A Day of Violence review on DVD from Giallo Films
Directed by: Darren Ward
Written by: Darren Ward
Produced by: Kathy Pillinger, Malcolm Lush, Terry Ward, Glen Wale, Catherine Friend, Charles Winfield, Ian Andrews, Janet Lush, Dave Andrews
Cinematography by: John Raggett
Editing by: Darren Ward
Special Effects by: Stuart Browne, Alastair Vardy
Music: Dave Andrews
Cast: Nick Rendell, Christopher Fosh, Victor D Thorn, Tina Barnes, Steve Humphrey and Giovanni Lombardo Radice
Year: 2010
Country: UK
Language: English
Color: Color
Runtime: 1h 44min
Studio: Giallo Films
Distributor: 101 Films
British gangster films always have a magic to them that American productions seem to lack — a charm or luster like no other. Maybe it’s the sharp tongue accents or the quirky dialogue. Either way, they make for an entertaining time. Don’t get me wrong, Martin Scorsese wrote the book on mob films with Goodfellas or Francis Ford Coppola’s classic Godfather movies but the Brits have done it with different flair. Darren Ward’s A Day of Violence is similar to stuff like Sexy Beast, The Krays, and even Snatch more or less. It’s also brought director Darren Ward’s love for the Italian gangster sub-genre, like Fulci’s Contraband, by adding over-the-top violence. A Day of Violence lives up to its title and is a brilliant fitting name for the film.
Ward has done a predecessor film, titled Sudden Fury, and plans to do a third film after A Day of Violence, titled Beyond Fury. He also has a collection of his short films available, titled Three Tickets to Hell. Ward fills his films with savage action, wit and gruesome special effects. He makes entertaining popcorn munching good time flicks — that’s if your idea of a good time is watching a man hung upside down getting his junk graphically cut off with a set of gardening shears.
A Day of Violence focuses on small time mob debt collector Mitchell (Nick Rendell), who kills a scumbag named Hopper (Giovanni Lombardo Radice of City of the Living Dead, Cannibal Apocalypse and Cannibal Ferox fame) on a routine debt collection. The job turns into a complete cluster fuck when Mitchell finds 100K at Hoppers place. Mitchell decides to take the money but soon finds out getting away with it is not going to be an easy feat as it unknowingly belongs to his new boss, crazed sadistic gangster Curtis Boswell (Victor D Thorn). Now Mitchell has gotten in way over his head. How many people will pay the price around him before Karma comes calling for him?
The film has a good acting performance from lead Nick Rendell. He’s a scumbag himself but still somewhat likable in the cesspool of unsavory characters in this. Mob boss Boswell has a humorous over-the-top role, almost a little too campy at times. You don’t know whether you should fear him, as he’s having people tortured, or laugh at his ranting. There is a lot of gruesome make-up effects work in this one and it’s done very well. We get that aforementioned total genital annihilation scene which will have men wincing, lots of stabbings, throat slitting and squib splattering mayhem. Rendell’s character, Mitchell, takes one of the most vicious face beatings on film. He becomes deformed, with savage make-up work here as well. No gangster movie would be complete without a climatic shootout at a club where no regard for innocent patrons is shown, and innocent bystanders are gunned down without mercy. The cover of the film shows one of Boswells gangsters named Chisel (named because he tortures a girl by extracting her teeth with a chisel tool), holding a chainsaw, and I was hoping for some gruesome chainsaw violence but was unfortunately let down.
A Day of Violence is an entertaining indie gangster roller coaster. It was cool seeing John Morghen (Radice) in a small but great role too. The guy is a quite the character with a big personality, it seems, on and off the screen. This DVD from 101 Films also features a great making of segment where we get to see the movie magic happen. Ward has passion for this genre and it shows. He pours his hard work and dedication into it. Contact Darren Ward on Facebook and order Sudden Fury, Three Tickets to Hell and A Day of Violence, and look out for Beyond Fury when it’s released.
