Left for Dead (II) (2005) User Reviews

This is guaranteed the worst movie I've ever seen.

[mikeellis · 2/10 · 10 February 2006]

This may be the worst movie I've ever seen, but I'm sure there's worse out there, that's why I gave it a two out of ten.

You can't blame the budget for how much this film sucks. The acting is horrible, I've seen movies on a smaller budget with better acting. The fighting sequences are lazy and the story is non existent. The first 20 minutes of this film is fighting, for absolutely no reason. There are a lot of sequences that just don't' make sense visually as you watch it, they are so absurd and badly choreographed most of you could do better yourselves. There is no plot for about 1/2 of the movie. You can't even play the artistic freedom card in this abomination of a film. I like bad movies too... but this one is hard to laugh at, it just angers you cause you know you could do better with $16,000.

Final Thought: Don't watch this for action, don't watch it for acting, don't watch it for creativity, only watch it cause it overall worse than any movie you've ever seen.

Budget Jackie-Chan-meets-Bugsy Malone (without the songs)

[stephenskl · 1/10 · 15 June 2006]

LFD is the most unwittingly hilarious film I have seen for ages.

The painfully long opening scene is a dialogue-free killing spree peppered with pantomime deaths and schoolboy-like 'Aieee!' shrieks of terror.

An inexplicable (bad) fake-American narrator intones low voiced nonsense by way of introduction to 'the streets' (or a Brighton industrial estate to be precise).

Some of the overly-serious hard man facial expressions make Eastenders Mitchell twins look like Pacino in Taxi Driver.

The laughs just keep coming. A scene where two henchmen receive a stern ticking off by the yellow teethed grimacing boss reaches surreal heights of humour. In the background a man is chained to a fence and is being teased by a WWF looky-likey bloke pulling cartoon –character baddie faces and pointing at him threateningly. This goes on all through the overly long scene.

After our hero has been shot, he makes it back home to his flat where he fumbles in his bathroom cabinet, crashing amongst deodorant and other jars. The same shot of a blood stained hand, shaking and crashing (its owner out of shot) around the cabinet is seen twice within a couple of minutes. What was he thinking of ? This is no time for a shower.

Budget Jackie-Chan-meets-Bugsy Malone (without the songs) Worth a watch for the laughs alone.Heading for the so-bad-its-good genre.

not bad. a good watch

[Dark_Guyver · 5/10 · 10 February 2006]

Lets get one thing straight from the get go, this is a Martial Arts action film, so the plot is not all that important, however work should of been done on this aspect of the film, as it is lacking even considering the genre. But that said the action is what people will be most interested in. It is a mixed bag of fighting action. Some sections here and there are well done and its obvious there is a lot of talent in the film, however here come the faults…. The speed of the fights can be slow and lack energy, in part due to the performers and also the director. When a fight is shot in a certain way allowing you to see more of the action akin to Hong Kong style, camera speed is very important as it is easier to see the pace with longer cuts and wider angles. Quite a lot of the fighting falls into the 'pitter patter' form. There is not a lot of contact made and some people seem afraid to hit each other. This is a fight scene, not a toy fight and there is a distinct difference. There are quite a few misses in the fights when air can be seen, this is a kindergarten error, it also takes any viewer away from the sub-reality films create and an illusion is broken. Also two actors playing main parts are just painfully bad at fighting. One of them also looks some what similar to a hamster!

I know this may seem like a harsh review, but its true and I think its important not to sugar coat things to much, so giving the film makers a chance to improve.(well maybe not the hamster comment.

Garbage waste of time! not even worth laughing at

[jourdanmc · 1/10 · 30 April 2006]

Man this movie sucks i'm glad i didn't pay for it (netflix) but i did waste a movie that i could've watched from my que. The camera work is garbage along with the fight choreography these guys don't even make contact! once i saw that glenn salvage guy knock 2 guys down with a lousy hook kick that had NO sound effects i nearly spat my drink and turned the movie off which i did anyways 2 mins later. The muzzle flash's on the guns are poorly added in along with blood which they probably couldn't afford or knew how to make stage blood. The stupidest characters EVER! that one fat idiot with the 2 piece sword that he got off of karate depot that he clearly does not know how to use! i mean comeon doesn't he know he looks ridiculous? i wouldn't even have let them put my name in the credits if i were somehow in this movie. don't waste your time look else where. these actors should hide in shame.

First-class budget-defying British action film

[cg_regan · 10/10 · 19 November 2005]

In the opening scene of 'Left for Dead' the low budget roots of this homegrown, self-funded British action film are painfully obvious. Thankfully the ambition and love of the genre that the filmmakers have clearly injected into the project are infectious and within minutes all its flaws are forgotten. With its straight-forward, engaging revenge storyline and numerous energetic and accomplished fight scenes 'Left for Dead' is a kick in the head for a genre that has come to rely too heavily on special effects and wire-work. Few filmmakers at this level of funding would even attempt to make such an elaborate, time-consuming and large-scale project, especially in a country in which genre films in general are a rarity, but the finished film stands as a testament to their success. The spirit and inventiveness of this back-to-basics action film puts some of the most expensive and explosive blockbusters to shame and needs to be seen to be believed.

Rough and ready but full of action'

[leerichards_reviews · 7/10 · 27 October 2005]

Can a British crew make an action film with Hong Kong sensibilities? Watch Left for Dead and you'll see.

In the vicious city Hope, Kincaid is the boss. He rules with an iron fist and employs soldiers with lethal martial arts skills to make sure no-one encroaches into his territory. Williams is Kincaid's best hit-man. His wife was brutally killed years ago and rage used to fuel his jobs but now William's feels empty and wishes to leave this lifestyle behind. He agrees to do one last job but Kincaid can not let him retire. At the end of the mission his two colleagues, Dylan and Taylor, turn on him and try to finish him off. Needless to say, they leave him for dead. Kelso is a professional kickboxer who's life is ruined when he defies Kincaid and doesn't throw a fight. Forced to leave Hope his only way to make a living is to get involved in illegal bare knuckle fights. Williams soon discovers it was Kincaid who ordered his wife to be killed and decides he wants pay back. He teams up with Kelso and the two go back to Hope to get revenge.

Left for Dead is a guilty pleasure. Its one of those films that shouldn't be any good but something makes you enjoy it. Its got a few flaws; the story is a bit clichéd, some of the acting is a bit woolly, the editing is a bit choppy with continuity being a bit sparse in some places and it's a little too long with some of the action being a bit repetitive.

But its still a really enjoyable film.

All its flaws can be forgiven as soon as you find out Left For Dead was only made for £10,000. It looks a bit scrappy but it easily looks like it was made for 10 times that amount.

If you're looking for an action film that's stuffed full of Martial Arts, good stunts and is made by some home-grown talent then Left For Dead is the film for you.

Summary of Left for Dead

[mattbrown1 · 10/10 · 6 March 2005]

This film is definitely worth the watch... The action is superb and considering the small budget the producer/director have done an amazing job and i think actually looks like something with a greater budget.

The whole experience was a good one and met a lot of top people. don't disrespect this film unless you have seen it. I think this film will only be truly appreciated by those with an interest in martial arts of some kind.

This film is an all British film too which must be a good thing. If we had a million dollar budget imagine what may have been achieved!!!

watch out for it.. should be hitting the shops soon.

[e-mail]

Well put together low budget action

[eccentricbrit2 · 7/10 · 22 October 2008]

(No major spoilers but some plot points are revealed) It's quite unusual to see a UK made action/martial arts film as opposed to the plethora of period pieces and dramas made over here so for that reason alone the director and production team deserve credit. Essentially the film revolves around a man's brutal revenge against his ruthless employers - fairly standard plot but still well executed here.

When you consider the budget for this piece (around £10-20K according to reports) and that it was self-financed by the producer and director team Phil Hobden and Ross Boyask, it's amazing that something so action packed could be attempted, let alone filmed and distributed. From the opening scene with a 10-minute mayhem fight to the closing showdown, there is plenty of action along the way with character development and a little romance playing a minimal role (as expected in an action film).

Naturally given the budget constraints there are flaws. The opening scene is perhaps a little overlong and does betray the small amount of money available. Special effects are limited and often the camera angles are chosen so the blood and cut effects don't need to be shown. Also the cast is pretty much made up of unknowns. Some do a good job (especially the leads and the main villain) while some of the smaller performances leave something to be desired.

The fistfights are well choreographed and must have taken a long time to get right. Especially good are the boxing scenes midway through, a fight between the main character and a sword wielding henchwoman and the relentless finale where literally dozens of people bite the dust. And there is no shying away from the violence (that you might get in a Hollywood blockbuster that has to be cut down to get a family friendly rating certificate). Plenty of people (nearly the entire cast) die brutal deaths here.

Overall, a good first effort. It is the first feature from Modern Life although many short films have been made by the team in the past. Despite some shortcomings, most fans of 80s style action movies (such as Commando, American Ninja etc.) will enjoy this effort and hopefully the team will have more money to do even better films in the future.

Violent and Intense

[jasondaviesONFIRE · 8/10 · 23 November 2005]

Independently produced, low-budget movies exist for several reasons. They act as a jump-start for fledgling talent. They offer something for a niche audience that's not deemed suitable for mass consumption.

They push film convention to extremes. Encompassing all of these traits is Left for Dead, one hell of an action movie that gives the people what they want and what the people want is more guns, more swordplay, more high-kicking martial arts, and more bloody mayhem all around.

Although not without faults, I've got to hand it to the folks behind Left for Dead. They've created a monster of an action movie considering their limited means. Most importantly, they've managed to make the most out of their medium, the indie film, by pushing the action to extremes while maintaining an engaging plot. Left for Dead is like a modern, British equivalent of a Shinji Fukazaku yakuza thriller and classic Hong Kong kung fu movie in one, where the violence is intense and the fighting practically never stops.

An ultra violent spin on the 'hit-man on the run' sub genre

[justin-richards-1 · 7/10 · 9 January 2009]

It's funny how you sometimes come across films and how the first time you see a film can colour your perception of it forever. My first viewing of Left for Dead was of a screener copy sent to me for possible inclusion into a film festival I was running at the time.

Unfortunately things didn't bode well at first and the disc kept freezing up in my DVD player, but I persisted and I'm really glad I did as Left for Dead is a lot of fun.

This fast paced British martial arts flick (yes, you don't hear that said every day!) unfolds in the fictional city of Hope (ironic name me thinks!), which is ruled over by the iron fist of Kincaid, a mobster with a touch of class, played by Adam Chapman. His minions are highly trained warriors and no one dares to cross him, until one of his own enforcers (Williams) discovers he was set up by the boss and sets out to settle the bad guy's hash. Williams (a convincing Glen Salvage) is assisted by Kelso (a prize fighter with a personal grudge against the mob), and together they take on Kincaid and his not so merry men.

Shot over a period of 18 months in Brighton and Eastborne, (of all places), this Brit-flick demonstrates that it's not just Hong Kong and the US that can pull off action films. However, its main failing is its toilet tissue flimsy plot, which is simply used to string together oodles of ultra-violent fight scenes, some of which are admittedly well executed and exciting to watch. Director, Ross Boyask is to be commended for his handling of these scenes, which really elevate LFD above many similar flicks.

My main problem with the film, and I'm sure it's makers would agree with me, is with its length - at 105 minutes it's 15 minutes too long and needs to be cut down. There are a few scenes which are unnecessary and could easily be dropped, in particular the introductory sequence and the bike 'chase', although admittedly these do look cool.

In summary then, a fun slice of over-the-top martial arts mayhem that keeps you watching (even if your DVD player is struggling!) because of its audacious set pieces and the level of enthusiasm on show. Oh, and yes I did screen it at my film festival in the end!

A Film That Really Left me for dead...

[theonetheonlyplh · 10/10 · 26 May 2005]

There are so many martial arts films out these days. It seems that every country has finally woken up to the wonders of one of the best genre of films ever produced.

And here we have the UK's first entry which I am happy to report ROCKS HARDER THAN OZZIE ON SPEED.

I caught this film at a special screening in Cannes about 2 weeks ago and was surprised by the quality of acting and the speed and pace of the action. It's a low-budget Digital movie. That much is true. But the scope is simply amazing making US action films seem like they have been neutered.

The story is a simple revenge stick. Williams, an assassin for crime lord Kincaid, is betrayed and Left For Dead, by his erstwhile colleagues. Keslo, a promising kick boxer, has his career cut short after refusing to throw a fight for Kincaid's men. Together they must team up to take down the criminal empire that holds their city in a vice like grip.

With a cast of relative unknowns (Salvage has been in several UK films but none that have made it across the pond) The pace of this film is break neck it never stops to take a breath which means that by the end you are totally exhausted.

Leads Salvage & Prior cut a dynamic team (although with one it's obvious by the weight fluctuations that the film was shot over a long period of time!!!) and really kick butt. The villains are evil, the women double crossing and the big bad is a very scary man.

Something else that shocked me was the simply superb humor than ran throughout the film. It was that right balance so that it didn't seem out of place.

But its the action that counts and thats what this film has... smashing up a car? Check. A 20 min opening assault with guns, knives, baseball bats (one of the films most shocking moments involves Foiadelli's unhinged 'Taylor' getting medieval on a bad guy with a bat) and insane stunts? Check. A huge finale? Check.

In lost count of the death toll (over 50 in the first 10 mins) but the producer/director team of Hobden/Boyask never stopped coming up with new and inventive deaths. Special note must go to the middle Dojo fight which see's a perfect kill Bill inspired moment and another 30 people bite the dust (kincaid must have a clone factory producing all these disposable henchmen).

God I loved this film. This is the sort of film that 80's genre legends like Avedon, Rothrock and Hues used to make. A Proper No Retreat No Surrender type film with a film Noir edge and that gritty British streak that made films like Get Carter (the original) so god damn great.

I haven't seen a film that made me this excited in years... yes it has it's faults. Yes it's far from perfect in places. The quality of the digital transfer is occasionally shaky. And a couple of the support cast seem misplaced. But it didn't matter. The film entertained.

Okay, yes I'm slightly biased because I love martial arts films... But god damn didn't you hear me NONE OF THAT MATTERS.

The screening room laughed, booed, cheered and broke out in a cold sweat as the twists came thick and fast. A (over) packed screening house of 75 people gave the production team a standing ovation at the end. When does that ever happen? On a side note the music to this film is superb. It's like a Sergio Leonne cross with 28 Days Later. It also has music by a host of break through US and UK Hip Hop Artists. I'm told the CD will not be released which is a shame as the music really lifted the film.

It's out in the US on DVD through York entertainment in August. Catch it. Watch it. Buy it.

JUST SEE IT!!! NOW!!! No really... why are you still reading this. Go out and get this film.

Got off to a rocky start then ended with a bang.

[jhpstrydom · 7/10 · 5 August 2010]

When my latest online order of imported DVD's arrived the first one I watched was LEFT FOR DEAD, which I had imported from the UK, when I popped it in my player and started watching the first thing that almost made turn it off was the very poorly staged gunfight sequence in the beginning, I thought to myself then "Oh hell no" but I then decided to watch until the end and give it a chance to redeem itself.

Redeem itself it certainly did, the beginning of the film came off almost completely disjointed, I mean to me it looked like this thing was going to be a total disaster, that's how bad it started but as the film progressed it started to look like things were getting more and more organized, such as the editing was very uneven at first but got better as the film progressed, the acting was bad but it also got better and the best action scenes in the film were in the final act that feature a whole collection of well staged and nicely choreographed fight scenes that came up one after the other non stop.

Overall, the start of this film might put you off if you are really fussy about the quality of your action films but give it a fair chance, the action in the final act is certainly worth the wait.

Highly recommended UK Action Feature

[willstrongreviews · 8/10 · 7 December 2005]

In the fictional city of Hope the notorious gangster Kincaid (Adam Chapman) is king. Ruling the underworld with an iron fist, and with an army of trained enforcers at his call - nothing and no one stands in his way.

One of his top men is Williams (Glenn Salvage) a hardened mercenary, left emotionally hollow after the death of his wife, he carries out Kincaid's punishments with ruthless efficiency and unquestioning loyalty. That is, until one day, he discovers that Kincaid has set him up whilst on a job and consequently decides to defy him - big mistake. For his transgression Williams suffers unspeakable violence at the hands of one of Kincaid's other henchmen - the psychotic Taylor (Adrian Foiadelli) and, as the title goes, is left for dead. Upon recovery he meets Kelso (Andy Prior) who had a promising boxing career cut short by Kincaid after he refused to throw a rigged fight and subsequently had his hands smashed by him. Deciding that enough is enough the two join forces and hatch a plan to bring Kincaid and his organisation to its knees - let battle commence!

Privately funded by cult action director Ross Boyask and produced by award winning filmmaker Phil Hobden, Left For Dead was made over a period of two years and finally secured a limited UK cinema run in 2004 and a wide DVD release earlier this year after a very successful debut at the Cannes film festival.

So what of the film itself? Well as far as action goes any self-respecting film fan will not be disappointed. Both Prior and the incredibly versatile Salvage display martial arts skills that would give Bruce and Jet a run for their money. Both do all their own stunts and make the fantastic fight sequences that much more real by seemingly appearing to actually connect with every punch and kick that they throw. Of note is the superbly choreographed car park dust up and the brilliantly wince-inducing ass kicking finale played out in Kincaid's lair.

In addition Boyask's direction shows a sure hand and his camera-work is, at times very inventive indeed, making good use of silhouettes and shadows to create a real 'Sin City' kind of feel to the film. Foiadelli's writing is inspired, injecting a nice sense of black humour to proceedings that makes one fondly remember the salad days of Tarantino and Shane Black.

There are some areas that could of been improved though. Notably in the editing. There are a few scenes that go on far too long and could have done with trimming by a few minutes. Also its way too violent in places and in some areas goes completely over the top in some of its brutality.

Performance wise its a bit of a mixed bag - Salvage is impressive as the hero and can certainly deliver a decent one liner on cue, Prior is a tad wooden and certainly needs some acting lessons, Foiadelli isn't bad as the sadistic nutter Taylor - but could of benefited from reigning in allot of his madman screaming and swearing, and been a tad more on the subtle side to boot - cant fault him for effort though. Chapman is the standout however, chillingly effective as Kincaid, bad to the bone, and so damn nasty that throughout I found myself desperately willing Salvage to get his revenge over him when they meet in the films incredible 'fists at dawn' denouement - which frankly has to be seen to be believed.

So overall I found 'Left For Dead' a highly enjoyable movie. Yes its a bit rough round the edges, but it exhibits a refreshing rawness (rare in films today) that superbly adds to the dark atmosphere that Boyask and Hobden have created. Fair play to the lads, as they've shown some serious balls here, it takes allot to make a movie in this day and age and to have done such a professional job as they have here gives me allot of hope for the future of British action cinema.

Highly recommended

Enjoyable Calling Card Movie...

[themadmullah · 7/10 · 25 August 2006]

Kick! Punch! Kick! Punch! Kick! Punch! Punch! Punch! Kick! You get the point but then again so did I after about 5 minutes of this small budgeted British action feature. There's no shortage of action.

Looking at other reviews here this seems like the kind of film that will and has split opinions in two. You either love it or loathe it. I love it but then again I grew up watching ripped VHS imports of Chinese and Hong Kong movies, in the days where subtitles were written by someone with no idea about either language they were translating.

On occasion the modest budget does show up and by the end you are wishing that a few explosions or the like could have been thrown in for good measure. But in this age of cynical studio produced McMovies, it nice to see a film with a raw passion.

Looked at as just a movie it still has a lot to offer (there's more action in this that most of the Hollywood films of last year put together), but looked at as what this is, a calling card that says 'Look at me', this film is one hell of an achievement rather than being just another low budget action movie. And that makes it rather special….

I looked and enjoyed and I hope that there is more to come.

Not My Kinda Film... Or So I thought!

[sweatcheeks · 8/10 · 14 February 2006]

I don't normally DO action or martial arts films. I'm a girly girl. But every so often you have to relent and let the boyfriend watch something HE wants.

'Left For Dead' was it. He followed the production of this in magazines in the UK like Impact and Combat. We had a double bill of this and Richard Jobson's 'Purifiers'.

Comparing the two is like chalk and cheese (although they both share similar actors and stunt men and where made around the same time). One is interesting. Enjoyable. Fun. And exciting. The other is The Purifiers.

Left For Dead surprised me. As I said I don't normally DO action or martial arts films. But this was a fun movie, enjoyable and not badly put together for an independent action film.

If you have the choice of watching one or the other Left For Dead is the one to go with.

The film the term 'So bad it's good!' was invented for

[nw_comic · 8/10 · 14 July 2006]

The film the term 'So bad it's good!' was invented for. This film has all the hall marks of a very bad 80's action movie. The kind of film that was frequented by Jeff Speakman, Michael Dudikof and Jeff Wincott. The kind of film you rented because the cover had ninjas and fighting drawn so badly that it looked more like your grand ma than Chuck Norris.

The kind of film where the good guy gets shot, kicked, stabbed, beaten, blown up and yet still manages to take down the bad guys army of 200 highly trained soldiers.

The kind of film that had a name like 'American Ninja', 'The Perfect Weapon', 'Ninja Exterminator', 'Invasion USA', 'Eye Of The Tiger', 'Kick Boxer' and 'Missing In Action'.

The kind of film that I always chose at my local video shop over the higher budgeted star driven studio fair. The kind of film that, well, that I love so much.

Don't get me wrong. Like the films mentioned above (and the many I have failed to mention), this isn't a masterpiece in terms of production value, acting or (sometimes) editing or direction but in terms of bang for buck well this film does what it says on the tin. In spades.

And lets face it I never watched Segal movies for the character development or plot. I watched them because I knew, just for that hour and a half, that I'd get to see some tubby white guy kick the crud out of a bunch of bad guys in inventive and fun ways.

But the strange thing is, for all its faults and over long running time, this film does just what I wanted. It offers an 80's styled action film that is true to the genre and superb fun to watch.

So, in short, if your idea of a good film is Citizen Kane, Remains of the Day or Notting Hill this film is not for you.

If however, like me, you grew up on a staple diet of action movies, body counts and ninjas then you 'Left For Dead' is that rare find… a butt kicking, head stomping 80's styled action romp that makes for almost 2 hours of mindless fun, bloody, guts and over the top martial arts moves.

--eye--

Action Packed 2 Hours...

[bondsgotnothingonme · 9/10 · 14 February 2006]

Wow! Left For Dead is a bit of an oddity. A film that for the most part I should hate. It's story is simple, it's budget small but damn it it sure packs a punch. I've not seen a film some packed to the brim with action since the 80's and plot less but fun affairs like Commando. Yes I am comparing this with Commando. Why? They both have no plot, they both feature straight faced stoic lead heros and they both have a death count higher than George Bush on a Invasion Rampage. The budget does show in places and whilst others may consider that to be a bad point I don't. After all it means you get some pretty creative fight scenes that makes the most out of what they had. But money is and never should be an excuse. For all it's faults this is an adrenaline rush of a movie that grabs you by the nuts and doesn't let go. Not everyone's taste by far but fans of hong kong chop socky movies and butt kicking 80's action will love it.

A Bloodbath!

[G-Man2007 · 9/10 · 12 January 2007]

I saw LEFT FOR DEAD at the recent Bloodbath festival in Bristol. Along with several other UK and Indie films, it's great to see that there are film makers in the Uk making the best out of very little.

With a small budget and humble DV roots, I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised by this film. It was packed with energy and whilst it was a little too long and a little too much in places I was very impressed by the overall feel and balls of this film.

Preceded by a very funny introduction by the filmmakers (pre-tapped) the film from the start never takes itself too seriously with lead characters Williams and Kelso fighting and killing more henchmen in one film than Chuck Norris managed in his entire career.

As I said, too long in places, and occasionally struggling to make the most out of it's meagre budget this film was actually very enjoyable, action packed and hopefully will be well received on it's upcoming UK release.

Not to everyone's taste but if you like Chan, Norris, Jean Claude and Segal films of the 80's and 90's then you'll most certainly get something out of this.

Amazing effort...

[jrp-1 · 8/10 · 25 February 2006]

I've seen my fair share of high and low-budget martial-arts films. Hundreds in fact. Hell, I love them so much that I have written countless reviews and help moderate one of the biggest forums on the net: kung fu fandom. Left for Dead grabbed me from the get-go.

I finished Left for Dead only a few short hours ago and I had to share my thoughts on this UK indie gem. It wasn't what I expected; it turned out a lot better, in fact. I thought this was gonna be another USA type indie film which is usually a Hollywood action film with bad acting and lots of needless, badly performed drama between action scenes. But Modern Life? has surpassed my expectations and that of the industry. I love the fact that they created their own world inside the film, i.e. Hope City, Metro City. The comic book feel does wonders for the film, and they use the freedom of this sub-genre very well.

The pacing is really good too. There is nothing I hate more than drama bogging down a good action film. There are some pretty iffy wife flashbacks of Glenn Salvage, and that was as much as I could take! Believe me, the combined running time of the opening and ending fights far surpass that of most films in the genre.

I'm not sure whether the film was shot in sequence but you'll notice how the fights just keep getting more exciting by the minute! The choreography in the chaotic end fight was a lot better than the rest of the film…or was the best simply kept for last? I can already see myself returning to the end sequences on a regular basis. Of course, good fighting consists of more than having a few good moves, and I think Glenn Salvage and Andy Prior looked a lot more determined at the end, and the action seemed a bit tighter – it works out very well when it comes together. The over-the-top death scenes were a great touch, and fit into this twisted world very well. And who can look down on a film featuring not only guns and fists, but Japanese katanas too? Watch out for the brief fight between Glenn Salvage and a blond swordswoman, very impressive.

Granted a lot of the acting was horrible, but the dialogue was more than just filler. There is a speech Kincaid gives his henchmen Dylon and Taylor for instance, about the Nazis, and it works surprisingly well. Yes, the film has its fair share of rough spots in the dialogue and acting department, but you wouldn't believe how good it looks considering the budget and DV equipment origins.

Some trivia: I saw Andy Prior was reading Bey Logan's (UK author and martial artist) book Hong Kong Action Cinema in Glenn's apartment. Some influences might be Highlander (sword scraping on the roof), The Matrix and Kiss of the Dragon. But mostly the action is so energetic that I could care less about where the ideas came from.

At the very least this film is a guilty pleasure. A lot of its success lies in the fact that it doesn't try to be realistic. The creators' imaginations ran wild and in the end I have to applaud the cast and crew.

Oh Yes! This is More Like It...

[kickingbuttssince1976 · 9/10 · 5 October 2005]

Thank god for Amazon. Their recommendations meant that whilst I bought the risible Purifiers, I also managed to get a copy of this far superior feature film.

WIlliams is an Assassin. kelso a kickboxer. Betrayed by crime over lord Kincaid they team up and kick some serious butt.

Lead Salvage does a solid job (any one else think he reminds them of Segal?) and new comer Andy Prior was very good as the role of the young Kelso.

But its the bad guys that excel here. From Adam Chapman's Kincaid to Adrian Foiadelli's Taylor, the bad guys add real menace.

But the action. Oh the action. I guess this is where these films live and die. And unlike other UK action (ahem!) film The Purfifiers (which shares many of the same cast and crew) this film had action in spades.

Okay maybe too much action at times but this film, which I read online was made for under $25k (the same as clerks) has more action that you can shake an action shaped stick at.

And death toll. At least 200 people die, and in reality maybe closer to 300.

This is a violent, dangerous film. And a joy to watch. For a film that offered little (low budget, no stars, first time director etc) it delivered far more than The Purfifiers and it's million $ budget, Lord Of The Rings star and ex-rock star director.

Def worth the money!

UK Action... Fun and In Your face

[evil_monkey2007 · 8/10 · 19 April 2007]

Williams is an assassin, Kelso a kick boxer. Together they team up to take on the man who wronged them, crime boss Kincaid. They fight henchmen, they kill henchmen and they shoot henchmen. There is a plot, although that never gets in the way of the often pointless killing of more henchmen.

Did I mention a few people got killed in this? Funny enough after watching it the first time (from a recommendation) I bought the film cheap of Ebay and decided one drunken night to do a drinking game. Every time a henchman with a beanie hat gets killed you take a drink. I lost count at 45. Any more I fear I may have died! Left For Dead is a low budget film. If you take it on those merits it actually ticks all the boxes of films i like... brash, bold, violent, funny, silly and one where 2 hours feels like ten mins.

Okay compare it to Mission Impossible 3 or similar and yes the film will look weak. But as far as cheesy 80's action films go, this isn;t bad at all.

Enjoyable, fun and frivolous this is a film for people who like fun films.

Action that leaves you Breathless...

[Jaunty2006 · 8/10 · 4 May 2006]

From Jackie Chan to Jet Li, Bruce Lee to Wesley Snipes I'll watch martial arts movies just because they are martial arts movies.

I've sat through Joseph Li movies, the best and worst of Jackie and now a few of the new crop of digital low-budget films that are appearing from all over the world.

So in one weekend I sat down at watched Rolling With The Nines (at the cinema), The Purifiers, The Insiders and finally 'Left For Dead' The order of the day hear is death, murder and high octane martial arts. And it's a dish served very sweat….

Lead actor Glenn Salvage is superb (and a little Segal like) but any film like this lives and breathes on it's bad guys and thankfully they are as bad as they come. Adam Chapman as Kincaid and the duo of Adrian Foiadelli (the scarily unhinged Taylor) & Kevin Akehurst (the deranged short fused Dylan) chew the scenery.

Perfect? Well no. Maybe too much action, some questionable acting and a few continuity issues but come on lets be honest even films made for $50million can claim to have the same.

What makes 'Left For Dead' stand out is that it has heart, soul and invention that makes up for it's small budget and DV trappings.

This film has a death toll higher than any film since Commando and with that Arnie flick being one of my top flicks of all time that's not such a bad thing.

If you want fun, death and kick arse action on a major level then 'Left For Dead' is your film. If you are expecting Hugh Grant and floppy hair... look elsewhere.