Director Joe Begos’s (Bliss, Almost Human) latest, action-horror face-melter VFW, assembles a murderers’ row of legendary actors starring as war veterans thrust into a deadly battle against mutant punks. The precise type of adrenaline-fueled, blood-soaked madness that’s perfect for a Valentine’s Day date as VFW is now in theaters, on VOD and Digital HD. It’s fitting, considering Begos’s latest is yet another love letter penned to the genre. This time, a retro survive-the-night siege movie bathed in violence and neon. Moreover, the Cinestate and FANGORIA (Satanic Panic, Puppet Master: Littlest Reich) production is stacked from top to bottom with veterans of horror.
Stephen Lang leads the cast as Fred Parras, owner of a local VFW where his friends, and post regulars, have gathered for a night of birthday celebrations. Lang is still going strong in an extensive career that spans decades, but to genre fans, Lang terrified most as the formidable and intimidating baddie The Blind Man in Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe. On the small screen, he proved just as fierce a villain with a lengthy turn in witchcraft series Salem. One of Lang’s earliest film credits belongs to Manhunter, the first adaptation of Hannibal Lecter series novel Red Dragon.
William Sadler plays vet Walter Reed and needs no introduction to the horror fan. The actor most recently appeared in January’s reboot of The Grudge, is set to reprise his role as the Grim Reaper in Bill & Ted Face the Music, and demonstrates a mean streak as Jim in The Mist. Arguably, his most beloved character of all is that of the heroic Brayker in Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.
Martin Kove also happens to be a Tales from the Crypt alum, appearing as the detective in season five episode “Half-Way Horrible.” Kove is most recognized for his sociopathic turn as Cobra Kai leader in the Karate Kid series, but he also took a villainous turn in Rambo: First Blood Part II. In VFW, he’s team Good Guy as Lou Clayton.
Fred Williamson, known as The Hammer, kickstarted his illustrious acting career as one of the early stars of blaxploitation, with starring roles in notable films like Black Caesar. Like his character Abe in VFW, Williamson’s Frost teamed up with the unlucky heroes of From Dusk Till Dawn in an attempt to survive the night’s onslaught of monstrous foes.
David Patrick Kelly appears as war veteran Doug, but eagle-eyed fans will recognize the actor from his memorable turn as Jerry Horne in Twin Peaks. His role as T-Bird in The Crow proved significant as well. But perhaps Kelly’s most iconic character of all is that of psychotic villain Luther in The Warriors.
Rounding out the cast of veterans is actor George Wendt, who’s appeared in numerous horror anthology series like Tales from the Crypt, The Twilight Zone, and Masters of Horror. His most prominent genre turn came in horror-comedy House, as nosy neighbor Harold Gorton.
As for the antagonists, the sinister gang willing to slaughter anyone in their path to retrieve their stolen drugs, look for Bliss star Dora Madison as a right-hand foe, Gutter. Graham Skipper plays Roadie, and the actor appears in a slew of indie genre films like Downrange, Beyond the Gates, Carnage Park, The Mind’s Eye, Almost Human, and more. Then there’s Josh Ethier as the aptly named Tank. Ethier, a long-time collaborator of Begos’s and lead in Almost Human, is a talented film editor behind films like Gretel & Hansel, We Are Still Here, Mayhem, Leatherface, and much more.
The horror connections extend beyond the cast, too. Look for excellent gore work by Josh and Sierra Russell, the special makeup effects supervisors that have also delivered the goods on films like Bliss, The Ritual, and Southbound. Steve Moore, the composer behind The Guest, Cub, and The Mind’s Eye delivers another ear-worm score here. Brandon Christensen, the director of the creeper Still/Born, handles VFW’s visual effects.
Begos unites a seriously stacked horror-loving cast and crew to unleash mayhem in VFW. Considering the film is a Fangoria production, and the director has built a growing career dedicated to horror, it only seems appropriate. Whether you’re a long-time fan of these genre maniacs, or in the mood for blood-soaked violence, VFW is worth checking out this Valentine’s Day weekend.
