Below Utopia

Alyssa Milano goes with boyfriend Justin Theroux to his family's Thanksgiving dinner. They are are very wealthy, ready to jump on Theroux for not doing something useful with his life, and mourning the death of his elder brother. But although they seem safe enough behind the walls of their estate, there's a home invasion by Ice T and his crew, who seem to be happy enough to kill any and everyone. Then there's a twist.

It's certainly one of those movies about which the clearest thing you can say is that if you like this sort of movie, you'll like this one. The twists are pretty good, Miss Milano is very pretty, Ice T is unnerving, and the body count is high for the number of performers. Other than that, it falls neatly into the tropes of the era, with the light levels kept low, the music dramatic, and the performances a bit broad.

I would not blame you if you did not want to see this movie based on its cast and its plot. Most of the elements just seem likely to add up to a bad movie. I was forced to see it because my boyfriend has an obsession with Alyssa. Should I be embarrassed to be involved with a 25 year old man who works for Congress who owns Alyssa's workout videos entitled "Teen Steam"?? Probably.

At any rate, this movie, unlike Teen Steam, is surprisingly good. It seemed well thought out and equally well executed, with strong and believable performances by Alyssa, Ice T, and Justin Theroux. The film was successful in keeping up suspense, and you definitely wanted to watch until the end when you were most likely surprised by the unveiling of the true criminal.

This film seems to be replayed late nights on cable with some frequency, so be sure to check it out there.

I recently rewatched Body Count (1997) on Tubi. The story follows the son of a wealthy and successful father who returns home for the holidays with his girlfriend. Most of the siblings have taken different paths, failing to meet their father's high expectations. But when two robbers break into the house and begin killing family members, it may be the son's chance to finally prove himself.

Directed by Kurt Voss (Sugar Town), the film stars Ice-T (New Jack City), Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. (Friday), Alyssa Milano (Commando), and Justin Theroux (Mulholland Drive).

I loved this movie as a kid when it aired on HBO. While the storyline is just okay, what really makes this movie memorable is the chemistry between Ice-T and Tiny Lister Jr. Their banter and ruthless performances are the highlight, blending humor with intimidation. They make for excellent villains, delivering both hilarious dialogue and chilling threats. Alyssa Milano and Justin Theroux also give solid performances, but it's the villains who steal the show, making the movie fun to watch, right up until the big conclusion.

In summary, Body Count isn't groundbreaking but is worth watching for Ice-T and Tiny Lister Jr.'s entertaining performances. I'd rate it 5/10 and recommend seeing it once, with the right expectations.

What a horror story it was getting a chance to see this movie! The first time I rented it, it got stuck in the VCR and busted the thing up, and I had to dissect the machine to free the tape. Then I rented it again, and found it was another movie called Body Count and had to go back in and get this one, and finally, I held my breath and watched this, and saw that it was worth all the hassles. (Including buying a new VCR!)

Daniel, a young preppy, is coming to his family's enormous mansion in the boonies with his girlfriend Susanne for Thanksgiving dinner. Their are family tensions, and Daniel is excommunicated from the family. In hope for escape, he heads down into the basement with Susanne, and just as they are getting comfortable, three art thieves break in and kill the whole family. The couple listens in terror, and struggles to plan and figure out a way to escape. They soon realize they must kill these three men, and they learn to fight back, all up to the last fifteen minutes, when everything suddenly takes a wild turn, and soon more conflicts than ever before are introduced. And the body count is raised.

This really was a great movie. It was very short, so there is little filler, and just a lot of excitement. The acting is surprisingly good, with Ice-T in a typical role, charming Thoreaux, and show-stealing Milano. She played a great role, and is underrated. Despite some exploits during the two unrevealing sex scenes, she is professional and impressive. During the first half-hour, when things are calm, she is obviously uncomfortable, and trying to fit in with this hostile family. She uses voice tones and facial expressions quite well, and when the horror starts, she isn't gun-ho, she's what you would expect: terrified and forced to fight. I commend her on a great role. As for the twist that comes near the end, yes, I realize it was quite obvious, but still, it's good to anticipate. And it didn't deter from the suspense and the excitement, and I held my breath to the very end. I definitely recommend this movie, even if it does mean going through three video store trips and a broken VCR. : )

If you haven't seen something resembling the twist in this movie in other movies, you haven't seen enough movies!! The conflict in the family was very exaggerated & doesn't really add to the believability of the story. The best part of the movie was Alyssa Milano & Ice T who both put in respectable performances. The question is, when will Alyssa Milano be given a chance at a good movie role, she's got the talent, but so far the movies she's been in have been sub par.