Vfw (2019)

[DR Herbert West]

A typical night for a group of war veterans at the local VFW turns into an all-out battle for survival when a teenage girl runs into the bar with a bag of stolen drugs. Suddenly under attack from a gang of punk mutants looking to get back what’s theirs – at any cost – the vets use every weapon they can put together to protect the girl, and their VFW, in the biggest fight of their lives.

Bonus Material
Two Filmmaker Audio Commentaries
The Making of VFW
Meet the Cast of VFW
The Special Make-Up Effects of VFW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUSSUpTGhZw

[jmb1381]

This is a really fun throwback of a movie! Great cast and gore!

[SeanJoyce]

Appreciate you posting this, I had debated creating a topic after chatting with you about it in the 4k forum.

People might be tired of these 80s throwbacks, but as long as they're done right, I'll greedily lap them up.

This one was a pure, unbridled blast; from the first review I read I knew it was right up my alley. Grimy, Carpenter-inspired, punk-style 70s/80s action horror done right. The cast is fantastic (though as you and I discussed, Peter Jason and Tom Atkins would have made perfect additions/replacements), the cinematography and music are spot-on, and the action is refreshingly relentless. My only real complaint was that the lighting could have been better in spots. Boz is also a pretty weak villain; his sister is far more badass, and a role reversal might have been quite interesting.

But all-in-all, a perfect midnight movie.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

People might be tired of these 80s throwbacks, but as long as they're done right, I'll greedily lap them up.

Same here.

[trentdiesel]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

Appreciate you posting this, I had debated creating a topic after chatting with you about it in the 4k forum.

People might be tired of these 80s throwbacks, but as long as they're done right, I'll greedily lap them up.

This one was a pure, unbridled blast; from the first review I read I knew it was right up my alley. Grimy, Carpenter-inspired, punk-style 70s/80s action horror done right. The cast is fantastic (though as you and I discussed, Peter Jason and Tom Atkins would have made perfect additions/replacements), the cinematography and music are spot-on, and the action is refreshingly relentless. My only real complaint was that the lighting could have been better in spots. Boz is also a pretty weak villain; his sister is far more badass, and a role reversal might have been quite interesting.

But all-in-all, a perfect midnight movie.

Agreed, Atkins would have taken it over the top. The sister was badass, she had a strong performance in another Begos film called Bliss that came out recently. I liked that alot as well.

[omahajon]

Begos is a bad ass dude. I loved, loved, loved Bliss. And VFW is really great too.

[HipsterTrash]

I like Begos and his attitude to films and making them. And I should dig his low budget, highly stylized and 70s/80s influenced work. But I find most of his stuff doesn't work for me other than Bliss.
Almost Human has some really weak editing, especially in the sound. Mind's Eye has some great effects and carries some charm but it's digital look and lighting takes away from it.

Back to topic, VFW I went in wanting to like this movie. Geriatric actors taking on doped up punks in a single location? That should be my jam. It's like a punk rock Assault on Precinct 13.
Sadly it just comes across as stilted and the actions of the characters feels contrived and almost like an amateur's first draft of a script.
Lighting was better in this and the music was good. Acting from the old guys was good too. Williamson is always dope. Fact.
To me though, this movie just feels like a poor man's version of Green Room. That one handled the premise better and it felt real and natural with what happened int that.
Though I'm sure the budget might have helped that film. (Green Room was $5 million as opposed to VFW's most likely smaller budget at, my guessing, $1 million)