between Michael Jai White and Steven Seagal was pretty darn good and well choreographed. Aside that, the movie isn't worth the time. As a Seagal fan, I will admit I have seen this movie more than twice, but only because I am a Steven Seagal fanatic. For anyone else, this film will constitute as a pure stinker. So, if you didn't get to see this movie back in 2001, keep looking forward because there's not much to see here.


HOME THEATER QUALITY:

I first owned Exit Wounds on VHS back in 2001, and even then I noticed something very odd about the picture quality. At the time, I didn't know much about Pan & Scan and Widescreen presentation, so I really didn't know what was the matter with the picture. What was wrong? the pan and scanning on the VHS (from what I remember) was pretty terrible. I recall the scene where he Boyd is talking to his chief in the restaurant, you can barely see her , they made no effort in Panning to where she was sitting. The DVD I own as of now corrects that problem. Presented in 1:85:1 widescreen- the picture quality is pretty decent. A Blu-Ray will be made available sometime in the summer I believe, probably already released by the time I publish this review. But, all in all, I wouldn't recommend getting the Blu-Ray, the DVD is good just as is.


BOTTOM LINE:

The movie isn't worth it to those who aren't Seagal fans, and to those who are-they might be disappointed in the execution of the plot. I know for a fact that Seagal's glory days are over, but it would have been nice if they actually gave him a better script with more realism. Sadly, this movie lacks all the things to make a good Steven Seagal movie.

Teenager (1974)

Director:  Gerald Seth Sindell

 Stars:  Andrea Cagan, Joe Warfield, Sue Bernard

 Genre: Drama | Action

 MPAA Rating:  

 Format: VHS

 Running Time: 85 Mins

 Tagline: "She is Ready To Try Anything"






THE MOVIE ITSELF:
It amazes me how many exploitation movies exist, the list is immense believe me. I had no plans to see an exploitation movie when I picked this movie up, in fact this was part of my 80's movie hunt. I came across "Teenager" on a VHS site solely dedicated to covers of different studios from the 80's.

The cover on my left has nothing to do with the actual film, neither does the tagline. In fact, the movie is not really about a teenager. There is a Teenager in the movie, and her character is somewhat important to the film, but it has little impact on the rest of the flick.The real story centers on a lunatic filmmaker who will do anything to get his crazy little film project completed. His film, which seems to be about a motorcycle gang, is going over-budget and he  needs funding to complete the picture. We find out that the director is getting funding from a producer he is having an affair with; her contribution is the only means by which he can get the film released.

With the funding, the frenetic director chooses a location that results problematic. His intentions are to have all the actors portray their parts as they please, and to stay in character no matter what. This results in conflict and confusion with the townspeople; they believe the actors are in fact criminals coming in to sack the town clean. The director tries to convince and explain to them that it is all an act, and that if any damages are to occur the films production budget will cover all expenses and damages. Yet, all futile, one of the actors end up committing a heinous crime. Being left with little choice, the actor flees town before the authorities seek him out. However, the director will not stop until he gets his film completed, even if he has to track down a soon to be convict, his film will see the light of day...or will it?

So, with all the above mentioned, where does the "Teenager" aspect fit in to the whole mess? Well, the only teenager in the film is young girl named Carey, who is very much interested in the production of the film. She falls madly for the guy who ends up escaping the authorities. In all, her scenes sum up to about 20-30 min of the film. In fact, if her character was removed from the film, it wouldn't have made much of a difference, being that the real story of the movie is the film within the film. The real title of this movie should have been "Director" or "Going Over Budget"

The movie as a whole is kind of a mess, it tries being slick and fresh by presenting some of the problems that amateur directors face when in production for a picture; but the execution is rather poor and unsatisfying. The main issue with the movie, aside the false advertisement, is the actual story of the movie the director wants to film-we never get a sense of what type of picture he is dealing with other than being a bike gang related picture. At times the actual movie feels just as bizarre and  pointless as the movie he is filming. And let me not get talking about the abrupt and idiotic ending...Lets just say that I have never seen such stupidity on screen. The ending tried to be moralistic, but all it did was show how not to complete or make a movie for that matter.






PICTURE QUALITY:
The copy I own of this movie is on VHS and it so happens that it is out of print. I paid about $ 5 just last year for it. Now, it goes for as high as $30. Listen, don't bother, the movie isn't worth it. The story is pathetic, the only credit I give the filmmakers is for trying to make a film within a film, but their final product is just a plain stinker. And speaking of stinker, the picture quality on this turd is god awful. I have seen plenty bad VHS tapes in my day, but this one really bites the dust. The colors are pale, their is grain, blemishes, scratches all over the screen. The quality looks like it was recorded in SLP Mode, even though it was recorded in SP Mode.


SOUND QUALITY:
The sound is just as trashy as the actual picture. Even though the VCR recognized Hi-Fi sound out of the tape, most of the dialogue was muddled and many times I had to raise the volume to get a clear understanding of what was going on. The issues with the sound and picture are more than likely problems coming from the actual source they used rather than the actual tape. Regardless, the sound was pure shit.


BOTTOM LINE:
I wouldn't recommend this flick to anyone, even to those who aspire to be filmmakers. You really won't get much out of this movie other than a jumbled mess that could have been avoided. If you really want to watch a better movie about film-making, take a look at The Auteur Theory which I reviewed some time back. Other than what I mentioned, I have nothing else to say about this tripe of a film. Avoid it, and since it's unknown and hard to find, it won't be that difficult to do so.

Godzilla (2014)- Aaron Taylor Johnson

Director:  Gareth Edwards

 Stars:  Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston

 Genre:  Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi  

 MPAA Rating: PG-13 (intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence)

 Running Time: 123 Mins

 Tagline: "A king's arrival is never silent"

THE MOVIE ITSELF: 

It's been almost sixteen years since the disastrous american adaptation of Godzilla...and believe me I don't want to remember that movie. It was only a matter of time for someone to come along and bring life again to our favorite fire breathing monster. So, do we get that in this new remake from Gareth Edwards? Well, to be quite honest, Hell yeah!  

Before I get into the review, let me advise that there are plenty of spoilers up ahead, so if you haven't viewed the movie yet, please do so.  Now, that we have that cleared up, lets talk about the movie. This time around we have Gareth Edwards helming directorial duties instead of Roland Emmerich, who is a far better choice. Roland is known for making epic destruction movies with paper thing plots; sometimes they work (Independence Day) and sometimes it doesn't (all of his other movies)  Gareth on the other hand is known primarily for his work on the low budget movie "Monsters" which he wrote and directed. I will admit, I wasn't very pleased with his film Monsters, he did the best he could with the budget he had, I just was not that interested in the human characters in that particular film. So, in many ways, I was skeptical of his work in the new adaptation of Godzilla...but at the same time I was positive it would surpass the mediocre 98 flick. 

Suffice it to say, this new version does not disappoint, it is a relentless movie with greats amount of action...in the last 20 minutes. Yes, that was a little bit of sarcasm there. Godzilla's presence is very minuscule in comparison to all the other films.  The director did a similar approach here as he did in Monsters- hide the creature as much as possible until the third act of the film. While I enjoy films that hide the main monster for a great length of their film (ex: Jaws) the way it was done in this film was a bit of a two edged sword. At times it just felt frustrating, and other times it got you pumped- wanting  to see more, it was a big tease for a great deal of the movie. However, the last fight scene between Godzilla and the two other MUTOS was amazing, if they had used that just a little more instead of just showing us news footage, I would have rated the movie higher. 

Now aside the negatives mentioned, the movie has more positive notes to mention. One of the best things the movie offers is the human story element; unlike "Monsters" I was actually invested and cared for the human characters in this movie. We get to see all of this cataclysm through the eyes of a young lieutenant ( Aaron Taylor Johnson) who for the most part of the film presents a likable character trying to cope with the loss of his mother. We also have Bryan Cranston playing the role of a distraught scientist who is sure that the government is hiding potential important information from the public. While Cranston's appearance in the film can be summed up to a little more than a cameo, it is perhaps some of the best acting in the film. Had they used Cranston more in the movie, I felt it would have elevated the film more, his acting performance and sheer of emotion presented in the mere first 10 minutes is nothing short of spectacular.


So, is Godzilla worth the price of admission? Yes, but keep in mind that you are viewing a movie centered more on human story rather than mindless monster fighting. Initially, I was very upset at the approach, but come to think of it, it's nice to see a movie where there isn't something blowing up every 5 seconds (ex: Transformers)  and instead center more on character development. Yes, the movie might center a little to much on the human side of the story, but regardless, it works very well for the film. I am tired of this ADHD nation that can't stay still unless something is blowing up or a scene is not crazily edited or quickly paced. Come to think of it, those who complain about the pacing of the film have a problem with their attention span; have some patience and you might just enjoy the film.

Brick Mansions (2014)- Paul Walker

Director:  Camille Delamarre

 Stars: Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA 

 Genre: Action | Crime | Drama

 MPAA Rating: PG-13 (frenetic gunplay, violence and action throughout, language, sexual menace and drug material)

 Running Time: 90 Mins

 Tagline: "Undercover and never Outgunned"

THE MOVIE ITSELF:

I am still in denial, it's hard to believe that Paul Walker is no longer with us, it's even harder to believe that of all the coincidences in the world- he tragically died in car accident; very reminiscent of what we see in the " Fast and Furious" films. Many will say that his acting was nothing special, that it was comparable to Keanu Reeves, I firmly disagree. While Brick Mansions may not be the best of his final work, his acting surely is, it's what saves this film from being a failed attempt in doing another pointless remake. 

For those who don't know, Brick Mansions is a remake of a French film titled District B-13, which was a hit in France and obtained a cult following by some here in the states. I have to say that both the original and the remake are very comparable, almost scene by scene. They are so alike that they even used actor David Belle to reprise his same role. Curious thing  I have to add is, David Belle played the part 10 year prior, and he hasn't aged a day. The second best part of the film has to be David's parkour which is done almost without use of wire work. The first 5 min alone is some of the craziest stunt work I have seen in years, not since Casino Royale's beginning. 

As for the movie itself, it tells the story of an undercover cop (Paul Walker) who is assigned to enter Brick Mansions to disarm a nuclear rocket that could destroy all of the city and it's inhabitants. In order to enter Brick Mansions, he will be teamed up with a convict ( David Belle) who knows all of Brick Mansions. The other problem at hand is that the Nuclear weapon is at the hands of Tramaine Alexander (RZA) who is planning to sell the weapon to the highest bidder.  The plot, while not entirely terrible, could have been enough to make a decent picture. 

The result however, is a disjointed frenetic action movie that makes little to no sense. I love action movies as much as the next person, heck I don't mind if the movie is silly and doesn't take itself seriously (e.i. Expendables, Last Stand) But at least make the attempt at giving us that type of film. Let me elaborate without ruining the film, the action scenes in the movie while over the top, could have been enjoyed, had they tried to actually show the action...instead we get shaky camera and fast cut edits that distract the viewers from what is really going on. When is Hollywood going to learn that shaking your camera all over the place is not cool nor artistic. This same problem happened with the  last two Bourne films, difference there being that the story was actually good and interesting. 

BOTTOM LINE:

While it's nice to see Paul Walker in one his last completed film roles, it sucks to see him being the only real talent in this movie, which reminds me, RZA is one of the worst actors in this movie. I never understood the appeal of placing rap artist in action films, that's one of the crossovers that never made sense to me. So yeah, this movie is worth watching only if you can Redbox it or catch it for free on TV. 

Sweet Lies (1988)

Director: Nathalie Delon

 Stars: Treat Williams, Joanna Pacula, Julianne Phillips 

 Genre: Comedy | Romance 

 MPAA Rating: R

Format: VHS

 Running Time: 93 Mins

 Tagline: "Sometimes The Only Way To Win The Man of Your Dreams Is To Cheat"





THE MOVIE ITSELF: 

Right around the same time I viewed "Dream to Believe" I started searching for more obscure 80's movies. usually I find some of these lesser known titles at Thrift stores or Flea Markets. However, when I can't find any I tend to resort to the internet. Relying solely on the web to find them is time consuming, you have to either find people on YouTube who collect similar titles or go on Ebay to see who is selling a lot of old VHS tapes. It may sound silly, to go to extremes for movies that might end up being mediocre or just plain bad, but as a collector the chase to find them is the best part.


So, how did I end up hearing about this movie? Well, when one ends up collecting alot of movies, you get to see plenty of previews of movies that are more unknown than the actual feature presentation. The preview of this movie was in another VHS movie that I own  "Slam Dance" a mediocre thriller staring Tom Hulce. The preview for Sweet Lies caught my eye, with all the music, the hairdo, and setting. Being that it's only available in VHS I was able to get a hold a copy of this movie for $ 1.59 through a seller in Amazon.

Now, is the movie worth the search? Well...kinda, this romantic comedy has it's pros and cons. Sweet Lies is about a young insurance investigator (Treat Williams) who is sent to Paris on an assignment to uncover a scam artist. While on stay in France, he meets two young girls who place a bet between each other: to see who wins the guy's heart. Both girls go to extremes to get his attention and affection, and while cute and poetic at times...it becomes a bit silly an over the top as the film progresses. Not to mention that the movie is filled with cliches and familiar dialogue.

The most predictable cliche is midway in the movie when we find out that the little game being played by both girls is going to far, and they both know they are falling for the guy, and who knows who he will choose at the end. Of course, knowing the formula of most chick flicks, the guy usually ends up with neither of them...I guessed this 15 minutes into the movie...and guess what? that is exactly what happened. Also, we meet a younger french girl who is friends with the two lovers that coincidentally is also interested in the guy. The "twists" in this movie tend to fall short and are easy to recognize, even for someone who isn't a fan of the genre, and trust me i'm not much of a fan of romantic comedies.


But, the movie isn't all that bad, it has it's good moments. The two main actresses are by far some of the most gorgeous unknown actresses of the 80's.  One of the main girls  is played by Joanna Pacula, who is better known for Marked For Death and Tombstone. The other girl is played  by Julianne Philips who hasn't had that many big part in other films. But, even with the predictability mentioned, all the cast members do a marvelous job with their performances. For the most part the chemistry between both leads is very strong, I just wished they had refined the script a little more instead of being so predictable. Regardless, the flick is enjoyable, not a bad way to spend a rainy afternoon. I wouldn't mind watching this copy later on.




PICTURE QUALITY :

Unlike " Dream To Believe" the VHS I ordered of "Sweet Lies" was in pristine shape, and one can tell that it was part of private collection. It had no rental stickers, or labels of tampering. The picture quality of this 25 year old tape from CBS Fox wasn't all that bad, the colors are so-so, you can tell the movie is from 1988 and a remastering of the movie would be nice, but it's evident that won't be happening being that no one knows about this movie. Still, the picture quality is overall watchable and it shouldn't cause any strains.


SOUND QUALITY:

This VHS tape is part of CBS Fox's line of tapes that offered Hi-Fi sound for the first time. It's advertised as if it's an astonishing accomplishment. Then again, during early years of VHS the standard sound quality was MONO sound, Dolby Surround was something that became a norm in the early 90's in home entertainment. So, in a sense it' normal to see the Hi-Fi sound advertised on the front cover. A comparison that can be made to today's 7.1. Tru High Def Surround Sound.  Anyhow, the sound quality on this tape is nothing to go crazy about; it sounds decent and that's about it.

BOTTOM LINE:

Overall, the movie has plenty of flaws that can be overlooked if you just want to enjoy a typical romantic comedy. I really enjoyed the performances and the cinematographic view of Paris. I recommend this movie only for those who are eager to see forgotten 80's movies or if you like romantic comedies.

Dream To Believe (1986)

Director: Paul Lynch

 Stars:  Olivia d'Abo, Keanu Reeves, Rita Tushingham

 Genre: Drama | Romance | Sport

 MPAA Rating: 

 Running Time: 90 Mins

Format: VHS

 Tagline: "All Things Are Possible..."





The Movie Itself: 

Every now and then I get the urge for a good 80's movie...don't you? There is something about them that I love, it's a cross between the music, the cinematography, and the clothing of that era. This movie is no exception to the rule. I came across "Dream to Believe" at my local thrift store; lying in the abandoned VHS aisle of the store. I was a little reluctant at first about buying this movie, but for 50 cents, one can't really complain about breaking the bank. Being that it was the only 80's movie left in the store, I picked this little unknown gem and took it home.
The movie tells the story of a young girl named Robin Crew (Olivia d'Abo)who wants to strive high in her high school gymnastics team. Her dreams to become the best are at times fallen short with dilemmas at home. We learn early in the film that Robin is victim of abuse by her stepfather, and that she lost her real father in a car accident, which left her with a severe injury on her knee, making the process to compete more of a challenge.


As an audience, we get to see Robin overcome the initial challenge of the competition, which I thought was handled excellently. Instead of making it a superficial issue, the writers of the film managed to incorporate the injury with her own personal problems at home. Problems like the ones with her stepfather, who through most of the film is finding a way to prevent her from competing. The conflicts are so severe she is left with no choice than to run off and practice gymnastics in the streets, in abandoned buildings, etc.

Aside her personal problems, we get to also see characters who are a source of inspiration for her. Such as her gymnastic buddy who helps her train for the competition, two silly police officers that oddly really like Robin's moves and  Tommy Warneki (Keanu Reeves) who is desperately trying to ask Robin out, even though her barely knows a thing about her, yet his intentions are noble. Also, Robin sister plays initially the part of a  bratty sister,that somehow as the film progresses changes her personality and embraces her sister's competition, even though at first all she did was complain and criticize her.

The movie is by no means perfect, it's far from that, yet it manages to entertain. At times it feels as if you are watching a poor man's Flashdance. No lie, there is alot of comparison to be made between both films. For starters, the music in Dream to Believe is similar to that of Flashdance. Than again, alot of electro-pop music of that time was very much the same. That is not to say that the movie suffers, on the contrary, the movie may be corny and unrealistic at times, but it has a certain charm to it. I would definitely watch this movie again some time in the future.  If you are in the mood for a light hearted drama about a young girl with dreams to compete in gymnastics, with a good dose of 80's cliches and electro pop music, this is the movie for you. I know for a fact that I got my fix for the day from this movie;I was looking for a decent 80's movie and I got it.




Picture Quality:
Like I mentioned in the beginning of the review, I found this movie in the abandoned aisle of my local thrift store...and I feel that this copy in particular had been laying around in the sun. I say that because the picture quality on this VHS suffers. I understand the life expectancy of  a VHS tape is about 15-20 years, and the copy I own is roughly around that age. But, it still no excuse, the colors are murky in night scenes that are supposed to be well lit, day scenes look extremely faded and not to mention there is plenty of scenes where the image fades, but that is probably a problem with the tape itself. I have researched to see if there is a DVD or Digital Download of this movie with better picture quality with no luck. The only copy that exists on  DVD is a bootleg taken from a second generation VHS copy, that looks worse than the one I own. Also the cover for the DVD is atrocious it looks like they took a paparazzo photo of Keanu and striped a modeling picture out of a magazine for Olivia d'Abo.

                                                            (Bootleg DVD)

Sound Quality:
The sound on this VHS is worse than the picture quality, it is supposed to be High Fidelity sound and all I got was Mono sound. I had to raise the volume several times to understand the dialogue. Again, this issue is more than likely a problem with the handling over the years of the copy I purchased rather than the actual quality it once had when new. I have viewed clips of the DVD and the sound quality is somewhat better, but as I mentioned, it is taken from what looks like a copy of a copy of a VHS Tape.


Bottom Line:

This is definitely a forgotten 80's movie that deserves at least a view. I will admit that I like it, and probably might watch it again down long the road. I just hope that they re-release this movie remastered. It may not be better than Flashdance or Footloose or any other similar movie of it's time, but it is entertaining, and for that I would recommend this movie for those who enjoy 80's movies as I do. So, if you ever find a copy on VHS don't hesitate, pick it up.