TrueJoshNight
Truly Dreadful Film
RipDelight
This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.
Whitech
It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
ObscureCinema101
One really good episode of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE that I remember is "Dead Man's Shoes," where an average Joe finds a pair of shoes and decides to put them on. The shoes, however, belonged to a recently deceased mobster, who decides to possess the man and seek revenge on those who sent him to his grave. RETRIBUTION is just like that, only a lot bloodier.George is a depressed painter who's had it with life. On Halloween night, he jumps off the roof of his apartment building and dies. However, he is brought back by some paramedics, but something isn't quite right with him. Whenever he falls asleep, he has dreams of killing people in gruesome ways, and when he awakens, these people are actually dead. You see, he is now possessed by a mobster who not only shared his birthday, but he was gunned down at the same time George realized he can't fly, so now, the mobster is killing those who killed him. Can George stop him before the killing begins again? RETRIBUTION is a decent enough watch, but it could have been a whole lot better. Considering this was released in the trash-tastic year of 1987, they managed to have a really intriguing plot, great actors, and good gore effects. Unfortunately, they underplay everything except the actors.Yes, there is a lot of talking and a lot of character building, which is both a good and a bad thing. Good, because we actually begin to like and connect with the characters. Bad, because it keeps us away from the good stuff.The kills in RETRIBUTION are all gory, all inventive, and there aren't many of them. There are only four people who gunned down Vito (the mobster), and he doesn't even get his revenge on all of them. There is some great build-up and suspense with the deaths and the "possessed George" is frightening enough to work.There are a lot of scenes where George's possession takes hold, like when they go to a spiritualist, or when he paints several portraits of the charred Vito (which looks eerily similar to Freddy).Don't get me wrong; RETRIBUTION is from being a bad movie, it's just not all that great. I liked all the characters, I liked the gore, and the scares were good, it's just that each of these is either underplayed or overplayed. It's "technically" a lot better than most late-eighties direct-to-video garbage; it's just not as entertaining as it should be.Still, it's worth watching.
Randall Phillip
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS CONTAINED HEREIN. This one teeters on the edge of pure cheesiness, and does fall wonderfully overboard into it, but is saved by Dennis Lipscomb's magnetic performance. I couldn't help myself chuckling at much of this movie- and really, that's a good thing. I was especially tickled by its portrayal of streetwise hookers, whose attire resembles that of circus clowns. I also enjoyed the fat lady in curlers with her dog dressed up in human clothes. The plot of someone being possessed by someone else from beyond the grave to exact revenge is as clichéd as they come, but it's still a fun ride here- and that's what I'd compare this movie to: a fun ride. The ride could've been quite unbearable if Dennis Lipscomb did not make it worth getting through. Something about his performance reminded me of Barnabas Collins. Perhaps, it was his walking stick, or maybe his strange haircut. The beating of a dead horse ending was truly ridiculous, and was the perfect way to end this affair. I have to give everybody an A for effort here. I'll definitely be checking out more efforts by Lipscomb and the director. Enjoy!
DjLee-Manchester
Retribution may look a little bit dated compared to up-to-date films, with it's cheesy 80's feel, but that was just the sign of the times.Dawn of the Dead by Romero, is just the same in the out-dated department-but anyone who's seen it will agree it's still one of the best Zombie films to date! Retribution still has an un-beatable original story-line. It is a little known, rare classic. If you enjoy the horror genre, and have not yet seen this classic- try and get a copy. It is an absolute must see for ALL horror enthusiasts.Well recommended. Everyone i have shown it to was well impressed.It's a treat-especially with todays appalling excuses for Horror films. I really do highly rate and recommend this film, and so does everyone i know.
Christopher T. Chase
Manic depressive artist George Miller snaps one Halloween night, decides he wants to end it all and jumps from the top of the inner-city fleabag motel he calls home. Across town, small-time gangster Vito Minelli finds out the hard way, what happens when you don't pay off your gambling debts, as his vengeful cronies blow out his kneecaps, then douse him in gasoline and set him on fire.Somewhere between life and death, George's and Vito's lives intersect, and both will be changed forever. This is not a good thing for George, and even worse for Vito's assailants, as they will each discover to their horror and dismay...As low-budget supernatural thrillers go, RETRIBUTION manages to strike a nice balance between the yen of those horror fans who like character-driven stories, and the gorehounds who like to see "folks git blowed up real good." TV and movie vet Dennis Lipscomb, who very rarely gets to carry a picture, delivers a scary and sympathetic performance as the troubled George. He has the chameleonic ability to disappear into his character, which is both a blessing and a curse to the best character actors. They make it look so easy, most people don't even consider what they do to be "work," and that's the trouble.Another out-of-print, hard-as-hell-to-find but worthy entry into the B-movie hall of fame.