Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except (1985)

This cheesy, low-budget piece of revenge action from the Evil Dead gang might be technically sub-par, clumsily written, and poorly acted, but thanks to a genuine sense of fun, plenty of mindless violence, and a memorably OTT turn from Sam Raimi as a Charles Manson style cult leader with bad hair and even worse teeth, it actually proves to be very entertaining stuff.The predictable story sees cigar chompin' Sgt. Stryker (Robert Rickman) and his tough Vietnam veteran buddies going to war one more time against a gang of bloodthirsty hippies who have attacked the sarge's girlfriend and killed her grandfather. What this plot lacks in originality, it sure makes up for in violent, gung-ho, exploitative action, as Stryker and company proceed to blast seven shades of crap out of anyone who looks like they might have dodged the draft or worn flowers in their hair.Of course, Stryker's War will be of most interest to horror fans keen to see what the creators of The Evil Dead got up to next: not only does the film star its director Raimi (who proves he cannot act, and yet somehow steals the show anyway) and his brother Ted (as a Mad Max style villain wrapped in chains), but it was also co-written by the chin-tastic Bruce Campbell, produced by Scott Spiegel, and features a rousing score by Joseph LoDuca.

Like all the other reviews stated clear already, "Thou Shalt Not Kill … Except" offers more interesting trivia details than actual good cinema. The film is somewhat of a side-project of the "Evil Dead"-team; only the roles and duties were exchanged for this once. Bruce Campbell (co-)wrote and Sam Raimi (nowadays the acclaimed director of blockbusters such as "Spiderman") stars as a thoroughly depraved, sneering and serial killing gang leader. He's totally awesome in a tacky kind of way! That means Raimi is a downright lousy actor, but if you see him go over the top here and then subsequently picture him sitting in the director's seat of a $200,000,000 box office hit … it's just a priceless image! The plot is familiar revenge/exploitation camp but ever more violent, senseless and uncompromising than it is usually the case. Four buddies that fought side by side in Vietnam reunite in their Michigan hometown for some random hard-drinking, sex with minors and blasting the hell out of wooden outhouses with shotguns. Meanwhile, there's a murderous gang of bikers active in the area. They're self-acclaimed messiahs, already killed several entire families and always clad nightmarish messages on the wall in human blood. You know, lovely stuff like "The Bloodbath is Coming!" Real-life scum as practice-shooting targets were just what our 'Nam buddies needed and it even gets personal when it turns out that the gang killed Stryker's befriended bartender and kidnapped his high school sweetheart. The body count in this film is enormous and each separate killing is somewhat imaginative. Unlike most Vietnam-themed retribution/vigilante flicks, like for example "Rolling Thunder" and "The Exterminator", the avengers here weren't depressed, embittered or dehumanized after serving in the war. Quite the contrary, they love bringing up memories about their tour together and literally enjoy shooting up the enemy… ANY type of enemy! Much more than the other entries in this sub genre, "Thou Shalt Not Kill … Except" is a pure glorification of violence. The filming style is gritty and very cheap, the editing and sound effects are really clumsy and the forced "happy" ending is truly hilarious. In other words; pure & genuine exploitation that won't get appreciated by everyone, but if you like this kind of trash and/or you want to see the other - more secret - side of Sam Raimi, "Thou Shalt Not Kill ... Except" comes with my highest recommendation.

FYI: My comments about 'Stryker's War' are based on the recently released Collector's Edition. I strongly urge you to seek out this version above all others for one reason and one reason only: 'The Making of Thou Shalt Not Kill Except'. Without this vital piece of material the film is without it's glory. The short-story format, retelling of the journey from concept, to production and execution, makes the film ten times more enjoyable, especially for fans of the 'Evil Dead' series of films. The mention of Bruce Campbell (story) and Josh Becker (director, screenplay) "... kicking the story around..." while driving from Tennessee (from the set of 'Evil Dead') to Michigan is a fine example of the insight one gains from this 'Making of...' piece. For true fans.As for the film itself, based on it's own merits... It's not very good. The film takes place in 1969 during the events of Vietnam and the Manson Family murders. The story revolves around Sgt. Stryker, a man honorably discharged from 'Nam due to an injury sustained in battle. He returns home and retires to his cabin only to soon be faced with a Manson family-esque group (complete with C. Manson look alike leader) terrorizing his loved ones. Stryker meets up with his old war comrades and decides to take back his piece of sanity from the malicious group of the deranged.Perhaps you could state that the events in the film are in fact a metaphor for the insanity that is war and therefore vicariously is a metaphor for the Vietnam war... Except! Except for the fact that the film is just a silly variation on Rambo, but without the 'great' acting. The novice direction doesn't help, making much of the film bland and boring. The screenplay is definitely uneven despite being fine-tuned for years. The pacing is lop-sided and leaves all of the action in the last act (sans a scene or two in act two). The one bright spot in the production is Joseph LoDuca's (Music Composer) score at times. With a limited budget, the score is capable of making you forget about the sometimes low-production values displayed.Despite all of it's short-comings... I like this film. I would have loved to have been at the standing-room only premiere of 'Sgt. Stryker's War' back in 1985. I probably wouldn't have liked it as much, seeing as how I was only three years old at the time, but just to be able to say I was one of the first people to see this film would be a kick. I can't really say that about any other film... See this film if you are an 'Evil Dead' fan (it features Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Scott Spiegel, Joseph LoDuca and Josh Becker in various forms of production). See this film if you're a fan of the obscure. Most importantly though, see this film if your a fan of film, but only the Collector's Edition. If you do see the Collector's Edition then you'll understand this..."What's a good idea?"

Although I saw this film under the title "Thou Shalt Not Kill Except. . .," I feel that it would be just as effective under any name. The film is divided into two segments, the first taking place in Vietnam and the second back in the US. The gripping battle sequences of the opening section might lead you to believe that this is just a below-average combat picture. But it's when Stryker returns to the US that the film really takes off. He returns from the front a changed man, walking with a limp as he rekindles old friendships (and just maybe a love affair!). But Stryker's world is shattered all over again when his gal pal gets kidnapped by a murderous gang of drug-addled cretins led by Sam Raimi. The stage is set for Stryker ro reunite his old 'Nam unit and go on one last mission -- to wipe out the evil cult leader. The film is exceptionally well-written and nicely shot -- you'll believe they're actually IN Vietnam! And the performances are first-rate, especially by the actors playing Love Machine and Chainman. This is great stuff for fans of the genre, and has become a cult hit in its own right in certain areas. Stryker's troubling return to 'normalcy' closely parallels the experience of many Vietnam vets whose lives were torn apart by guys just like Chainman. Well worth checking out, if you can find a copy.