Watch Bruiser For Free

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I watched over a half of an hour of this film and I could not get into it. I usually like slower films but this one was too slow, I think the pace needed to be a bit faster.I also would have liked an explanation for what happened - why did he wake up with a mask on his face one morning? It's illogical to me at this point without a real explanation - IDC if it's an alien encounter, some weird acid that splashed on his face, a supernatural event - something, anything to explain why a mask one day out of the blue.Well I know it's Romero - and I've liked a few of his films but this one I just could not get into and I was looking forward to a nice surprise of a film since his name is attached to it.2/10

Henry Creedlow (Jason Flemyng) is a meek and mild type who tends to let other people take advantage of him. As this story develops, he loses his wife Janine (Nina Garbiras), his job at "Bruiser", which is apparently some sort of lifestyle magazine, and his whole identity, his normal face replaced with blank, mask like makeup. After this, Henry decides that enough is enough. He starts getting revenge on those who have wronged him, including a supposed "friend", James Larson (Andrew Tarbet), Janine, and his extravagant boss, played to the hammy hilt by Peter Stormare. Soon, detectives played by Jonathan Higgins and the eternally cool Tom Atkins pick up his trail.This being a George A. Romero feature - and his first since the 1991 adaptation of Stephen Kings' novel "The Dark Half" - it isn't without interest. The main problem is that it does get tiring and annoying at times, especially when indulging in the eccentricities of Stormare and his decadent employees. Even so, it is amusing to see Romero inject so much blatant humour into one of his films. "Bruiser" is at its best when focusing on the torment experienced by Henry, and Flemyng is a good enough actor to both carry this film and earn some empathy. Early on we get a sense of what Henry goes through with a little fantasy sequence.Those expecting more of a typical horror movie will likely be disappointed with this one. The body count is minimal, as well as the gore. Atkins is a joy to have on hand, as always; Stormare is very good although his character quickly wears out his welcome. Leslie Hope does a decent job as Rosemary, the boss's wife who puts up with too much of her husbands' garbage.An okay watch overall, but it does earn an extra point for the concert performance by legendary horror / punk band The Misfits, who figure prominently on the soundtrack.Six out of 10.

There were a couple of hooks that got me to watch this film. First, it was a chance to see a George Romero film that wasn't a "Living Dead" film. Then there was the poster with the faceless face; it looked very stylish. And best of all, it was free on On-Demand! Well, you get what you pay for. This film has a lot of visual style, but like many of the characters, zero substance. The plot had some good basics, but was often confused and muddling. Henry wasn't much of schlub; he was too good looking, had too much material wealth and didn't seem sympathetic enough. Mr. Romero should have taken some notes from some of the classic Twilight Zone episodes (anything w/Burgess Meredith for example). The rest of the cast is only fleshed out partially. For a visual film, I didn't get enough clues to let me know who's who. The one exception is Milo, who is WAAAAY over the top.The are some good points in the film, most notably the Misfits being in the film and the use of the mask. The latter, is what sets Romero's Living Dead series apart from the rest of the genre. He makes a statement (living dead = mindless masses)with the film; in this case the faceless people who go through life being ignored and exploited. When the film touches on that theme, it comes alive and draws you in. Unfortunately, they are too few to make this film worthwhile.Normally, I despise remakes, but I think this film would be a good one to revisit. As it stands, I give it 4 out of 10.

An interesting study of identity. A man is brow beaten, hen-pecked, picked on at work, ignored by his friends and family, and taken advantage of by all and sundry. One day, he wakes up to discover that a theatrical mask has attached itself to his face and....he's a new man. His fantasies of murder and mutilation need no longer stay in his head, and those who have done him wrong need be aware.George Romero returns to one of his favourite themes, identity, in this, an understated, intellectual and intriguing examination of the role of the modern male in society. The performances are uniformly good, and the premise is worthwhile.Whilst not as gory as his more famous work, this is still well worth seeing.