Baron3000
Joined May 2001
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Reviews3
Baron3000's rating
`Sleepwalkers' is a film whose main plot thrust comes from the pre-opening credits description of what the film's title means. Just about all character backstory and motivations are given here, and we are then treated to a ninety-minute entertainment vehicle that plays out these events in a simplistic but interesting manner.
The film's acting, for a horror picture, is remarkably good. Brian Krause and Alice Krige give standout performances as the titular feline troublemakers who also share a disturbing Oedipal relationship, cult favorite Madchen Amick gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as Krause's troubled love interest, and the cameos by many famous faces from the horror world will give fans something to look for and smile about. Even the supporting cast members seem to be having a good time, including Ron Perlman and Glenn Shadix in relatively small but amusing roles.
The make-up effects are very good, although not top-notch. They're certainly nothing amazing, but they serve their occasionally-gruesome purposes well. The optical effects look pretty dated by today's standards, but it's still interesting to see CG effects in some of their earliest forms. The transformation sequences now look like something out of a made-for-TV movie, but they don't significantly detract from the film.
Where this picture does tend to fail is in its plot and dialogue. Just about all of the mystery of the story dissipates by its halfway point, leaving the audience to predict and anticipate just about everything that happens in the rest of the film, essentially destroying the tension and suspense aspects. And since this is a horror picture written by Stephen King, one would expect these two elements to be the strongest components of the film. The dialogue is at times campy and at other times overly-serious. This has the effect of making some of the characters unbalanced in many ways, something that detracts from the film as a whole. It seems the director and/or writer was/were having difficulty deciding whether or not to play this film up as a comedy or a true horror movie, and so as it stands it awkwardly lies somewhere in between.
`Sleepwalkers' is not horror at its finest, either in terms of ability to truly frighten or to provide fun campiness. It straddles the line between the two, existing somewhere equidistant from both. It is never too over-the-top for us to laugh out loud with it, nor is it ever truly scary enough to make us shiver. As it stands, it is an extremely simple and very entertaining work of filmmaking, something that horror fans will enjoy and others should probably avoid.
The film's acting, for a horror picture, is remarkably good. Brian Krause and Alice Krige give standout performances as the titular feline troublemakers who also share a disturbing Oedipal relationship, cult favorite Madchen Amick gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as Krause's troubled love interest, and the cameos by many famous faces from the horror world will give fans something to look for and smile about. Even the supporting cast members seem to be having a good time, including Ron Perlman and Glenn Shadix in relatively small but amusing roles.
The make-up effects are very good, although not top-notch. They're certainly nothing amazing, but they serve their occasionally-gruesome purposes well. The optical effects look pretty dated by today's standards, but it's still interesting to see CG effects in some of their earliest forms. The transformation sequences now look like something out of a made-for-TV movie, but they don't significantly detract from the film.
Where this picture does tend to fail is in its plot and dialogue. Just about all of the mystery of the story dissipates by its halfway point, leaving the audience to predict and anticipate just about everything that happens in the rest of the film, essentially destroying the tension and suspense aspects. And since this is a horror picture written by Stephen King, one would expect these two elements to be the strongest components of the film. The dialogue is at times campy and at other times overly-serious. This has the effect of making some of the characters unbalanced in many ways, something that detracts from the film as a whole. It seems the director and/or writer was/were having difficulty deciding whether or not to play this film up as a comedy or a true horror movie, and so as it stands it awkwardly lies somewhere in between.
`Sleepwalkers' is not horror at its finest, either in terms of ability to truly frighten or to provide fun campiness. It straddles the line between the two, existing somewhere equidistant from both. It is never too over-the-top for us to laugh out loud with it, nor is it ever truly scary enough to make us shiver. As it stands, it is an extremely simple and very entertaining work of filmmaking, something that horror fans will enjoy and others should probably avoid.
`Rabid' is a film that fits quite nicely, albeit inconspicuously so, in David Cronenberg's full body of work. The film carries its director's signature on it in terms of content, but lacks the Cronenbergian style that viewers would later see more developed in films such as `Videodrome,' `The Fly,' and `Dead Ringers.' Here, in what is essentially Cronenberg's second `commercial' feature film, we as an audience are treated to many of the same themes that pop up in the later films of this master of the sci-fi/horror fusion genre: faceless medical/scientific corporations that do more harm than good, a main character that is reluctant to serve whatever purpose he or she is destined to perform for good or evil, and a pervading sense of an impending plague or epidemic that cannot be prevented. In `Rabid' along with Cronenberg's first feature `Shivers' this last theme is exemplified in an almost completely literal way.
While the technically amateurish (when compared to later Cronenberg films) nature of `Rabid' may seem off-putting to some, it nevertheless does not detract significantly from the wildly original content at the film's core. Cronenberg has crafted a story so unique and yet so accessible that it is hard to dismiss this or any of his films as puerile or insignificant. The situation and events presented in `Rabid' seem straight out of a science fiction novel or comic book and yet they tap into some of our deepest and most contemporary fears. What one must do when watching early Cronenberg is to remind oneself that the director was still trying in many ways to fully find himself and the best way to express his ideas. And if the viewer will put the technical inefficiencies of `Rabid' aside, he or she will find a truly enjoyable and frightening film.
The performances are all-around good, although they never seem to be able to rise above the level of typical sci-fi/horror acting. Marilyn Chambers, the most interesting casting decision of this film, plays her part relatively well, although her perpetual forced-innocent attitude becomes a bit tiresome as the film progresses. Frank Moore shows a considerably larger range of emotions than any other actor, but when nothing much is happening in terms of action, his stoic look and bland dialogue only serve to reiterate the fact that not much is happening. Bob Silverman, a minor player in a few of Cronenberg's films, also shows up for a brief cameo, although those used to his idiosyncratic performances may be left a little disappointed.
On the whole, `Rabid' is an interesting film to watch if for no other reason than to get a sampling of the director's unique sense of story and theme. In terms of technical style it definitely looks dated and is lacking in many departments, something that Cronenberg would later correct in his films from the 80's. But what this film lacks in style it more than makes up for in substance. Cronenberg is a genius in his own right, a master of the scientific side of horror and fantasy. Fans of the director will most certainly want to seek this film out, while newcomers may want to view a few of his later films before delving into this and his other early works.
While the technically amateurish (when compared to later Cronenberg films) nature of `Rabid' may seem off-putting to some, it nevertheless does not detract significantly from the wildly original content at the film's core. Cronenberg has crafted a story so unique and yet so accessible that it is hard to dismiss this or any of his films as puerile or insignificant. The situation and events presented in `Rabid' seem straight out of a science fiction novel or comic book and yet they tap into some of our deepest and most contemporary fears. What one must do when watching early Cronenberg is to remind oneself that the director was still trying in many ways to fully find himself and the best way to express his ideas. And if the viewer will put the technical inefficiencies of `Rabid' aside, he or she will find a truly enjoyable and frightening film.
The performances are all-around good, although they never seem to be able to rise above the level of typical sci-fi/horror acting. Marilyn Chambers, the most interesting casting decision of this film, plays her part relatively well, although her perpetual forced-innocent attitude becomes a bit tiresome as the film progresses. Frank Moore shows a considerably larger range of emotions than any other actor, but when nothing much is happening in terms of action, his stoic look and bland dialogue only serve to reiterate the fact that not much is happening. Bob Silverman, a minor player in a few of Cronenberg's films, also shows up for a brief cameo, although those used to his idiosyncratic performances may be left a little disappointed.
On the whole, `Rabid' is an interesting film to watch if for no other reason than to get a sampling of the director's unique sense of story and theme. In terms of technical style it definitely looks dated and is lacking in many departments, something that Cronenberg would later correct in his films from the 80's. But what this film lacks in style it more than makes up for in substance. Cronenberg is a genius in his own right, a master of the scientific side of horror and fantasy. Fans of the director will most certainly want to seek this film out, while newcomers may want to view a few of his later films before delving into this and his other early works.
