The Faculty (1998)
Status:
Repeat Offender
Directed By:
Robert Rodriguez
Starring:
Elijah Wood
Josh Hartnett
Jordana Brewster
Clea Duvall
Shawn Hatosy
Laura Harris
Favorite Character:
Coach Willis
Plot Summary:
High school is hell. I don't care who you are, where you're from, or what social clique you belong(ed) to. High school is four years of state mandated hell. That's even more true for the student body at Herrington High School.
The faculty at Herrington High, at first glance, is just as disaffected as their students (surprise, surprise). They live in a football town where the football team reigns supreme and gets all of the school funding, of which there is not a lot.
It's obvious they hate their jobs, they hate each other, and they hate the students (yay for public education!). That is, of course, until an unknown menace comes to the school and starts taking over the faculty one by one unbeknownst to the student body and the rest of the town.
Casey (the nerd), Stokely (the outcast), Stan (the jock), Zeke (the bad boy), Delilah (the queen bitch), and Marybeth (the new girl) all run in different social circles for the most part. They have nothing in common with each other (does anyone in high school?), but are forced to band together when they all start to notice that things ain't right at Herrington High.
Stan is accosted in the shower by one of his ancient teachers (SEXY TIME FOR STAN!!!), which Casey is a witness to (poor Casey didn't get any action...nobody the loves the nerd). Then Casey and Delilah, while poking around in the faculty lounge, find said teacher's body. And then the group as a whole is attacked by the science teacher, confirming their suspicions. The faculty, and now a majority of the student body, are playing host to an alien parasite that's here for our water.
They band together to take their school back by any means necessary...even if it means taking some of the faculty out along the way (and who hasn't wanted to take out a teacher or two?).
Favorite Quote(s):
Stan: What the hell is wrong with him?
Zeke: Nothing's wrong with him. He's tweaking, you asshole! Let him fucking tweak!
Casey: Tweak! Tweak!
Favorite Scene:
When Coach Willis talks to Casey on the football field.
Review:
Sci-fi/horror flicks are a dime a dozen, and because of the conflicting codes of the genres, they usually fall short on one side or the other. Williamson, the writer responsible for the Scream flicks, Cursed, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, knows just enough to keep that precarious balance from tipping too much to either side, but not enough to make this as successful a flick as Event Horizon, Alien, or The Thing.
Despite that, it's still a decent horror effort, and Robert Rodriguez's direction keeps it from being as ridiculous as it could have been. It's well cast - especially Robert Patrick's role as the high school's football coach, well directed, and the story is pretty solid, even if it has been done before. The biggest issue I had with it was that it felt particularly tame for an R-rated flick. I could be desensitized though considering I've seen hundreds of horror films.
If you liked Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Craft, Disturbing Behavior, and the other 90's teen horror flicks you'll like this one. If not, then you wouldn't be missing anything if you skipped this one.
Interesting Fact:
At one point, the principal suggests saving money by reusing the set from "Our Town". The joke in this is that Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" has no set.
Rating:
Trailer:
The Crazies (2010)
Status:
Repeat Offender
Directed By:
Breck Eisner
Starring:
Timothy Olyphant
Radha Mitchell
Joe Anderson
Danielle Panabaker
Favorite Character:
Russell Clank
Plot Summary:
Something ain't quite right in America's heartland. A small town sheriff, David, whose leading an idyllic life with his pregnant wife (aww, how sweet...hey, that rhymed!), and whose days probably consist of breaking up bar fights and pulling over speeders (exciting...right?) has his life turned upside down one fine spring afternoon when the town's drunk, Rory, stumbles onto the baseball field with a shotgun.
Drawing his gun, probably for the first time in his life, he tries (rather unsuccessfully) to talk Rory down and ends up shooting him...to DEATH! (How rude!) He attributes the incident to Rory being drunk, but is schooled by Rory's wife that he was sober now, which the ME backs up later on making David look like a douchebag.
Over the course of the next twenty-four hours or so the townsfolk start going batshit crazy (I'm using that term mildly) and before David can get a handle on what's going on he, and the rest of the townsfolk, are kidnapped by men in military uniforms and gas masks and transported to a makeshift quarantine area where David is separated from his wife Judy.
True love prevails and David and his deputy, Russell, bust the fuck out of the quarantine, get some ammo, and head back to kick some ass and take some names. Only problem is, they've still gotta make it past the barricades and out of town...preferably in one piece, and that ain't gonna be easy. (I mean, these guys aren't rocket scientists...)
Favorite Quote(s):
David Dutten: [In the car wash, to the Deputy firing his shotgun out of the car window] RUSSELL!
Russell Clank: I saw a movement!
David Dutten: Everything is fucking moving!
Favorite Scene:
The car wash.
Review:
I'm not a huge fan of remakes, and despite having seen scores upon scores of horror movies, there are still those that have managed to slip through the cracks. The original version of this film is one of those few. Having shared that I don't have a problem saying that I really like this movie. I think I would really like this movie even if I had seen the original, which I plan to do very soon seeing as it's available on Netflix Instant.
The movie has a solid cast who all give top notch performances. The story isn't new (obviously) nor all that unique, but it is well done. Let's be honest, as a society we're pretty desensitized to most of the horrors out there. Murder, rape, war, famine, and abuse (to name just a few) are all things we see on a regular basis, but this manages to take all those atrocities we're so numb to and make them terrifying again because one thing that we still find frightening is disease of the weaponized viral/bacterial variety.
Also, here, we have the small town sentiment where everyone knows everyone and to watch people you've possibly known your entire lives descend into madness and depravity has to be not only terrifying to see/experience, but heartbreaking as well. That fear/heartbreak does a lot to add to the tone of the film and, in many ways, makes it scarier than it might have been otherwise.
If you're a horror fan and you haven't seen this one I would definitely add it to your list. It's not, by any means, the great horror film you will ever see, but it is definitely worth watching.
Interesting Fact:
Lynn Lowry, who costarred in the original version of The Crazies, has a cameo as an infected local riding her bicycle through the deserted center of town.
Rating:
Trailer:
