Last Gasp

Director - Scott McGinnis (Cousin Skeeter, Angel)

Starring - Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Fire in the Sky), Joanna Pacula (Warlock: The Armageddon, Virus), Vyto Ruginis (Star Trek: The Next Generation, The X-Files)

Release Date - 1995

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Pray you never hear the last gasp"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Vinegar Syndrome is always bringing out movies that I've never seen.  Hell, in a lot of cases they are movies I've never heard of until they were released by them.  Over the years I've seen some great, and not so great, films that I would have never seen if it wasn't for them.  I love how they don't care to take a risk and release something most genre fans had never heard of before.  Back in March they released the strange 1995 film Last Gasp starring Robert Patrick.  It's not often that Vin Syn gets ahold of a film from the 90s so I was very curious about it.  I had already pre-ordered the March package so it was just a matter of time until it arrived so I could dig into it.

     The film follows a land developer who is know for his cut-throat ways.  On a trip to Mexico he had a team of mercenaries wipe out a tribe.  However, one of them is able to transfer his spirit into the land developer.  When he returns to his home he is forced to kill by the vengeful spirit dragging a young woman who is looking for her husband into the middle of it all.

     I wasn't expecting an unforgettable movie but I was hoping for a cheap and fun flick.  The movie did surprise me a few times and struggled during others.  At the end of the day I have to admit I enjoyed it regardless of how short it was.  It was fun but I don't see myself revisiting it anytime soon.  The acting in this one is uneven but not bad.  Robert Patrick delivered a great performance for most of the films but there is a few scenes where he is very underwhelming.  The same can be said about Joanna Pacula.  She delivers an awesome performance for a good portion of the film but then she runs out of steam in a few of the scenes resulting is a pretty dull scene.  The supporting cast is solid but the characters are generic and blend in with the background.  The story for this one struggles with it's identity.  It wants to be a slasher film with a possession subplot but the noir aspect mixed with the pacing and timing issues results in a clunky story.  I has it's moments and satisfies but the replay value is not there.  I wish the film would have approached the story in a typical slasher style instead of trying to reinvent the sub-genre.  Finally, the film doesn't really have on screen kills.  A good portion of the deaths are off screen but when we do get to see the body we get some very impressive practical effects.  They do look a little plastic but they still work for the scene.  It's just a shame that these kills were off screen.  Overall, Last Gasp was exactly what I thought it would be.  It was a fun first watch but I don't see myself checking it out again anytime soon.  The blu looks great.  The image is clear and the audio is pristine.  Vin Syn knows what they are doing and knocked another release out of the park.