RACE WAR – THE REMAKE

Back in 2005 a graduate from Tom Savini’s FX School embarked upon creating his own special effects company. Tom Martino’s DWN Productions specialize in high grade latex and fibre glass masks, prosthetic appliances, animatronics and the like and are driven by the fact the team are dyed in the wool hardcore horror fans. Fancy a life scale model of Belial from BASKET CASE – these guys can deliver for a mere $550!

But in 2010, when a Digital FX faction of the company was forged as Danny McCarty teamed up with Martino, their collective ambitions flourished. Although still passionate about their special FX services, a feature film went into production after Martino’s Grindhouse trailer entry triumphed at the Alamo Draftouse short film competition. The movie, RACE WAR – THE REMAKE is DWN’s contemporary Blaxsploitation debut which has now found its way to DVD thanks to Wild Eye Releasing.

The opening frames of the movie pretty much sets the tone for the mayhem that is to follow. A cheap worded intro, clearly parodying the preliminary gambit from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, gives way to a wonderful demonstration of local crack kingpin, Baking Soda’s(Howard Calvery) own brand of Dolemite inspired cheek wobbling lip shaking martial arts!

We then get introduced to Baking Soda’s partner, G.E.D. (Jamelle Kent) pouring his heart out in his psychiatrists office. It transpires the narcotic salesman has been having some "crazy ass dreams". The meld of lurid zombies and aliens that litter his nightmares brings G.E.D. to the conclusion that "I want to kill me a white man before I die"

The shrink’s scribbled notes conclude that "Blacks smell funny" but he is helpless when his patient fills him full of lead from his hand cannon before going about his day!

The crack game is a lucrative trade especially when you have "da best rocks". But business is unusually slow. A new mob has moved into the neighbourhood and is peddling a strange new intergalactic brand of crack which in turn is paradoxically turning crackheads into zombies.

After a few beers, some smokes and some hearty swigs of PCP the duo, helped by their mutated homeboy Kreech, a Nubian reptilian lagoon dwelling creature, decide it’s time to acquire a small arsenal and take on Honky in an all-out RACE WAR....!

OK I know I slapped the Blaxsploitation moniker on the picture earlier but this a more than a mere homage to the ho slappin’ pimpfoolery from the 1970’s!

It seems Martino and his crew set out to offend anyone who harbours there merest of politically correct inklings. From Rastafarian Australians to canine munching Chinamen via a few swipes at Mexicans and Jews along the way, RWTR really was an equal opportunity provider when it came to audaciously racial flavoured humour. Even Islam got in on the act with its ‘Moose-Lamb’ sock puppet barman complete with Arabic styled subtitles. Given the provocative nature of the picture, it may come as no surprise that the word "motherfucker" along with the infamous "N" word accounts for about 40% of the script. It’s cheap it’s distasteful but due to the completely wacky execution the vulgarity racial or otherwise it played out rather charmingly!

Sandwiched in between the chaotic comedy are some equally exaggerated gore sequences. One scene in particular where a jaw gets dismantled as a head is punched off shoulders is then followed by the gloating hysterical laughter of a crackhead bystander that lasts for a full 2 mins and 4 seconds as blood spurts fruitfully into the air!

The simple DVD menu gives the option of PLAY MOVIE or access to the EXTRAS segment. Within the latter we get a full length and truly raucous commentary track with the cast and crew. The banter continues in the same tasteless manner of the main feature and although the value in information conveyed is at a minimum it again is a brashly entertaining listen!

Next up is the GAG REEL (9mins 28secs) takes us behind the scenes as well as deliver a host of outtakes showing just what a blast these guys must have had while filming.

Then in the GORE REEL (8mins 42secs) we get down, dirty, gooey and messy as the slimy blood spewing special FX’s are featured.

The trailer for DWN’s second feature, the Lloyd Kaufman hosted CHEESEBALLS promises an oceanic supply of fake spunk, gross out obesity and animated toilet humour.

A selection of z-grade trailers from Wild Eye complete the bonus material including such tawdry weirdness as THE BLOODY APE, the death metal fuelled I SPILL YOUR GUTS and SLAUGHTER TALES, the gore and tit laden HACK JOB and a found footage music documentary spoof THE LOST REALITIES OF HOG CALLER. The one trailer that truly looked a hoot was a movie called BLITZKRIEG a zero budget slice of Nazisploitation which cranked the depravity up to 11 and some!

All in all, the RACE WAR THE REMAKE disc provides your daily dose of low budget schlock while offering equal opportunities to indulge in a diverse range of unadulterated racist wit!

Review by Marc Lissenburg