fight for your life

THE FLICK: Born of an era when every low-budget film producer was looking for an angle to make a quick buck in the exploitation market, ÒFight For Your LifeÓ plays the race card with a vengeance Ð pitting a trio of escaped cons (led by white trash kingpin William Sanderson) against an innocent suburban black family. Hurling epithets and punches with equal ferocity, the movie aims to shock (especially with a third act twist akin to ÒLast House on the LeftÓ) but is actually fairly tame by cult cinema standards. Sanderson and his crew taunt their hostages with every ÒdarkieÓ insult you can imagine, but the presiding head of the household (Robert Judd), a minister, insists on turning the other cheekÉuntil he just canÕt take it anymore! (Yup, just like the movie poster). ThereÕs one or two cold-blooded murders, one attempted rape, three successful rapes, and the brutal braining of a 12-year-old boy. And thatÕs before anyone starts fighting back! As ferocious as it all sounds, director Robert A. Endelson pulls back from most of the violence, getting more mileage out of the ÒDesperate HoursÓ-style interplay between the cons and their captives. The racial rabble-rousing seems self-conscious today; so much so, even the gritty, East Coast photography canÕt make it terribly believable. THE FEATURES: Blue UndergroundÕs William Lustig hosts a running commentary with writer Straw Weisman and DP Lloyd Freidus. Weisman carries the bulk of the conversation Ð quick-witted and adept at keeping the discussion on track. Both the director and stars chose not to participate due to the filmÕs controversial subject matter (which seems silly since it would have given them a chance to explain their motives directly, but, oh well). Trailers (one for black audiences and another for whites), TV spots, and a still gallery complete the package. The transfer itself seems in keeping with a Ògrindhouse classicÓ of its time Ð sharp, but with moderate wear inherent from the source material. FINAL SCORE: A DVD time capsule for the cult cinema crowd, ÒFight For Your LifeÕsÓ instigator intentions is more obvious than similar films like Larry CohenÕs ÒBoneÓ (also from Blue Underground) and ultimately less interesting. But the mechanics of the plot gain enough momentum to make it mean-spirited thriller of note.