Santa Maria! Mother of God! Help me!
Retribution (1987) starts out on a crazy note, with a bookish looking destressed man teetering on the edge of a building. He places his glasses carefully on the ledge and leaps, landing unceremoniously on a car roof. Luckily, his injuries are not fatal, and after some rehabilitation (and many therapy sessions) he is ready to return to his former life. Who is this suicidal man?
His name is George Miller (Dennis Lipscomb), a manic-depressive artist who lives in a bohemian hotel-turned-apartment complex in Los Angeles. After his brush with death, he seems to be okay, other than needing a cane to walk. His new lease on life is short-lived, however, when he starts having vivid nightmares about brutally murdering people. To his horror he discovers that these are not just night terrors, people in real life are being killed!
The plot of Retribution sounds strange on paper, and it's even more bizarre in practice. George is a mild-mannered chill guy, but when he goes to sleep a homicidal maniac with green glowing eyes takes over his body and commits unspeakable acts. This demonic presence seems to be exacting some sort of revenge and it's up to George to figure out what the hell is going on before someone he cares about gets hurt. Nightmare logic aside, the tone of this film is unstable, wavering between TV movie cheese and gruesome splatter-gore. In one scene, George is exchanging greetings with a dog dressed up like an old lady at bingo and the next minute he is killing someone by trapping them inside a pig carcass in a slaughterhouse and sawing them in half. This tone-shifting keeps the audience on their toes and makes for a compelling story.
Aesthetically, this film is firing on all cylinders mixing together neon and grungy LA vibes together into a funky stew. The multicolored lighting encompasses everything that is great about '80s movies and also gives it an Italian horror flick flair. Composer Alan Howarth's sumptuous synth-laden score is fantastic, perfectly accenting every scene. Guy Magar made this movie for just over a million bucks, and it looks more expensive than it is. The practical gore effects are especially good, with more than a few stomach-churning kills.
George is an unassuming looking older gentleman, who seems to enjoy a good thrift shop sweater, but that doesn't stop him from pulling smoking hot babes! He ends up catching the eye of Angel (Suzanne Snyder), a sex worker who lives in his building. Their relationship is actually damn adorable and the film doesn't look down on Angel's character for her line of work. Although the story itself is rather disjointed, the writing still manages to flesh out all the characters and by the end of the film, you care about what happens to everyone. There are definitely cracks in the narrative and the runtime feels a tad too long, but the character arcs and peculiar atmosphere make for entertaining viewing.
--Michelle Kisner
Blu-ray Special Features:
Two Versions: Theatrical Cut Version + Extended Dutch Video Release Version
Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Director Guy Magar
Writing Wrongs: Interview With Co-Writer Lee Wasserman
Shock Therapy: Interview With Actress Leslie Wing
Angel's Heart: Interview With Actress Suzanne Snyder
Santa Maria, Mother Of God, Help Me!: Interview With Actor Mike Muscat
Settling The Score: Interview With Soundtrack Composer Alan Howarth
Visions Of Vengeance: Interview With Special Effects Artist John Eggett
The Art Of Getting Even: Interview With Artist Barry Fahr
Living In Oblivion: Interview With Production Designer Robb Wilson King
BINGO: Student Short By Guy Magar With Optional Director Commentary
Trailer
Stills & Poster Gallery
Bonus: CD Soundtrack
Reversible Artwork