Oc-Terror: Bullets, Blood, and a Fistful of Cash

    Halloween isn't just a time for Horror. It's also a time for all things fantastical or simply over the top. Action movies, by their very nature, must be included. But which one should you pick for inspiration? Should you go with Schwarzenegger? It's certainly easy for people to realize you're the Terminator when you wear some jeans, and leather jacket and some ray-bans. Or maybe Stallone? Some boxing trunks or a sweat suit, a mouth guard and some taped hands and you're Rocky Balboa! No matter who you pick, it's almost guaranteed that people will know exactly who you are trying to be. This film, however, is something most people have tended to overlook. Big guy on the cover, wielding weapons, covered in blood. Yeah, you think, it's gotta be another cheapie!! Well, buddy, you'd be WRONG. DEAD WRONG.

SYNOPSIS: Meet Cash. Cash Cash, to be exact. He was found in a dumpster, recently born. From there, he grew into a behemoth of a man. Nigh unstoppable, he left a wake of death and destruction wherever he went. When the Syndicate took notice of him, his life really changed. Got married to a hitch-hiker because of love at first sight, and partnered with a man by the name of Gonzales, Cash was rising quickly through the ranks. But one day, a bank robbery went bust, Gonzales shooting him in the back to make sure Cash took the fall. Cash fought out, and went to his home, but instead of refuge, found his wife raped and dead. Gonzales couldn't get him for the bank job, so he got him for rape/homicide. After 10 years of instilling the fear of God in Inmates and C.O.'s, Cash was released for time served. Now out, Cash has only one goal: kill the man who killed his wife, and any and all that get in his way.

WHAT MAKES THIS FILM WORK?:

    In 2006, this film barely got any recognition or press. 4 years later, the Expendables came out to much praise. In my opinion, this film is TRUER to the sense of balls out action than the "Action superstar" vehicle. Every actor was smaller scale, newer to the game, and mostly delivered solid performances. Tom Doty as Cash is EXTREMELY well suited to the role. But it kind of helps that the script was written around him (in fact, most of Cash's lines are from conversations Doty had with the director and writer before this film was even conceived).
     And let's not forget about the action. Have you ever seen a film where the main character punches somebody in the groin SO HARD, they are literally lifted up in the air for a few feet? This film has it. This film, while not exactly original, has some of the most bad-ass action quips I have heard in a decade. Doty is able to deliver a very intimidating delivery in some very specifically non-threatening situations. The same goes for Jerry Lloyd, who plays Gonzales, the villain of the film. Lloyd makes him sleazy and very calculative, which, for Gonzales' line of work, makes him even more of a credible threat. Supporting cast can be few and far between, but you're not looking for Oscar-caliber performances.

COSTUME RECOMMENDATION:  Big, burly guys, action movie fans, and the occasional bad movie fan.

   This costume set is the easiest to pull off. Basically everyday wear (including the suits, for guys like the Cinema Snob), the only real accessories you will need include some fake blood, maybe some fake wounds (most like stabs and cut wounds) and some cheap clothes that you would not mind cutting, tearing, staining, or even burning a little bit. For taller people, I highly recommend going dressed like Cash, the towering hero himself. For everybody else, it's simple just to accommodate some "gangster wear" and add accordingly. Especially if you go as a group theme.

    You came for blood, bullets, and a fistful of FUCK! YEAH! And this film delivers. Whether or not you can find it, however, is another matter entirely. Short release, short promotion, and people wanting bigger names has lead to it's obscurity. It's a fun watch, so give it a shot when you can. You won't be disappointed.

    Next review, I'll help you make some custard for your mother, when I bring up Dead Alive. Until then, see ya. And don't going murdering and raping some really big guy's wife and pinning it on him, okay? All right, catch you later!