Director(s) – Paul Donovan (Lexx, DEFCON-4) and Maura O’Connell
Starring – Tom Nardini (Kung Fu, Another World), Brenda Bazinet (Goosebumps, Friday the 13th: The Series), and Daryl Haney (Xtro 3: Watch the Skies, The Unborn)
Release Date – 1983
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Release – 3.5/5
I’ve been reviewing Severin’s releases for several years now and for the most part I always enjoy them. However, they always release at least one movie in each batch that I don’t care for. So far I’m three movies deep into this batch of releases and each film seems to be better than the last. After watching Born for Hell and Invaders of the Lost Gold I decided to spin Siege next. This is another one I had never seen before but the artwork really made it look fun. I want to thank MVD and Severin for sending this one over.
**Spoiler Alert** The films takes place during a police strike when a group of men enter a gay bar looking to cause trouble. They kill everyone but one escapes and flees into a nearby apartment building. They soon gather their numbers and place the building on lockdown while demanding they release the man forcing those on the inside to fight through the night. **Spoiler Alert**
Siege was not the movie I was expecting but holy fuck did I love it. It’s not a horror film in a traditional sense but it is an out of the box crime thriller that really took took on a subject that was taboo for the early 1980s. I really enjoyed it and I’m checking it out for the second time as I type this.
The acting in this one is solid enough for the film but there was several dry scenes where the cast just wasn’t delivering the best possible performances. With that being said, I was really looking for characters that stood out from the others. We get a lot of characters that resemble other characters or act too much like other existing characters. There is not a lot of individuality in this one.
The story for this one mixes politics with home invasion. We have the police in strike that answers the question “who will you call if the police isn’t available?” which has been a political topic for decades. Also, including a gay character as a main point of the story was almost unheard of for 80s cinema. It did occur in some films but not as often as it does now a days. With that being said, I absolutely loved the story and how it followed the group barricaded in their home and forced to fight off armed homophobes. It was a lot of fun and I can see bits and pieces inspiring the holiday classic Home Alone.
Finally, the film has some bloody but graphic deaths that fit the theme of the film. The kills don’t stick with out or necessarily stand out but I absolutely loved them. The effects worked in the kill’s favor but I would have really enjoyed a little more blood or gore. Overall, Siege is another fantastic release from Severin. They really impressed me with this one and I can see myself spinning this one yet again in the coming weeks. I fucking loved it and this release looks absolutely gorgeous.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary with Co-Director Paul Donovan and Filmmaker Jason Eisener
Two Cuts of the movie – Theatrical: 84 mins / Extended: 93 mins
Trailer
Limited Edition Slipcover
Reversible Artwork
