1/5 This in NOT widescreen
  by S. J. Player (United States)
My favorite film - kinda. The 'new widescreen edition' is actually the full screen with the top and bottom of the image blocked out to create a letter box effect, so you are actually seeing less of the picture. Despicable. The picture/sound quality is the same as on the other two DVDs I have.

However, this edition has a new 10 minute documentary with interviews with Savini, Romero, Donald Rubinstein and Christine Forest - but not Amplas, unfortunately. I have the trailer on another edition but I think the 10 second TV spot is new. I am a collector of this movie so no harm done but if you are buying it for the first time buy one of the two other versions for the full screen and not this exploitative con. [ASIN:6305808090 Martin]

4/5 Romero takes on vampires
  by M. Ryan Fairbanks (Cleveland, Ohio)
Martin is what appears to be a young man, however he believes himself to be an 84 year old vampire, but not a vampire in a traditional sense. He doesn't have fangs, garlic and crucifixes have no effect on him, and the sun simply hurts his eyes from time to time. On the other hand, Martin does ocassionally head out at night and claim victims by simply slitting their wrists in order to drink their blood. He lives with his elderly cousin who believes that Martin is part of a family curse in which every so often a family member is born as a vampire or "Nosferatu". As a religious man, his cousin vows to save Martin's soul, and then destroy him.

Martin spends most of his time doing odd jobs around town, and watching people in order to determine his next victim. He begins to confide in a local radio talk show and tells of his ghastly deeds, and vents his frustrations about his own inconsistencies with vampire lore. For the viewer, the line between Martin truly being a vampire or just a disturbed young man becomes increasingly blurred. Martin is a very in depth look at a character that leaves a lot up for the viewer's own interpretation, the result is a movie that will keep you thinking long after the end credits have rolled.

Throughout the movie there is great photography of the dreary Pennsylvania suburb where Martin lives, and it factors a lot into the dark, brooding atmosphere that is present. Also for gore fans there are enough blood-letting scenes to satisfy and then some. Overall a very memorable and thought-provoking take on the vampire story that culminates in one of the best endings I've seen in a long time. Martin is some of Romero's best work, highly recommended.

4/5 Vampire or Psychopath??
  by Throbbin' Hood (Limbo)
I've been a fan of Romero's zombie films since I was a kid. I thought that was all he did. Then I heard about this movie; it was Romero's take on vampires. It was pretty good, but took a while to get to that point.

Martin stars John Amplas (Day of the Dead), Tom Savini (From Dusk Till Dawn), George Romero, & Christine Forrest (later to marry Romero). Most of the other actors are unknowns, having done nothing before or since. The first half of the movie is slow, painfully slow. Though it sets up the characters well, it just has that amature-filmmaker feel to it (music, acting, editing) that takes the pacing to almost standstill momentum.

The rest of the movie picks up and it all comes together: why Martin kills, how Martin feels about it, and the climax had me feeling sorry for the poor kid. It's hard to tell whether Martin is truely a vampire or a sick kid with bizarre fantasies of bloodletting.

The extras are scarce but enough for a film of its time & quality. A "looking back" minimentary & trailers are all we get. And that's fine.

Martin leaves us with many questions about the character, about ourselves, and about society; a trademark of many Romero films. Overall it was pretty good. Though I agree with another reviewer that it is long overdue for a remake.

4/5 If it looks like a vampire, and drinks blood like a vampire...
  by Craig Edwards (By the sea in NC)
Martin (1978) Writer/director George Romero brings his unique vision and social commentary to the vampire mythos with this horror movie. We meet Martin (John Amplas) as he is being sent from the Midwest to live with his aged cousin in Pittsburgh. On the train he attacks a woman in her sleeping compartment with a drugged needle and razor blade, drinking the woman's blood, though it is not clear if he kills her. When Martin steps off the train in Pittsburgh, his cousin, the formidable Tata Cuda (Lincoln Maazel) immediately pronounces Martin "nosferatu" or undead creature. He tells Martin he is well aware of Martin's curse and that he means to stop it. Cuda's granddaughter Christine also lives with them, and she thinks Cuda is crazy because of his suspicions about Martin. However, Martin tells Christine he is 84 years old but that he has no supernatural powers, which he calls magic. The age thing seems impossible but would explain why he and the elderly Cuda are cousins. Christine doesn't believe Martin, but fears he is unstable from listening to Tata Cuda's rants. From there we watch as Martin continues to live the life of a fangless vampire, stalking people and using razor blades to drink their blood. He also takes to calling a radio talk show where he becomes a minor celebrity of the local airwaves, called the Count by the cynical host who doesn't believe anything Martin says but loves the sensationalism for his ratings. It is never clear if Martin really is or isn't a true vampire, but the distinction is kind of moot since he is definitely attacking people and drinking their blood. This is an absorbing movie, mixing real drama of lower middle class life in the 70's with the usual Romero social commentary and the horror aspects. It is low budget and rather deliberately paced, but keeps your attention throughout. Romero directs well, interspersing old fashioned black and white vampire movie scenes that seem to be Martin's fantasies (or are they memories?) at key points along the way, and letting the rest of the movie play out in quiet, almost documentary like fashion. The cast is unknown but decent, including Romero himself as a local priest not hip to the old ways of Tata Cuda, and makeup man Tom Savini as Christine's not very pleasant boyfriend. This was also the first time Romero and Savini worked together behind the scenes as well, and Savini provides some fine if somewhat low key gore effects. If you've enjoyed any of Romero's other movies like Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead, or you don't mind slower paced horror fare, definitely give this one a look!

5/5 obscure but amazing Romero film
  by bOoKwOrM (usa)
This is probably one of George Romero's lesser known films, but I think it's one of his best(he has also said it's one of his favorites). It's about a young man who may or may not be a vampire, and his struggle to find a place for himself....
To say more would spoil the movie,which I won't do. I recommend tracking down Anchor Bay's 1999 release, which contains the original full-screen format of the film AND a John Amplas commentary. The 2004 Lion's Gate release is an artificially created widescreen(which actually removes more of the image), and no longer contains the Amplas commentary. Romero completists like me will probably just end up buying both versions. ;)