The Evil That Men Do

This is a Charles Bronson movie. As to be expected, this is an ultra-violent fest with very little supporting the story between killing frenzies. The plot is pretty thin and if it weren’t for the violence and gratuitous nudity I doubt there’d be anything to it at all. The story is centred around a maniac doctor in Suranam, South America who instructs governments on how best to torture people to get what they want. In return, he gets to hide behind diplomatic immunity so it’s difficult to get him removed. Enter retired Bronson, trying to eke out a living eating fruit and being peaceful. Called back for one last job, the film then takes on a boring series of events leading up to the final bloody and predictable conclusion. There’s certainly nothing new here and the story is very formulaic.

"I don’t think this damn thing is gonna make it!"

Nudity, whilst sparing, has been introduced unnecessarily to bolster the story and the violence of particular grisly deaths Bronson inflicts seem no less criminal than that of the evil doctor. I guess the film title refers to not only the baddie, but the goodie too (not to mention those who funded this crud). Actually, there’s a point in the film where I swear the title particularly refers to the act of Bronson bragging to another man (in the process of trying to seduce him) that he and his wife ‘have tried everything; wife swapping - whatever - we’re into it.� An audible shudder passed through my house as these words were uttered, rattling windows and scaring the cat.

There is a series of poor editing choices surrounding this actual scene as well, if not just the scripting. For example at 36:45 we see a woman walk across screen as the lead in take her ‘go’ cue from the off-screen director. Then at 39:29 a background extra looks direct to camera before the boom mic appears onscreen at 40:30. Shoddy work indeed, but I shouldn’t have expected better and thankfully didn’t.

Artefacts abound throughout. Whilst the film appears to have been cleaned if nothing else, it hasn’t been restored. It is 16:9 enhanced as well, though the widescreen is hardly necessary for this pic. Between grisly and unnecessary gouts of bright scarlet (unrealistic) blood and the dry desert sands, there isn’t much to see, apart from the myriad crags in Bronson’s face. Most of the blacks appear green, but it should be said the picture is mostly clear in daylit shots. Interiors aren’t so good, unfortunately. Colours outdoors are good, but there are those indoor instances of crap colour. Flesh tones aren’t so bad, though the Southern Americans throughout the piece don’t look very dark skinned and shadows tend to get a bit indistinct in the night shots.

The sound isn’t so great either. Presented in glorious mono, the music and dialogue levels are nearly always unbalanced, as are the sound effects and music levels. Still, we’re watching this film for the action right? Who cares about sound? Apparently not the producers, because they’ve opened the trunk of stock sound effects and let rip with these all time classics: ‘Shotgun firing’ (exact sound duplication over and over), ‘Bullets ricocheting off rocks’ (a personal favourite) and the ever popular ‘Tyres screeching on dirt road.’ (Yes, you read that right).

Whilst the dialogue is clear, there are instances of Spanish accents tripping up words. The music that accompanies this horror is also that banal sort of TV midday movie kinda almost muzak. Crappola. Viva '80s B Grade!

Want Theatrical Trailers? Well, we got ‘em by the cartload on this DVD. Such a mixed bag too. Naturally, The Evil That Men Do plus Hard Times, The Replacement Killers and The Big Hit (which as everyone knows, has a dropped ‘S’ in the title.)

This DVD will sit well on your coffee table as a coaster, or possibly in that machine they use at shooting ranges; I think its called a trap. The one where you say “Pull!� and the clay pigeons/bad DVDs fly out.

Apart from that, this subpar film is nothing more than one for collectors of Mr Bronson’s extensive body of work. With a sales pitch thrown in for other movies, it exposes itself as a money-making vehicle and the massive international subtitle collection would attest to this as well.