Stars: Charlie Sheen, Randy Quaid, CLint Howard, SHerilyn Fenn, Nick Cassavetes, David Sherrill, Jamie Bozian | Written and Directed by Mike Marvin
Eighties movies have a certain charm, and while they can be hit or miss, even when they are classed as “bad” they can actually be quite good. The Wraith is one of those movies that some may call bad, but actually has all the charm to make it a hidden treasure of the 80s.
When a mysterious car takes to the roads of a small town in Arizona it appears that they are targeting a local gang of violent road-racing motor heads. Is this a victim from their past returned to get revenge, or have they just bitten off more than they can chew?
Just looking at the cast of The Wraith should catch interest for a lot of people, not only fans of the 80s, but fans of cult movies as a whole.
Eighties movies have a certain charm, and while they can be hit or miss, even when they are classed as “bad” they can actually be quite good. The Wraith is one of those movies that some may call bad, but actually has all the charm to make it a hidden treasure of the 80s.
When a mysterious car takes to the roads of a small town in Arizona it appears that they are targeting a local gang of violent road-racing motor heads. Is this a victim from their past returned to get revenge, or have they just bitten off more than they can chew?
Just looking at the cast of The Wraith should catch interest for a lot of people, not only fans of the 80s, but fans of cult movies as a whole.
- 11/19/2021
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
The real mystery is how Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum‘s Careful What You Wish For got itself a theatrical release in the first place — no matter how limited. I’m not surprised Starz Digital is handling distribution, though, since it feels exactly like a late night pay cable ticket sanitized to an R-rating for lustful eroticism rather than actual chemistry, nudity, or plausibility. Sometimes thrillers of the “youthful stalker hits the sexual jackpot” variety can at least be entertaining in an ironic way, but that’s unfortunately not the case here. In fact, Chris Frisina‘s script is smart enough with its inevitable murder and ensuing insurance case to make us believe the film was produced with dramatic eyes and artistic hope. Alas, it ultimately falls short.
All the earmarks for this subgenre of trashy romance are present from the get-go. First you have the star: a Columbia-bound, engineering savant named...
All the earmarks for this subgenre of trashy romance are present from the get-go. First you have the star: a Columbia-bound, engineering savant named...
- 6/8/2016
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Last time on..."There's that guy"... 1. Charles Cyphers - horror relation: "Halloween" "Halloween II" 2. Clu Gulager - horror relation: "Return of the Living Dead" 3. David Sherrill - horror relation: "The Wraith" 4. Clint Howard - horror relation: "Halloween 2007" 5. Rex Everhart - horror relation: "Friday the 13th" Today we look at... 1. Robert Z'Dar Who the hell is Robert Z'Dar? Well, he is the guy who can use his chin as a conc…...
- 7/28/2012
- Horrorbid
A dynamic if occasionally confusing confectionary of Clint Eastwood, David Lynch, John Hughes and George Miller, The Wraith remains one of the definitive guilty pleasures of 80’s sci-fi horror and a perennial favorite for those nostalgia nights in the company of a few select friends, a six-pack of beers and a bag of chips. In spite of its dated synth/soft rock score, awkward dialogue, bewildering concepts and – for the most part – unsympathetic teenage ciphers, it does retain a sleek brio and self-confidence that continue to hold the attention.
The literal borrowings from High Plains Drifter, Shane, The Road Warrior and The Thing are often distracting, but if its influences are plain to see, less visible to the casual viewer are the pain and tragedy involved in its troubled production. With the recent special edition DVD release of The Wraith (review here) from Lionsgate and the 25th anniversary of the film fast approaching,...
The literal borrowings from High Plains Drifter, Shane, The Road Warrior and The Thing are often distracting, but if its influences are plain to see, less visible to the casual viewer are the pain and tragedy involved in its troubled production. With the recent special edition DVD release of The Wraith (review here) from Lionsgate and the 25th anniversary of the film fast approaching,...
- 3/17/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- It's a sign of the times that coming-of-age films, in which one or more male characters comes to grips with the onset of adulthood and maturity, now feature men in their thirties and forties rather than their teens.
The latest example of this baby boomer genre is David Michael O'Neill's uneven debut feature, "Five Aces", which recently had its world premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Starring is Charlie Sheen, who, in an example of his own newfound seriousness, now bills himself as Charles.
He plays Chris Martin, a 35-year-old bachelor who has finally decided to tie the knot. He returns to his hometown to bond with his former buddies, a lifelong group of friends who have dubbed themselves the Five Aces, and to enjoy what amounts to an extended bachelor party.
Of course, what he sees makes him think twice about his impending nuptials. His friends are a motley crew indeed, their lives featuring a combination of failed marriages, relationships and businesses. Led by the financially successful but emotionally immature Ash (Christopher McDonald), they lay a series of gantlets for Chris to pass through, beginning with a mock seduction by a scantily clad woman.
The movie consists of alternately comic and dramatic segments in which the Five Aces attempt to recapture the high spirits of their youth (apparently they used to perform choreographed song and dance routines at the local watering hole) despite the fact that they are now emotional messes. Further adding to Chris' sense of ambivalence is his bittersweet reunion with his still-attractive teen-age sweetheart, now married to the volatile town cop.
The film treads uneasily between raucous comedy and thoughtful drama; comic episodes involving the men's encounters with the town's seemingly inexhaustible supply of available and randy women are mixed in with melodramatic subplots, such as the simultaneous disintegration of the business and marriage of one of the Aces (Michael McGrady).
Although there are some amusing moments and some resonant dramatic interludes, too often the writing and direction seem forced, and the endless sequences in which the men play ball, cards, etc. while engaging in macho horseplay quickly wear thin. Yet another device that doesn't work is the series of fantasy sequences in which Chris imagines his fiancee replacing the other characters.
Sheen brings his usual appeal to his role, and the supporting players, including the stolid McDonald and comedian Jeff Cesario, cope as well as they can with their cliche-ridden parts. Also on hand, in the briefest of roles, are veteran character actors Matt Clarke and Geoffrey Lewis.
FIVE ACES
Phoenician Films
Director: David Michael O'Neill
Screenplay: David Sherrill, David Michael O'Neill
Producers: Elie Samaha, Tracee Stanley, Charles Sheen
Co-producers: David Sherrill, David Michael O'Neill
Executive producers: Ashok Amritaj, Andrew Stevens
Director of photography: Michael Slovis
Film editor: Brett Hedlund
Color/stereo
Cast:
Chris Martin: Charles Sheen
Ash: Christopher McDonald
Karen: Tia Carrere
Ray: David Sherrill
Sean: Michael McGrady
Todd: Jeff Cesario
Sloan: Geoffrey Lewis
Mr. Martin: Matt Clarke
Running time -- 93 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The latest example of this baby boomer genre is David Michael O'Neill's uneven debut feature, "Five Aces", which recently had its world premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Starring is Charlie Sheen, who, in an example of his own newfound seriousness, now bills himself as Charles.
He plays Chris Martin, a 35-year-old bachelor who has finally decided to tie the knot. He returns to his hometown to bond with his former buddies, a lifelong group of friends who have dubbed themselves the Five Aces, and to enjoy what amounts to an extended bachelor party.
Of course, what he sees makes him think twice about his impending nuptials. His friends are a motley crew indeed, their lives featuring a combination of failed marriages, relationships and businesses. Led by the financially successful but emotionally immature Ash (Christopher McDonald), they lay a series of gantlets for Chris to pass through, beginning with a mock seduction by a scantily clad woman.
The movie consists of alternately comic and dramatic segments in which the Five Aces attempt to recapture the high spirits of their youth (apparently they used to perform choreographed song and dance routines at the local watering hole) despite the fact that they are now emotional messes. Further adding to Chris' sense of ambivalence is his bittersweet reunion with his still-attractive teen-age sweetheart, now married to the volatile town cop.
The film treads uneasily between raucous comedy and thoughtful drama; comic episodes involving the men's encounters with the town's seemingly inexhaustible supply of available and randy women are mixed in with melodramatic subplots, such as the simultaneous disintegration of the business and marriage of one of the Aces (Michael McGrady).
Although there are some amusing moments and some resonant dramatic interludes, too often the writing and direction seem forced, and the endless sequences in which the men play ball, cards, etc. while engaging in macho horseplay quickly wear thin. Yet another device that doesn't work is the series of fantasy sequences in which Chris imagines his fiancee replacing the other characters.
Sheen brings his usual appeal to his role, and the supporting players, including the stolid McDonald and comedian Jeff Cesario, cope as well as they can with their cliche-ridden parts. Also on hand, in the briefest of roles, are veteran character actors Matt Clarke and Geoffrey Lewis.
FIVE ACES
Phoenician Films
Director: David Michael O'Neill
Screenplay: David Sherrill, David Michael O'Neill
Producers: Elie Samaha, Tracee Stanley, Charles Sheen
Co-producers: David Sherrill, David Michael O'Neill
Executive producers: Ashok Amritaj, Andrew Stevens
Director of photography: Michael Slovis
Film editor: Brett Hedlund
Color/stereo
Cast:
Chris Martin: Charles Sheen
Ash: Christopher McDonald
Karen: Tia Carrere
Ray: David Sherrill
Sean: Michael McGrady
Todd: Jeff Cesario
Sloan: Geoffrey Lewis
Mr. Martin: Matt Clarke
Running time -- 93 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 12/3/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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