Slam-Bang (2009/Cinema
Epoch DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: D Feature: B
When an
IT guy is blackmailed into stealing data from a mobster's computer, things just
keep getting from bad to worst. His
girlfriend breaking up with him, his car getting shot at, with even his driver
getting shot. As if things couldn't get
worst at his drop off, the guy he supposed to meet is whacked by mobster and he
gets mugged, tortured and worst. As he
tries to get in contact with the mysterious 'Chinaman', hitmen (and hitwoman)
come out of woodwork left and right and it rapidily turns into gun fights,
blood and guts, and death. And that’s
just for starters.
Get ready for series of misfortunes, just in a single day how everything is
turned upside down. What starts out as
blackmail, an IT guy is first threaten with violence if he doesn’t take the
job, scared for his life he takes it. He
must somehow get a broken flash drive to his contact. But after getting it, his driver 'Turk' is
shot and forced to eat it, after Turk dies, he is forced digs it out of Turk's
flesh and must carry his blood and guts in a plastic bag. All the meanwhile he is constantly being shot
at and threatened. At the end of the
chase there is one final reckoning in one big gun fight. As things get more violent, his fear turns
into paranoia, then anger, then finally revenge.
In the spirit of mobsters and pulp fiction tales, this film is not for the
faint of heart, be warned there is much blood and guts. The scenes seem actually shot in real
locations rather than a studio giving a bit of a grainy picture. Watch as the
main character is ill treated, led around, abused and bloodied. The main character can almost seem like a
tragic character because he has to almost constantly fix things when things go
wrong, unfortunately for him he keeps making the wrong choices. For those who like films with a lot mayhem,
blood, guts and gore this is a film that has it all as well as the high body
count. The picture and Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo sound may not be great, but some might not mind as much considering the
type of story being told. Others should
be warned it is very rough throughout. Extras include an essay from film critic Bill
Gibron and a still gallery of the film.
- Ricky Chiang
