Martin (1977)

4K Restoration

A surprisingly tender, ambiguous, and sexy film in which Romero's penchant for social satire is for once restricted to local and modest proportions.” – Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Despite his renown as the ‘king of the zombies’, George A. Romero declared this vampire masterpiece Martin as his favourite of his own films. In this primal character study, a young man, convinced he’s a vampire, attempts to sate his bloodlust but sedating his victims and drinking their blood through cuts from razor blades.

A precursor to the teen vampire craze of the 2000s, Martin uses its supernatural premise as a jumping off point to explore themes of urban angst and mental health, with end-to-end ambiguity leaving you wondering whether or not our protagonist really is a vampire.

While filled with plenty of graphic gore, the real terror in Martin comes from Romero’s ability to make the audience identify with the film’s sexually confused serial killer namesake.

Festival Appearances/Awards
Edinburgh Film Festival 1977 – Official Selection

Screening as part of Vampire Weekend.