http://www.amazon.co.uk/Massacre-Central-High-Beyond-Terror/dp/B0031A1ZZA/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
Hopefully this is the special edition that we've all been waiting for. And I especially hope that it features an audio commentary by Rene Daalder and that it comes out on the day promised!
I get the feeling it's a bootleg, but I'm no authority. That cover art is very misleading, as are the words "violence drenched." And why is it available only in Region 2?
shareYou're right that the cover and phraes are misleading. The same picture was used for the other UK pressing, which I understand to be legitimate. I think that if ever a movie was killed by its title, it was MACH. The title gives people a very false idea.
I'm actually friends with both Derrel Maury (David) and Rex Steven Sikes (Rodney) on Facebook and also with Rex on MySpace. I'll ask them if they know anything about it.
Yes, the title is very misleading. It makes it sound like this is a teenage slasher film, while in reality, this is a very sophisticated piece of social satire. It probably resulted in some disappointed viewers while keeping away others who would love this film.
And please let us know if Derrel or Rex have any details about the DVD release. I'm glad to hear that Derrel is acting again. Rex used to post on these boards.
Very well said about the title. I wonder if the title had anything to do with Rene Daalder, the writer director, being Dutch and trying to translate something literally from his native language. Or maybe he was trying to capitalize on the success of "The Texas Chainsaw MASSACRE."
MACH is certainly a very unusual movie, which I think is one of the biggest reasons for its cult status. On the surface, it looks like typical sleazy 70s drive-in fare. But it's actually a very intellectual movie. I bet many thousands have decided not to see the movie simply because of the title. I, myself, had completely the wrong idea when I read the title and was surprised to see that movie actually got good reviews.
Rex has MACH fan groups up on both MySpace and Facebook, and a petition for a MACH DVD released on Facebook. And of course, I'll let you know if I get any updates on the DVD. Rex seems like a very nice guy and I might hire him for an upcoming indie movie I'm working on titled "80s Metal Star." It would be a dream come true to make even one scene with any of the MACH cast.
And lately, I've noticed a parallel between MACH and another cult 70s movie that I'm a fan of, "The Warriors." Both manage to create almost surreal worlds by not mentioning the last names of any characters and by mostly excluding legitimate authorities and the general public.
I'm not sure if Leatherface's flick inspired Daalder in titling this. Actually, I get the feeling the studio had a hand in the title because they wanted to sell this as a teen exploitation flick, which it really isn't.
I've watched "The Warriors" again recently, and that's an excellent comparison to this film. "The Warriors" is a throwback to '50s films like "Rebel Without a Cause," which exists in the relatively small but very significant world of the young mind, where fitting in with the "right" group cements your identity more than anything about yourself. "The Warriors" seems almost innocent now, with its mimes and baseball bats, especially because gangs are a much bigger problem in the cities and have much more at stake than the popularity battles here.
Best of luck to you with "'80s Metal Star" (great title!), and do let me know if you hear any details from the "MACH" players.
You very well migh be right that the studio was responsible for the word massacre in the title and wanted to market the movie as an exploitation flick. But MACH is the only movie I know of that is disguised as an exploitation flick without actually being one. That's one of the many things that makes it so interesting.
I'm glad you agree with my comparision to "The Warriors." And you brought up another point; that boht movies involve fitting in with the "right" group. One significant difference between the two movies, though, is that in "The Warriors," the good guys remain good throughout the whole movie whereas in MACH, David is good in the beginning but later turns even worse than the oppressors he depised, though he redeems himself in the end.
Yes, "The Warriors" does seem relatively innocent these days. I was only eight years old when it came out and don't remember this, but I've read in recent years that violence and at least three murders took place at screenings of the movie. The movie had wide appeal to gangs and sometimes members of rival gangs showed up for the same screening.
It should be noted, however, that "The Warriors" is not intended to be a literal depiction of gangs anymore than MACH is inteded to be a literal depiction of high school students.
I read that Presient Reagan was a fan of "The Warrios" and had it screened at Camp David! I'm glad he liked it, but I have a very hard time imagining that movie appealing to someone of his generation!
Remakes of both MACH and "The Warriors" have been mentioned in recent yeras. I'm not at all crazy about the remake frenzy, mostly because I think remakes, as well as sequels, often show a complete lack of understanding of what made the original great.
I'm glad you like the title "80s Metal Star!" Since I decided to take a stab at screenwriting, I've discovered that I write best about what I know. And that screenplay depicts two of my favorite subjets - 80s metal music and small town Indiana life.