Damage

The Damage tagline is “bring the pain,” so it could be that there’s some filmic kinship with Roadhouse through its Zen koan, “pain don’t hurt.”

But Damage is kind of a reverse Roadhouse (the remake, that is): instead of a cage fighter being pulled into bouncing, the arrow points in the opposite direction.

Stone Cold Steve Austin stars as Brickner, an ex-con holding down two jobs, one in construction, the other, as a bouncer at a sleazy tavern in Seattle (capably portrayed by Vancouver, as per usual).

During his stint in the clink for manslaughter, Brickner made epistolary promises to the wife of the man he killed, offering up any kind of restitution he could once he’s released. And it just so happens the woman’s daughter needs a very expensive, life-saving, cardiac surgery.

And what better way to come up with 250k than via cage fighting? (it’s funny, many a current UFC fighter has recounted the $500 purses they earned in these kinds of circuits, frequently held at Indian reservations or parking lots).

Damage then, is a bit like the Jean Claude Van Damme vehicle, Lionheart, which also had high-stakes pit-fighting, where JCVD’s Lyon was compelled to financially assist his sister-in-law.

Brickner is introduced to the world of cage fighting through Reno, a manager played by Walton Goggins, channeling his inner Joe Pantoliano, who sees potential in the ex-con.

And Brickner, tournament-style, has to run through a bunch of mesomorphs – with predictable results.

*** (out of 5)

Genre fans, check out the book, Mine’s Bigger Than Yours! The 100 Wackiest Action Movies.

Double Blind

A bunch of people sequestered away and given experimental drugs? Is that an extended metaphor for COVID lockdowns?

The Irish horror, Double Blind introduces us to the recondite Blackwood Pharmaceuticals through Claire, a surly 30-something test subject in it for a quick buck.

And as the title/premise would suggest, Double Blind is a drug trial horror, a la English horror, The Facility.

And like that one, the pharma baddies dangle financial enticements to keep participants engaged. In the case of 2012’s The Facility, it’s £2,000 (about USD $2,500) but as befits the current cost of living/inflation, 2023’s Double Blind antes up by offering €30,000 (about USD $33,000) to keep folks motivated. The dozen or so test subjects whoop it up and fantasize about not having roommates, or going to live somewhere exotic for a few years on that princely sum.

Before too long, however, a member of their ranks bleeds out of every orifice, Ebola-style.

But before anyone can seek medical attention or launch a class action lawsuit, the facility goes into automatic shutdown mode, with a giant countdown clock enumerating the time left until the doors spring open (!). It’s a hilariously dumb, yet strangely compelling idea. And there’s another gimmicky conceit as well: you see, one of the participants is med student, Amir, who figures out that one of the drug’s deadly side effects is to kill those who fall asleep.

That makes this production veer into Nightmare on Elm Street territory, wherein Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) had to guzzle coffee to avoid the Springfield Slasher. Here, however, it’s smelling salts, that miracle drug that gives athletes that certain je ne sais quoi.

And it’s refreshing that Double Blind doesn’t go down the path of intra-person transmission/zombie-style outbreak. That’s a welcome change from where these things go usually.

Plus, the bleary-eyed principals are resourceful too – both Claire and Amir have a lot of agency – which makes this a cut above.

***3/4 (out of 5)

[Check out the Really Awful Movies podcast discussion of Double Blind]