Customer Reviews

Thou Shalt Not Kill...Except [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ahh, Sam Raimi and the gang in their $4,000 Vietnam epic. This is THE worst movie ever, but it's also entertaining, so it makes up for it. Thou Shalt Not Kill...Except has a lot of problems: The lighting, the script, the odd stock footage mixed with acting to make everything feel out of place...but, it's stupid in an A-Team sort of way, which is good. Not brillant, but worth a look.

"Thou Shalt Not Kill...Except" is yet another obscure movie remastered by the video gods at Anchor Bay. The plot follows a group of war heroes, fresh out of Vietnam, who end up battling a cult of Charles Manson types in a small town. This may sound like a serious plot (like a revenge movie), but it's really not. Actually, this movie is more of a slapstick comedy than anything, and like all comedies, it wears a little thin upon repeated viewings. "Thou Shalt Not Kill...Except" comes from the same core group (Sam Raimi, Josh Becker, Bruce Campbell) that worked on "The Evil Dead," so if you appreciated the humor in that movie, you'll most likely get a kick out of this one. I personally found it superior to that overrated shocker.

If you're tired of Speilburg's blantant attempts to wring emotions from the tendons of your soul, then this movie is like a soothing balm to your weary, weather-beaten lips. While various other films strive to be genuine and well-made, this one does not even need to: every bit of action, every facial expression, every bit of dialogue speaks from the heart--or at least the spleen. Bruce Campbell is brilliant in this epic tale of heartbreak and intrigue. Not for the whole family, definitely not appropriate to show at Cousin Betty's wedding, this movie is one that at least the committed Sam Raimi-Bruce Campbell fans can enjoy. Hail to the king, baby.