ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 3, 1996 TAG: 9602040002
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 10 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: It Came from the Video Store
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
This week, we've got short reviews of five new sci-fi and horror tapes. The genres being so closely related, there's considerable overlap.
"Sentinel 2099" is an ultra-low-budget science fiction film made here in Roanoke. It certainly deserves recognition as a local production, but it's so slowly paced, grainy and hard to follow that any stronger recommendation is a stretch.
After an introduction that makes full use of black-and-white stock footage, possibly from World War II, director Mike McGee turns his attention to an alien invasion (by blue people) and the crew of a machine that looks a lot like one of the "walkers" in "Return of the Jedi." Any other resemblance to George Lucas' films ends right there. The rest involves rough models, stop-motion animation and oft-repeated flashbacks.
It looks like the people who made it spent some weekends out on location where they probably had fun. Now their families and friends can find out what they were up to.
Made with a little more money and a little more experience, "Voodoo" is a so-so horror flick. When young Andy (Corey Feldman) transfers to a new college, he needs a place to stay and decides to join a frat. He could've gone with the local party boys or the computer geeks, but no, Andy innocently opts for the fraternity of the walking dead - Zombie House! Bummer!
The chapter prez (Joel J. Edwards) has a scheme for eternal life. He needs just one more human sacrifice ... er, pledge. Director Rene Eram creates a few good atmospheric scenes, but the pace drags too often. O.K. genre piece.
For the first half or so, "Amanda and the Alien" is an inventive sci-fi comedy, almost a "Clueless X-Files."
The alien of the title looks like a horseshoe crab but can inhabit human bodies easily. Of course, it kills the host and that presents something of a problem. Amanda (Nicole Eggert) is a smart, hip San Francisco girl - tattoos, navel ring, attitude - who takes pity on the creature because...well, because the cops and the feds are after him, or her, or it, whatever. Off they go, with Stacey Keach in pursuit.
As long as writer/director Jon Kroll is revealing the two main characters and their curious relationship, the film is sexy, with an odd snappy humor. Eventually, though, it becomes a standard and fairly tame chase flick, and isn't nearly as interesting. Still, for fans, it rates a qualified recommendation. By the way, this Showtime production is based on a Robert Silverberg story.
"Castle Freak" is a straightforward Gothic horror story. It even contains one night shot of said castle with a single window lit, just like you used to see behind the lady in the negligee on the covers of paperback romances.
In standard fashion, the story begins with the Reillys - father John (Jeffrey Combs), mother Susan (Barbara Crampton) and blind daughter Rebecca (Jessica Dollarhide) - going to the Italian castle they've inherited. The title character, in desperate need of a manicure and a makeover, is locked in the basement.
Who is he? What is he doing there?
Director Stuart Gordon establishes a creepy mood and punctuates it with some sharp humor. He also comes up with a wild finale, but nothing here equals the shameful delights that Gordon, Combs and Crampton reached in their camp classic "Re-Animator."
"Biohazard: The Alien Force" is a sequel, sort of, to a 1985 alternative classic. Like the original, it's silly stuff about a monster played by a guy in the least-scary rubber suit you ever saw. It's obvious from the opening moments that this is either going to be a wonderfully bad movie or a plain bad movie. It turns out to be both, but mostly plain bad. After all, amateurish acting, cheap sets and lots of slime can accomplish only so much.
Next week: Martial arts: The un-rated "Street Fighter" on video!
Got a question about home video or film? Contact columnist Mike Mayo at P.O. Box 2491; Roanoke, VA 24010, or by e-mail at 75331.2603compuserve.com
New releases this week:
The Usual Suspects ** 1/2
Starring Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollack, Benicio Del Toro, Dan Hedaya, Chazz Palminteri, Giancarlo Esposito. Written by Christopher McQuarrie. Directed and produced by Bryan Singer. Polygram. 104 min. Rated R for strong language, some violence.
Who is Keyser Soze? That's the question at the heart of an unusually complicated thriller that makes "Pulp Fiction" look like a simple schoolbook story. The title characters are five New York crooks who hatch a series of schemes. The film is so convoluted that it'll probably frustrate as many suspense fans as it delights, but it should play very well on home video.
Bushwhacked *
Starring Daniel Stern. Directed by Greg Beeman. FoxVideo. 86 min. Rated PG-13 for a little potty humor, rough language and comic violence.
This formula kid's comedy is lively enough to generate a few fitful laughs, but nothing more. With the exception of one bathroom-humor scene, it's TV fare with all the jokes coming from kids who make adults look childish. Stern plays fallguy to a group of bland child actors.
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory 1/2*
Starring Stephen Seagal, Eric Bogosian and Everett McGill. Directed by Geoff Murphy. Warner Home Video. 98 min. Rated R for graphic violence, strong language.
Here's proof, as if more were needed, that Seagal is no better than the people who are working on the other side of the camera. The sequel to his 1992 sleeper hit isn't nearly as enjoyable as that guilty pleasure, but it's marginally better than "On Deadly Ground," his embarrassing vanity project. Maniacal villains hijack a train in the Rockies to blow up the Pentagon, only to find the beady-eyed hero on board. The violence is much too sadistic for young audiences.
The Essentials:
Sentinel 2099 * Jupiter Entertainment. 62 min. Rated PG-13 for violence, some involving children, and strong language.
Voodoo ** A-Pix. 91 min. Rated R for violence, strong language, brief nudity, raw liver.
Amanda and the Alien HH1/2 Republic. 90 min. Rated R for strong language, sexual content, brief nudity, violence.
Castle Freak ** 1/2 Full Moon Entertainment. 93 min. Unrated and R-rated for graphic violence, sexual content, nudity, language.
Biohazard: The Alien Force * Vidmark. 88 min. Rated R for strong language, violence, nudity, sexual material.
LENGTH: Long : 118 linesby CNB