Already Dead (2007)

Starring Ron Eldard (Black Hawk Down) Til Schweiger (Knockin on Heaven s Door) and Christopher Plummer (A Beautiful Mind) Already Dead is a suspenseful thriller of one man s journey down the twisted road of revenge. Thomas Archer (Eldard) had everything: a beautiful wife a job as a senior associate at a powerful architecture firm and a beautiful son. Until one fateful night when his son was taken from him and his wife brutalized sending Archer down a path of revenge. When Thomas and Sarah Archer s home is burglarized and their young son killed Thomas does everything he can to try to put the pieces back in his life. But when the police can t find the killer Archer s therapist (Plummer) offers up another option- a last resort. He knows of a mysterious group that can track and find his son s killer and give Archer the opportunity to take justice into his own hands. With his marriage on the brink Archer agrees to this lucrative deal. Face to face with his son s killer Archer is faced to make a decision that will change all of their lives.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/CRIME UPC: 043396227644 Manufacturer No: 22764 Product Description

Good.

This is a good movie with good acting. The storyline was good and the stories within the stories fit this movie well. This was one of those movies that begged the question what would you do if you were in the same situation. It did not take too long to figure it out but that did not take away from the movie. April 28, 2008

The Horror of an Avenging Mind

While the current trend in scary movies seems to be becoming the property of the Computer Generated Graphics industry, real terror comes from studying the possibilities of a human mind scarred by trauma. Such is the material that makes ALREADY DEAD a frightening film - a revenge story by Robert Lynn Archer transformed for the screen by Joe Chappelle and directed imaginatively by Joe Otting. If the theme of a citizen taking justice into his own hands is not new, it wears well enough when we consider the current state of criminal justice as portrayed in the media today.

Thomas Archer (Ron Eldard) is living a successful, happy life until a burglary associated with the death of the babysitter and his son and the beating of his wife disrupts everything. Thomas is informed that the police don't have the manpower to investigate the killings, a fact that further enrages Thomas who is unable to work or function in his grief state. He is referred to a therapist Dr. Heller (Christopher Plummer) who oddly counsels him that perhaps the only way Thomas can get on with his life is to do everything in his power to track the killer down on his own. 'Arrangements' are made with a group of men (mostly frustrated cops) who inform Thomas that for a large fee they will take him to the killer and he can act on his vengeance. Transported by cellphone instructions to a deserted warehouse, Thomas encounters a bound and gagged man (Til Schweiger) who he is told is the killer of his son. Thomas begins his torture of the man only to gradually discover that the man does not bear the arm tattoo Thomas had clearly seen on the perpetrator. Dr. Heller is called to the scene and encourages Thomas to kill the suspect, but Thomas has enough doubt that he frees the suspect and together they begin a terrifying journey out of the maze-like warehouse. The ending may not come as a complete surprise, but it is the telling of the story as basically a character study between the two men that makes the film powerful.

Both Ron Eldard and Til Schweiger are completely convincing in their not so disparate roles: they both have very strong screen presences and with minimal dialog manage to take us, the audience, along with this creepy 'game'. There is some violence to be sure, but the terror of the film emanates more from the interaction of Eldard and Schweiger, each showing the extremes the bruised psyche can display. Not a great film but a film far above the routine 'horror picture' category. Grady Harp, March 08 March 30, 2008

This Is Not A 5-Star Movie

I really live or die by Amazon reviews. 99% of the time, they are spot on. I felt like I was burned a bit by the reviews on this one.

I should have been a bit suspicious when a movie that never even made it to the box office (mainstream, independent, or otherwise) was holding down a 5 star rating on Amazon. Some of the sites that I normally rely on for movie ratings didn't even cover this movie since it didn't get a lot of press and didn't get any reviews by national or regional critics.

The majority of reviews that I read seemed held back on information so as not to give the "plot turns" away. Let me lay it out for you, there are no real plot turns so don't hold your breath waiting for any. Once you get past the opening scenes and understand the premise of the film, it quickly degrades into a typical Hollywood action / adventure type flick. That said, this is no worse than a lot of the trash that Hollywood releases to fill the theaters during the peak summer movie months. In some cases (pick most any action film on installment 3 or greater), it's actually better.

"Already Dead" is a 2-3 star movie that might be worth the low price you pay for the rental at Unboxed or your local retail outlet. Don't go in expecting too much though. There's a reason this didn't get picked up for mainstream distribution. March 17, 2008

Great Movie!

I love when I find a movie that should have been a big office smash but now is more like my secret favorite movie. One thing I hate is when you know what is going to happen in a movie...that is not the case. I was on the edge of my couch trying to figure out what happened next. I'm happy I found this one. February 9, 2008

A Hit - Quietly Rising to the Top!

No doubt with this excellent cast that includes Ron Eldard in a performance better than his in Black Hawke Down, Til Schweiger, the best young talent to come from Germany, and the always incredible Christopher Plummer that ALREADY DEAD would be nothing less than entertaining and worth watching. It is a story that's been done before, you'll recognize it as it's played out...or will you? Not to spoil it, here is a brief description. Thomas Archer (Ron Eldard) has the American dream only to have it shattered by an intruder. (Think Fugitive) The police are failing and if there's to be justice (and revenge) Eldard is forced to face the option of taking matters into his own hands. [Like many other movies right?] No surprises, there is a twist, you'll see it clearly. But what makes this movie are the performances and the the presentation of the story. There is a feel that you are watching the prequel to the SAW movies and like SAW you will squirm. There are no cliff hangers, you'll figure it out early; but because of Eldard, and Schweiger's performances you'll watch it until the end (you will need to...hint) and completely enjoy it. Watch it or buy it, you will enjoy ALREADY DEAD. February 8, 2008

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