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VHS Trash #3
Death Commando
Major Rex Matrix, commander of the Black Scorpion Commandos, faces an army of ruthless loyalists whose allegiance to their leader, General Vo Pan, is one of reverential obeisance. After a mission to destroy the elusive leader falls apart at the death of his team, Matrix now finds himself a fugitive, pursued by Vo Pan's Red Sun Mercenaries. Alone in the jungle, hunted, and determined to reach his commander to establish a new team to continue the eradication of the iniquitous army and its deity, Matrix crosses paths with new allies, while familiar ones become suspects in his team's destruction. Against lunatic aggressors and weapons whose very existence threatens the stability of the world, Matrix must embrace the mounting rage inside and yield to its conversion, because, only then, will he become DEATH COMMANDO!
The jungle will bleed!
The jungle will bleed!
- GenresHorror
353 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2022
7 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Brian G. Berry
54 books282 followersa.k.a Brian Berry
Brian G Berry is new to the world of writing. He writes everything from 1980s inspired horror, SCIFI/Action-horror, to the strange. His biggest influences are the writers of the weird including Lovecraft, Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, to the pulp horror authors of the golden age 70s/80s- and a splattering of others. Author of The Pail, A Bloody Christmas, Splatter Fiend Series, Slasherback Series, Campfire Tales Beneath a Pallid Moon, Accursed Ground, Blood Lanes, The Night Mutilator, Thanksgiving Day Massacre, and his newest: SNOW SHARK.
Brian G Berry is new to the world of writing. He writes everything from 1980s inspired horror, SCIFI/Action-horror, to the strange. His biggest influences are the writers of the weird including Lovecraft, Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, to the pulp horror authors of the golden age 70s/80s- and a splattering of others. Author of The Pail, A Bloody Christmas, Splatter Fiend Series, Slasherback Series, Campfire Tales Beneath a Pallid Moon, Accursed Ground, Blood Lanes, The Night Mutilator, Thanksgiving Day Massacre, and his newest: SNOW SHARK.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 9, 2022
Brian Berry embodies the pulp authors of old, the greats who could take on any genre, blast through it with the storyteller's compass, and leave you with stitches, a bloody nose, and a smile.
Death Commando is nothing short of a storm of steel, capturing the feel of 80s action greats like Commando, Strike Commando, and Robowar. Colonel Reb Hawkson is a loving nod to the immortal Reb Brown who starred in the latter two. Berry's command of language is put to good use in the novel, with his descriptions shining, as always: "He saw himself with his boots mired in a mountain of ... dead, his weapon chattering like a mad skull, chewing ... the Red Sun Army."
I'll set the stage. It's 1970. The Vietnam War is raging. The rogue General Vo Pan is carving the jungles with Operation Red Death. Major Rex Matrix, member of the Black Scorpions, is left without a team, without hope, and a warrior's desire for revenge. His target: it's nothing short of Vo Pan himself.
"I'm coming for you, Vo Pan" [...] "I'm coming for you and ending this."
Let Berry take you on a run through the jungle.
Death Commando is nothing short of a storm of steel, capturing the feel of 80s action greats like Commando, Strike Commando, and Robowar. Colonel Reb Hawkson is a loving nod to the immortal Reb Brown who starred in the latter two. Berry's command of language is put to good use in the novel, with his descriptions shining, as always: "He saw himself with his boots mired in a mountain of ... dead, his weapon chattering like a mad skull, chewing ... the Red Sun Army."
I'll set the stage. It's 1970. The Vietnam War is raging. The rogue General Vo Pan is carving the jungles with Operation Red Death. Major Rex Matrix, member of the Black Scorpions, is left without a team, without hope, and a warrior's desire for revenge. His target: it's nothing short of Vo Pan himself.
"I'm coming for you, Vo Pan" [...] "I'm coming for you and ending this."
Let Berry take you on a run through the jungle.
November 8, 2022
Having read a good handful of Berry’s previous works, I gotta say, I really enjoyed the totally different direction Death Commando took.
Unlike the creature feature and extreme horror elements that he writes in, Berry does a complete about face and brings us readers a highly competent and extremely satisfying war thriller that mimics the trashiness of the cheap, straight to VHS films of the 1980, though this is far more like 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙮 than 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤.
With non stop action and non stop violence, this book is trashy and schlocky and has one of the most “WTF?” endings I can ever remember reading, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun, elevating Berry from dime a dozen authors to someone who’s really beginning to make a name for themselves with each new novel.
There’s a question at the end of this book asking if we want Matrix, the main character in Death Commando to come back. I’ll answer that with a resounding HELL YEAH!
November 25, 2022
I couldn't refuse the premise of this book. As an 80's child, the author's promise of it being the kind of action film he'd love to have watched back then appealed greatly. It's a love letter to films such as Commando, Red Scorpion, Rambo, Platoon, Predator, American Ninja, and many more action-packed films from an era of crazy VHS fun. Berry delivers a dizzying kill count and uses his verve for extreme violence to great use. I think it's important to acknowledge the skill it has taken to write a completely authentic book in this style, and Berry should be applauded for staying true to the demands of this. The backdrop is well researched, and the colourful characters would fit in effortlessly with the cast of the aforementioned movies. Death Commando had great pace and rattled along with the bullets. Now, GET TO THA CHOPPA, STICK AROUND, and start reading!
November 13, 2022
This is my first Brian G. Berry book and I'll definitely be buying some more.
Death Commando is a love letter to the action films of the 80s. It reads like a forgotten Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Chuck Norris or Dolph Lundgren film, with lots of gore, some sci-fi elements and a great wtf ending. And like most good action films, we definitely need a sequel.
Death Commando is a love letter to the action films of the 80s. It reads like a forgotten Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Chuck Norris or Dolph Lundgren film, with lots of gore, some sci-fi elements and a great wtf ending. And like most good action films, we definitely need a sequel.
August 30, 2025
I'm guessing that when you were supposed to put this cassette tape in your VCR, the author would hope to see the studio title like, "Paramount" or "Warner Bros." Even "Cannon." Most likely it would be "AIP" or one of those bargain basement outfits that changed the names of the films depending on what country they are in. And, to complete the fantasy, the directed by would have to be someone like Teddy Page. Then again, maybe I'm wrong.
This was a pretty good Vietnam action story. It had all the wild scenes and gore you would expect. It went a little too far on the sci-fi side. The ending was pretty rushed and nothing I would have expected. I didn't care much for it either. The ride there was decent enough.
This was a pretty good Vietnam action story. It had all the wild scenes and gore you would expect. It went a little too far on the sci-fi side. The ending was pretty rushed and nothing I would have expected. I didn't care much for it either. The ride there was decent enough.
November 8, 2022
Spoiler alert, and last things first: I loved this book!
There I said it....here is why:
If you boil my life down to a fine soup, you would find that the ingredients would be movies movies movies.. And my movie love started in the 80's and with Arnold Schwarzenegger - more precisely COMMANDO and John Matrix. So, when I found out that Brian G. Berry (a MUST buy author for me) just released a book, which in a lot of ways reminds me of me childhood and COMMANDO, I just had to read it ASAP.
This book deviates a bit from the usual Berry books from slasher/creature feature horror to a bloody mess of a action thrillride (Love both these genres of his). That being said, it is still clear that I have a Berry book in my hands - as we still have a LOT of gore and violence, plus twists and turns. And that ending...WOW....loved it!
And to answer your question in the end of the book, mr Berry, then YES!! A thousand times yes!! More please!
There I said it....here is why:
If you boil my life down to a fine soup, you would find that the ingredients would be movies movies movies.. And my movie love started in the 80's and with Arnold Schwarzenegger - more precisely COMMANDO and John Matrix. So, when I found out that Brian G. Berry (a MUST buy author for me) just released a book, which in a lot of ways reminds me of me childhood and COMMANDO, I just had to read it ASAP.
This book deviates a bit from the usual Berry books from slasher/creature feature horror to a bloody mess of a action thrillride (Love both these genres of his). That being said, it is still clear that I have a Berry book in my hands - as we still have a LOT of gore and violence, plus twists and turns. And that ending...WOW....loved it!
And to answer your question in the end of the book, mr Berry, then YES!! A thousand times yes!! More please!
October 16, 2022
Great story
Better than most VHS tapes I watched in the day
And yes I'd like to read more of matrix please
Better than most VHS tapes I watched in the day
And yes I'd like to read more of matrix please
November 26, 2022
Please write a sequel. I'd read a hundred of these.
December 1, 2022
A wordy throwback to the action movies of the 80's. Lots of fun. Can't wait for a sequel.
October 13, 2024
Your new favorite 80s action film
It's your new favorite 80s action film because that's the way it reads, but of course it can go beyond that since budgets have no say. Matrix is the commander of the Black Scorpions a group in Vietnam who are fighting the mercenaries called Red Sun. Red Sun is backed monetary and with advanced sci-fi like equipment by the Russians, while getting what men they need from friendly NVA forces. They plan on conquering Vietnam and to keep going with their super weapons. However Matrix is in their way, even after being set up and losing his team he is still fighting and doesn't plan on giving up til Red Sun and their leader is gone.
Highly recommended, just a fun fast paced read that makes you look fondly on the straight to VHS action films of the 80s.
It's your new favorite 80s action film because that's the way it reads, but of course it can go beyond that since budgets have no say. Matrix is the commander of the Black Scorpions a group in Vietnam who are fighting the mercenaries called Red Sun. Red Sun is backed monetary and with advanced sci-fi like equipment by the Russians, while getting what men they need from friendly NVA forces. They plan on conquering Vietnam and to keep going with their super weapons. However Matrix is in their way, even after being set up and losing his team he is still fighting and doesn't plan on giving up til Red Sun and their leader is gone.
Highly recommended, just a fun fast paced read that makes you look fondly on the straight to VHS action films of the 80s.
October 30, 2022
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take an 80’s action star vehicle, and read that, instead of watch it? Wonder no more, because Brian G Berry just released the book you didn’t know you needed. As a fan of old school action movies, this one hit the spot. Matrix is an action hero himself, one that would make Schwarzenegger proud. I hope Berry dabbles more in this world
November 13, 2022
It was like like Terminator and Rambo had a baby!
Book was awesome lots blood and gore throughout I loved it and yes I want a part 2 Brian! The return of Matrix
Book was awesome lots blood and gore throughout I loved it and yes I want a part 2 Brian! The return of Matrix
November 29, 2023
“Many men, women, and children were gathered into great mounds of confusion—confused as to why they were piled into these animated pyramids of writhing bodies and screams.”
Not really a fan of the ending, but the rest of this was entertaining as shit, just exactly what you’d want from something called DEATH COMMANDO (pretty sure it’s essential that you refer to it in all caps at all times).
June 24, 2023
Thrilling!
I had a blast reading DEATH COMMANDO. The writing is smooth, fast, and the story--filled with violence and action--grabbed me and didn't let go. The ending is spectacular, and I'm absolutely hoping for a sequel. You can't go wrong with anything by Berry. Highly recommended!
I had a blast reading DEATH COMMANDO. The writing is smooth, fast, and the story--filled with violence and action--grabbed me and didn't let go. The ending is spectacular, and I'm absolutely hoping for a sequel. You can't go wrong with anything by Berry. Highly recommended!
January 13, 2023
Brian Berry’s venture into the war novel genre was a refreshing break from the usual horror that I vastly consume. But don’t get me wrong, it’s horrific enough with it’s grisly and gory descriptions of wartime violence and horror to sate any gore hounds thirst.
The action starts right away, and as I was drawn into the story, continued to build as the bodies piled up.
The atmosphere of the jungle, where much of this story takes place, is so well described that all of my senses were alive to it. Sweaty, dripping, cloying. I felt drawn along with the main character, Matrix, and his companions through the hell they endured both physically and mentally.
Even with the grim wartime setting, this was a fun read. The action was perfectly paced along with the advancing storyline, and I honestly didn’t see most of what was coming.
The ending really satisfied the horror craving side of me even more, and I hope to see a sequel at some point to this wonderfully executed book.
The action starts right away, and as I was drawn into the story, continued to build as the bodies piled up.
The atmosphere of the jungle, where much of this story takes place, is so well described that all of my senses were alive to it. Sweaty, dripping, cloying. I felt drawn along with the main character, Matrix, and his companions through the hell they endured both physically and mentally.
Even with the grim wartime setting, this was a fun read. The action was perfectly paced along with the advancing storyline, and I honestly didn’t see most of what was coming.
The ending really satisfied the horror craving side of me even more, and I hope to see a sequel at some point to this wonderfully executed book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews