Reviews (104)

Worth seeing for the commentary alone
Okay, I see lots of reviews that talk about the film itself and don't dwell much on special features. Here, I'll try to get into the reason for buying a special edition and you can read other reviews if you want to know about the story.

Re-Animator (The Millennium Edition) brings an old favourite back to life (no pun intended). The picture and sound quality are so good, it's almost as if the movie was re-made using today's technology. I always liked this quirky little movie ever since I saw it on video in 1985-86, but I had assumed it had gone the way of so many '80s low budget gems. So I was pleasantly surprised to see it recently on DVD and in a remastered edition. The film is still a classic cult film, having lost none of its wit and charm (if one can say that a gory horror fest can be 'charming'), but the thing I'm happiest about is the cast commentary, which, although not overly informative (there's a director commentary and numerous video interviews that go deeper into movie facts), is nevertheless very entertaining. The actors obviously had a lot of fun making the movie, and they clearly have a lot of fun watching it together. Some moments during the cast commentary are truly a Mystery Science Theater 3000 kibbitz-fest, and so really we get two movies in one - the original version and a goofy MST3K-style review, but with the insights and rememberances of those who helped make the film.

There are lots of extended scenes and one deleted scene that was too hot for the censor (Barbara Crampton - yeah, baby! Yeah!) Added to this, lots of audio choices make this a great buy for those with hi-fi bells and whistles. Also, a set of still photos and video interviews that put other special edition efforts to shame.

All in all, I think this is a fantastic effort, far better than many remastered editions on DVD. The team that remastered this one obviously did their job with care and reverence for this cult classic. Certainly this 're-animated' Re-Animator (okay, sorry, I meant that pun) is well worth the price of admission.

Horror at it's finest!
Rarely do great 80's horror movies get the DVD treatment they deserve. Sice the assumption that the market is limited, you can often only find mediocre transfers with little to no extras. But with "Re-Animator", that paradigm is broken and we get a top quality and thoroughly entertaining version of the cult classic.

Stuart Gordon's gore-fest concerns a medical student named Herbert West, who's experiments with bringing the dead back to life are successful, but with grave consequences. Jeffrey Combs is first rate as the whacked out West, and he plays it both for shock and comedy value. It is criminal that he isn't more widely recognized outside of the horror and cult circles. The rest of the cast is exceptional, especially Robert Sampson as the re-animated headmaster. The special effects can best be described as gruesome, with plenty of decapitations, body parts flying, and other nasties. But what sets "Re-Animator" apart from other 80's horror flicks is the story, the good acting, and the good production. This is a great movie that satisfies both the need for quality filmmaking and the need for gore.

The Millenium Edition DVD is packed with extras, all of them worthwhile. What initially pleased me most was the quality of the transfer, which makes the horrible VHS transfers seem like a different movie. The commentary, especially by the producer and the cast, is more like a high school reunion with everyone having a good time. The interviews also give valueable insight, and the deleted scenes are also nice goodies for fans.

This is the definative version of "Re-Animator", and great value for anyone who loved the movie. The extras are quality, and the transfer is superb. In short, a DVD you must own (assuming you can stomach it).

Funny Gore Flick
How they took HP Lovecraft's short story (which is one of the SCARIEST short stories ever written, in my opinion)and came up with this, I'll never know, but there's no denying the entertainment value.
This has some outrageous scenes, like the decapitated head performing cunnilingus on a woman strapped to a table, and the exploding eyes, and the re-animated cat. It is easy to see why this has such a huge, loyal cult following.
Now to be fair, what I'm about to say has not been mentioned by the other 106 reviewers, leading me to believe that this only occured with my copy, but I was not able to move the arrow on the main menu, so I missed out on the extra features. Like I said, I proably recieved a defective copy, but it may be wise to investigate before purchase.

"Re-Animate Her"
One of my all time favorite horror movies next to day of the dead, Zombie, dead alive, etc. A good horror for fans of the undead or just a quick scare. There are some very gruesome scenes such as decapitation by shovel, eyeballs exploding, attacking intestines, and it seems when ever you see the Deans daughter, about five or ten minutes later she's naked. I also highly recommend Bride of the Re-Animator.

Utterly Disgusting
This is a warning to any horror fan. This movie is extremely disgusting and has absouletly NO point what so ever. I feel bad for jeffery combs, because of this movie his repuataion is now worse than ever. The gore is over the top, and there is no plot, besides phystoic zombies trying to kill people.

Here is the gore that this movie has: Decapitation by shovel, bitten off fingers, a bone saw through the stomach, someone pulling off some guys skin, than revealing the skull, and with a bone saw removes the skull, and picks up the brain and plays with it, we see a guy shove a Q-tip in a hole in someones for head, a cat with a broken neck, a stomach exploding with organs coming to life and attacking someone, eyes exploding, a head being impaled on a needle and lots more blood plus a head that falls off after being hit by a woman. For violence, we get someone being hit in the head with a shovel, someone being thrown into the wall with extreme force breaking the glass, slapping, hitting and punching to ward off a dead zombie.

Overall, I think this movie was a waste of money. But, now that you know what the movie is truly about, you can make that descision for yourself. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Stuart Gordon's adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's Herbert West: Re-Animator puts a Night of the Living Dead spin on the classic Frankenstein story. Jeffrey Combs furrows his brow and bugs his eyes as the preternaturally intense Herbert West, a maverick medical student whose gory, gooey experiments cause bloody corpses and body parts to jerk to life. Bruce Abbot is the studious roommate drawn into his extracurricular experiments, which soon involve the dean's daughter (the frequently naked Barbara Crampton) and the college's cadaverous, calculating star professor (David Gale), who literally loses his head over a battle for West's discovery. In this world, that's only a minor setback. Charged with sick gallows humor and a ghoulish gallery of undead beasties, Re-Animator, like Evil Dead II, is one of the most inspired and inventive--and funniest--horror films of the 1980s. Combs, Abbot, and Gale reunite for the almost-as-entertaining sequel Bride of Re-Animator. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Worth seeing for the commentary alone
Okay, I see lots of reviews that talk about the film itself and don't dwell much on special features. Here, I'll try to get into the reason for buying a special edition and you can read other reviews if you want to know about the story.

Re-Animator (The Millennium Edition) brings an old favourite back to life (no pun intended). The picture and sound quality are so good, it's almost as if the movie was re-made using today's technology. I always liked this quirky little movie ever since I saw it on video in 1985-86, but I had assumed it had gone the way of so many '80s low budget gems. So I was pleasantly surprised to see it recently on DVD and in a remastered edition. The film is still a classic cult film, having lost none of its wit and charm (if one can say that a gory horror fest can be 'charming'), but the thing I'm happiest about is the cast commentary, which, although not overly informative (there's a director commentary and numerous video interviews that go deeper into movie facts), is nevertheless very entertaining. The actors obviously had a lot of fun making the movie, and they clearly have a lot of fun watching it together. Some moments during the cast commentary are truly a Mystery Science Theater 3000 kibbitz-fest, and so really we get two movies in one - the original version and a goofy MST3K-style review, but with the insights and rememberances of those who helped make the film.

There are lots of extended scenes and one deleted scene that was too hot for the censor (Barbara Crampton - yeah, baby! Yeah!) Added to this, lots of audio choices make this a great buy for those with hi-fi bells and whistles. Also, a set of still photos and video interviews that put other special edition efforts to shame.

All in all, I think this is a fantastic effort, far better than many remastered editions on DVD. The team that remastered this one obviously did their job with care and reverence for this cult classic. Certainly this 're-animated' Re-Animator (okay, sorry, I meant that pun) is well worth the price of admission.

Horror at it's finest!
Rarely do great 80's horror movies get the DVD treatment they deserve. Sice the assumption that the market is limited, you can often only find mediocre transfers with little to no extras. But with "Re-Animator", that paradigm is broken and we get a top quality and thoroughly entertaining version of the cult classic.

Stuart Gordon's gore-fest concerns a medical student named Herbert West, who's experiments with bringing the dead back to life are successful, but with grave consequences. Jeffrey Combs is first rate as the whacked out West, and he plays it both for shock and comedy value. It is criminal that he isn't more widely recognized outside of the horror and cult circles. The rest of the cast is exceptional, especially Robert Sampson as the re-animated headmaster. The special effects can best be described as gruesome, with plenty of decapitations, body parts flying, and other nasties. But what sets "Re-Animator" apart from other 80's horror flicks is the story, the good acting, and the good production. This is a great movie that satisfies both the need for quality filmmaking and the need for gore.

The Millenium Edition DVD is packed with extras, all of them worthwhile. What initially pleased me most was the quality of the transfer, which makes the horrible VHS transfers seem like a different movie. The commentary, especially by the producer and the cast, is more like a high school reunion with everyone having a good time. The interviews also give valueable insight, and the deleted scenes are also nice goodies for fans.

This is the definative version of "Re-Animator", and great value for anyone who loved the movie. The extras are quality, and the transfer is superb. In short, a DVD you must own (assuming you can stomach it).

Funny Gore Flick
How they took HP Lovecraft's short story (which is one of the SCARIEST short stories ever written, in my opinion)and came up with this, I'll never know, but there's no denying the entertainment value.
This has some outrageous scenes, like the decapitated head performing cunnilingus on a woman strapped to a table, and the exploding eyes, and the re-animated cat. It is easy to see why this has such a huge, loyal cult following.
Now to be fair, what I'm about to say has not been mentioned by the other 106 reviewers, leading me to believe that this only occured with my copy, but I was not able to move the arrow on the main menu, so I missed out on the extra features. Like I said, I proably recieved a defective copy, but it may be wise to investigate before purchase.

"Re-Animate Her"
One of my all time favorite horror movies next to day of the dead, Zombie, dead alive, etc. A good horror for fans of the undead or just a quick scare. There are some very gruesome scenes such as decapitation by shovel, eyeballs exploding, attacking intestines, and it seems when ever you see the Deans daughter, about five or ten minutes later she's naked. I also highly recommend Bride of the Re-Animator.

Utterly Disgusting
This is a warning to any horror fan. This movie is extremely disgusting and has absouletly NO point what so ever. I feel bad for jeffery combs, because of this movie his repuataion is now worse than ever. The gore is over the top, and there is no plot, besides phystoic zombies trying to kill people.

Here is the gore that this movie has: Decapitation by shovel, bitten off fingers, a bone saw through the stomach, someone pulling off some guys skin, than revealing the skull, and with a bone saw removes the skull, and picks up the brain and plays with it, we see a guy shove a Q-tip in a hole in someones for head, a cat with a broken neck, a stomach exploding with organs coming to life and attacking someone, eyes exploding, a head being impaled on a needle and lots more blood plus a head that falls off after being hit by a woman. For violence, we get someone being hit in the head with a shovel, someone being thrown into the wall with extreme force breaking the glass, slapping, hitting and punching to ward off a dead zombie.

Overall, I think this movie was a waste of money. But, now that you know what the movie is truly about, you can make that descision for yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

2 Tentacles Up! The Best Lovecraft Adaptation Yet!
I love H.P. Lovecraft's writing. I've read his work for almost 30 years now, and am even working on a screen adaptation of one of his stories. What prompted me to write a script myself is the plethora of bad Lovecraft adaptaions to film that have been made over the years. Many go no further than using his name in the title, or "Adapted from...", with little or no resemblance to the actual story. This is probably due, at least in part, to an apparent trend of reluctance when it comes to putting any significant money into a project based on a Lovecraft work. Whatever, I'm sure the makers of "Dagon", based on "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", didn't have much capital either, but they made up for it with talent, location, production values, a superb musical score, masterful cinematography, and decent writing. The result is a slick, captivating, and very, very scary movie that would have had Lovecraft himself applauding. Sound and picture quality on the DVD transfer are first rate, as well. Trust me, if you or anyone you know feels they've seen it all as far as horror goes, see "Dagon". I thought I was jaded, too, but several times "Dagon" had me flinching, and generally kept me very uneasy throughout. It kind of made me feel like a queasy little kid watching a scary movie for the first time.

He's slimy, misunderstood, and he needs your love
...If you've ever read the story "Dagon" you know it's just a short about a castaway that sails into a morass and sees a nasty green behemoth capering around an oblelisk, just Lovecraft meat and potatoes. This movie is actually based on "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", though it's bottlenecked on an island instead of the coast of New England. I thought this was the best (and only decent) Lovecraft movie since T.D.H. with super hot Sandra Dee. There are major differences, of course, such as the addition of the hero AND his girlfriend. Lovecraft seemed to stay away from the chick factor whenever possible. And there is the fact that a hybrid priestess is involved, and the fact that Dagon's spawn, the Deep Ones, were a roughly bipedal version of fish and frog: In here, they tend towards octopoid traits, which makes you think of the main man Cthulhu. So don't worry, it's still cool.

The hero and his girlfriend get stranded on the island, and the girl is immediately abducted by the freakish Dagon cultists. The hero, Paul (Marsh) is constantly plagued by dreams involving a nice looking little chick who frequently displays tentacles, fins and fangs. He ends up in a moldering, filthy hotel (check out the toilet in that place!), like the classic scene from Shadow Over Innsmouth, waiting for the return of his girlfriend, not knowing that she's been taken. This affords a kind of comical part of the movie, where all the flounder-eyed, webbed and tentacled freaks come to pay him a visit. He ends up escaping, crashing through a window, running through a gauntlet of cultists, until he eventually finds the poor old drunk guy, the only human on the island, that explains to him the advent and degenerate worship of the god Dagon. In the movie, Dagon takes on an uncharacteristic alpha male love-hungry mode, demanding female sacrifices to carry his unholy seed. The result of these sacrifices is a race of hybrid creatures that eventually shed their human vestigies to become blissful, ageless sea monsters.

Marsh eventually finds the flesh and blood girl of his dreams, drawn to her in ways he doesn't understand. She is the local high priestess, no less, a blood descendant of the seafaring captain that originally brought the Dagon theology to the island. When he pulls back the sheet and sees that she's a little more monster than chick, he freaks out and is on the run again. All of the running with the shambling, loping and crawling man-monsters only a breath or two behind him, kind of creepy and yet funny too, really captures the essence of Shadow Over Innsmouth. I didn't get the whole ritual thing with the skinning and tanning of human hides, though. The cultists wear ther skins to their ritual ceremonies; I think maybe they watched Chainsaw Massacre about two or three hundred times too many.

Near the end of the movie, expect a cameo by the big man himself, Dagon, who just needs a little love and understanding. I hope that the effort that went into this movie might mark the future efforts of other attempts. What about At the Mountains of Madness? Shadow out of Time? Or the Call of Cthulhu? Yeah baby. If you like reading Lovecraft, you'll like this movie. if you don't, it might not be your cup of tea.

not bad, but could have been better
there's a lot to like about this movie, not least of all the unabashed use of CGI and rubber tentacle appendages. all things considered, the special effects were pretty good, and the set itself looked great. the creepy-assed town was perfect, the monsters were loathesomely believable, and the acting is not half as bad as the sanctimonious amazon.com reviewers would have you believe. and while i'm at it, my other amazonian metacriticism would be as follows: he who waxes petulant about plot holes reveals his lack of geek cred, for a passing familiarity with Lovecraft's mythos pretty much caulks up those story cracks that seem to have bothered you so much.

but at the end of the movie, i simply couldn't forgive Paul and Barbara for not running. these are FISH PEOPLE, for heaven's sake--they can barely hobble about on land, and they aren't exactly the sharpest cookies in the cupboard. the "holding cells" into which the captives are herded could be kicked down by a small contingent of special-ed kindergarteners, and much time is wasted trying to salvage a suicidally insane (and possibly pregnant with slimy demon spawn) compatriot who is clearly, hopelessly, chronically DOOMED. leave her ass, for crying out loud! she's got a knife and she's going to use it on herself! you can't stop her, you barely know her, and you don't particularly like her ... so use her as a distraction! now make like a missionary and get the devil out of there! cripes. okay, fine. stay there and make whimpery, floppy-lip faces. you get no sympathy from ME.

eventually i just got bored of screaming, "FLY, YOU FOOLS!" and i wanted everyone to hurry up and get sacrificed to death and be done with it. the ending (for those of you who have seen the movie and have been waiting for me to bring this up) is perfectly weird--but not altogether out of left field if you're a Lovecraft reader. i don't know. it's not how i would have concluded the tale, but heck, i'd more or less lost interest in what happened to the protagonists by the time the weirdness came around, so i can't say it bothered me any.

Dagon is a worthy rental
Those of you who love the man will universally agree that there just isn't enough H.P. Lovecraft in the world, especially in cinema. Most of the movie versions made, that have been in some way remotely influenced by a short story or novella, have been less than inspiring. Noteworthies include Unnamable I and II, The Dunwhich Horror (with Dean Stockwell), Horror Hotel (with the great Christopher Lee) and of course the Reanimator series. Dagon falls closer to noteworthy, but misses the mark. I guess the thing about Lovecraft is that he was a very dry, but verbose writer; his stories had slow build-ups that tended to end in horrific, often-mind blowing climaxes--hence the problem of translating his ideas to the big screen, as few people have the patience to watch a scary movie that slowly builds to an intellectually and sensually gratifying climax. So, producer Yuzna and director Gordon have sacrificed much of the exposition moved "The Shadow Over Innsbrook", the story much of this movie hails from, and have turned Dagon into a cat and mouse game of chase for most of the movie to keep the tension and suspense going. The idea of the Old Ones, so central to the Lovecraft mythology, is barely mentioned and thrown in too quickly at the end of the film to really appeciate the horrific consequences of selling out to a race of beings older than anything on the planet. Ezra Godden does a decent job as the lead, Paul, a stockbroker caught with three other friends in a mysterious storm and forced to seek help in a nearby Spanish town. The residents are quite creepy, and the dream sequences are woven into the storyline very appropriately. There is also a flashback scene which is one of the best parts of the film. Overall, Dagon will satisfy the horror buff in anyone who loves this genre, but whether this movie leaves you pondering and thinking about it five minutes after you put the DVD back in its case is a different matter.

Gordon's Dagon
It would be more accurate to say that the movie "Dagon" is based on H.P. Lovecraft's "Shadows Over Innsmouth" than the namesake "Dagon". Two American couples are yachting off the coast of Spain, when a storm comes along and wrecks the boat. The younger Americans go into the town to try to find help, but end up involved in horrors of fishmen and human sacrifice to aquatic gods. The cast is a bunch of no names, but that is due more to my bad memory than their performance, which as far as I can remember was pretty good. Stuart Gordon returns to Lovecraft with this movie that has appearently been a pet project for many years. I am glad to say, it is mostly a success. But there are major problems here that have to be addressed. The biggest one is that for as good a story as it is, it is pretty dry (no pun intended about all the rain). The action is dragged out way too far, and so it gets very dull toward the middle. But other than that, it is pretty gory, which is what people who go to this movie are looking for. The creature effects are a little hokey, but I can live with that. All in all, not bad at all. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

One ticked off Ant
This certainly wasn't what I expected from a stuart gordon film but it worked nonetheless. Gone are the sci-fi trimmings of re-animator, dagon etc..and in its place is somewhat of a character study. Our subject is sean crowly, who we find painting houses. There he meets Duke (played by the ever rotund George Wendt but in a sinister turn). Its an ill fated meeting as it sets in motion a turn of events from which there is no escape. Before we know it, crowly has killed a man for money, only the people who hired him say they didn't really want him to kill the guy. They don't pay. Crowly's guilt sets in when he realizes the guy he killed was a model citizen. The folks who put out the hit get nervous and decide to tenderize crowly abit. Revenge ensues.
This one was solid from the top down. The acting was good. Once george wendt went from good duke to bad duke, there was no hint of his norm character from cheers to be found. The guy who played crowly was good to. I haven't seen him anywhere before but the kid has a future. Theres one of the baldwin brothers in this one too, the older fatter one from john carpenter's vampires. Maybe he can get out from the shadows of his brothers now. He brings his corrupt real estate developer character to life. Direction is good.
Gore:Theres a good amount of red sauce flying around but its more about the sounds in this one. As the golf clubs are put to one guys head, the sound of the bones popping will make you cringe.
T&A: Kari wuher naked as usual. Crowly rolls around in his bed naked whilst having bad dreams.

A King of Films
This is more like a drama that becomes a horror film because of the horrific events that follow. The film so disturbed major studios that they refused to produce it (source: the Featurrette on the DVD). I really liked it but it was disturbing. The main character is a likeable twentysomething man who takes odd jobs where he can. Eventually he's offered and accepts a shady job. And... Just when we've grown to like guy, he proceeds to commit a despicable act and then gets double-crossed for it. How he gets double-crossed and what is done after makes the intense meat of this unique film. All the while we are rooting for the main character as criminal as he is-- which is part of what makes King of the Ants so disturbing. The film is so titled because the main character is referred to, at one point, as an "ant"-- "insignificant". But he begins to regard himself as the "King of the Ants". What a transformation. Not for the faint of heart. Similar to another movie called "May" in which a young lonely girl transforms into something else: May went from drama to horror by the end also.

King rules!!
A wild, well-paced noir crime flick; gory, gruesome and great! Story chronicles how one seemingly ordinary bored underachiever desperate for adventure takes that first terrifying step from which there is really no return. He's ill-prepared to handle all that happens in him and to him after the dirty deed has been carried out ... but even less prepared to just up and walk away. Foretold a few seconds before he reaches his breaking point by the radio playing `Getting stronger every minute ...', he will walk away only when he's good and ready and he's crossed every t and dotted every ... eye. Excellent ensemble, highlighted by newcomer McKenna's incredible star turn.

not what your expecting, quite an awesome film
i went to the movie store in search of that gem that your always looking for and o' boy did i find it! king of the ants is the story of sean crawley, a man willing to go as far as he needs to go to survive. and he go's pretty d@mn far!. from the director of re-animator. this movie sets a new peak of professionalism and is far superior to the mainstream crap we see coming out nowadays like harry potter, the stepford wifes (which turned comedy) and like the reviewer above me said van helsing.

GREAT MOVIE
OBTAIN THIS FILM AND GET IT INTO THE NEAREST DVD PLAYER ASAP!

...or how Stuart Gordon crawls under your skin....
A few weeks ago I considered myself a lucky man. A big fan of director Stuart Gordon (of Re-Animator, and more recent Dagon fame.) I came across a UK DVD version of this movie. Not yet released in the States I get to tell you how good a movie this is.

For American (and these days also more and more overseas) audiences groomed on Hollywood dung like Van Helsing and Harry Potter this is going to be a hard movie. For underground and indie moviebuffs this is...well one helluva treat!

In short, the story is based on a novel by British writer Charlie Higson (most famous for writing tv series like the revamped Randall and Hopkirk) and follows a down on his luck house painter who sees himself being recruited as a hitman. Sounds improbable? Trust me,it all works out onscreen. What follows is a very violent, at times almost surrealistic movie. And like with his previous films, Gordon had me loving every minute of it (I even liked his Fortress).
There are some fine performances here, by the likes of George 'Norm' Wendt as utter scumbag Duke and the least known Baldwin brother as the main baddie. I also liked Aussie genre fave Vernon Wells (from Mad Max II and he played Bennet in Schwarzenegger's Commando) as a baddie who softens up against his captive. You'll be suprised about what fate Gordon has in store for him...but than again this isn't that Hollywood blockbuster, and I refuse to go into spoiler territory.
The revelation here however is Chris McKenna. As Sean Crawley he is a good solid actor with plenty of screen persona and wit. I loved him and hope he has a long career ahead of him. His line where Duke compares him to: "James f....ing Bond" and he just answers: 'No, Sean f....ing Crawley!' is a classic and had me gloating in my seat.

I can't rave about this movie enough. I recommend it to everybody who knows how to find it. Personally I can't help but compare it to a Tarantino flick. I saw this about the same time as everybody was hyping the video release of Kill Bill vol 1. This is so much more brutal and yes SUPERIOR than that(and by the way Gordon is so much better at portraying onscreen eroticism and perversities than Tarantino will ever be)!

Rent, buy or steal it (if need to)!!! KING OF THE ANTS rules my hill! ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Reilly (Jeffrey Combs) has come to Italy with wife and blind daughter in tow to arrange for the sale of his newly inherited castle. Unbeknownst to these folks, the duchess who willed the castle to Reilly kept her kid shackled in the dungeon, lambasting him regularly with a wicked cat-o'-nine-tails.Though the duchess is gone, the eponymous freak remains, now fully grown.As the family moves into the castle to await its sale, internal conflicts concerning Reilly's guilt over the blinding of the daughter, and the blame from his wife, further fracture their unstable family unit.Castle Freak escapes his shackles in search of food, and more importantly human warmth.The Freak just doesn't know how to express his need for love in a socially acceptable way, however, and seems destined for an unsavory end at the hands of the something-to-prove Reilly, who must find some way to route to vicious creature.But there's more than one way to skin a cat (though they only use one of those ways in this picture). Fitting addition to the oeuvre of splatter specialist Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator). --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Underrated Full Moon Flick From The Makers Of Re-Animator
"Castle Freak" (1995) is the third in a series of films that were directed by Stuart Gordon, and starred both Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton. The first was the brilliant cult classic "Re-Animator" (1985) and the second was the equaly bizarre "From Beyond" (1986). Although "Castle Freak" doesn't scale the delirious heights of those two masterpieces, it still holds up as a great old-fashion fright flick. The film was so impressive that it won the Fangoria "Golden Chainsaw Award" for best direct-to-video film.

Unlike many films in the genre, "Castle Freak" spends a great amount of its screen time developing its characters. John Reilly (Combs) has just inherited a castle in Spain from a distant relative. He brings along his wife Susan (Crampton) and their blind daughter Rebecca (the excellent Jessica Dollarhide). However, as the title suggests, there is someone or something locked in the dark and murky basement of the castle.

Director Stuart Gordon does a masterful job with the material, turning what could have been just another routine horror movie into a surprisingly emotional tragedy. As the film progresses, we slowly learn more and more about what the characters have been through. There are even touching moments within the film, although it would ruin the surprise if I were to give anything away. In the end, the castle freak becomes a physical manifestation of the emotional guilt of the characters, and taking that into account, the movie becomes more complex than it would initially seem to be.

But I'm getting ahead of myself... this is a horror movie and, rest assured, Stuart Gordon does not disappoint. The violence is bloody and graphic, and there are many repulsive scenes that are guarenteed to shock. There's also a bizarre scene of eroticism in the film (you'll know it when you see it). It all ends in a thrilling action-packed conclusion that only Stuart Gordon could deliver. Fans of "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond" shouldn't be disappointed. The freak itself is a hideous creation, and Jonathan Fuller gives an amazing performance under a ton of make-up. Richard Band composes an eerie minimalist soundtrack, and there's a little bit more than a touch of humor in the film. Jeffrey Combs has always been a favorite actor of mine, and he certainly delivers in the acting department here.

This being a Full Moon film, the DVD features a great behind the scenes segment that includes interviews with the cast and crew. The disc also features a theatrical trailer for "Castle Freak," and other Full Moon films, and a bunch of advertisements for Full Moon merchandise. The movie is presented full screen, although I believe that was the way it was shot due to the fact that it was a direct to video film.

All Hype..or some people scare real easy :)
Well after reading all 37 reviews on Amazon got the DVD and BOO! This movie is often touted as "Sex,nudity,violence,and gore all in one movie?" and its true however the fails in all those areas. First off the movie is not scary unlike the countless reviews that claim it is; well actually..if the Scream series starring Neve Campell 'terrified' you then maybe you'll get a scare out of Castle Freak LOL.

Sex, nudity...again BOO! The only graphic nudity involves the hooker; explicit? Please don't make me laugh..plus its really quick..were talking about 1 minute. The Matrix II sex scene was more titillating LOL! Some have mentioned eroticism; there is one scene that falls into this area and it involves Jessica Dollarhide getting captured by the freak but its quite brief and you don't see any umm skin; big big BOO!

Gore..yes there is some..but no where near the level of Re-Animator series.

Overall quite disappointed once again by Amazon posters. Other movies highly touted on Amazon to recommended to avoid in this category:
A Virgin Among the Living Dead
Vampyres
The Demonics

I'd sell you all for the price of three..seriously LOL

From the man who brought you "The Re-animator"
Stuart Gordon presents another film adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story. In this one "Castle Freak" John Reilly(Jeffrey Combs,The Re-animator series)his wife(Barbara Crampton,The Re-animator)and their blind daughter inheret a castle in Italy,from a relative who recently passed away. They also inhereted her son, who was chained up in the cellar, that they don't know about until, John brings home a prostitute and she is never seen again and he is accused of her murder. It's up to John to protect his family and prove his innocence. As you would expect there is plenty of creative gore, one scene is similair to one in Beyond Re-animator. If you enjoy the works of H.P.Lovecraft, STuart Gordon, or Jeffrey Combs you will enjoy this film others however should be causious about choosing whether or not they want to watch this.

A Classic Horror Flick
Full Moon is really the most under-rated horror studio. This movie was famous enough to spaawn a mass market toy of the monster. Great genre actor Jeffrey Combs and his family move into a gothic Italian castle, only to find inside there resides a hideous monster hungry for flesh. This is one of the better-known H.P. Lovecraft adaptions, and is similiar to the earlier movie Unnamable, though not as good. It is the same premise- the first scene is that of the monster being tormented and locked up, people come to the residence and get killed. A by-the-numbers slasher/monster movie that is one of Full Moon's best movies. Not essential viewing by any means, but any somewhat-dedicated horror fan who sees this will surely never forget it. This is based on the H.P. Lovecraft pulp "The Outsider."

This isn't horror, it's drama.
A family inherits a castle in Italy and there's a freak lurking around, with a disturbing history. A simple premise to a story executed right. For a direct to video film, I didn't expect it to go into such incredible depth emotionally. The main theme of the story from my impression was about how people could get second chances to redeem themselves. (You'll see what I mean when the husband does something heroic to ask for forgiveness from his wife because he did something awful earlier). The only flaw in the movie is that Castle Freak wasn't in the movie enough. He'll pop up every now and then, killing whoever shows up in the house. There weren't much graphic scenes, except for the one part where he murders a hooker. The make-up is impressive, none of that computer generated nonsense. Looks like it took a great deal of labor. But we only get glimpses of it which is a shame. Jeffrey Combs is the main character even though the movie is called Castle Freak. Other then that, this is probably one of the most dramatic "horror" films ever. I don't really consider this a horror film since the Castle Freak was just an abused child who we still feel pity for. He's not just some blood-thirsty monster. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

One of Stuart Gordon's Best Films
Fortress is one of Stuart Gordon's best films ever made. I never saw this in the theatre because I was only 8 years and never heard of the movie before. I heard this was an international success but it received little notice in the U.S. (I even noticed the box office business money it was only around 6mil). But hey i don't care how it did i just care if i enjoyed the movie or not.

The film opens in 2017 where we realize a couple John and Karen Brennick (Christopher Lambert and Loryn Locklin) are trying to have another child due to the first one they lost but unfortunately they can't due to overpopulation crisis in America.
They try to have another but they're caught and sent a Maximum Security system called "The Fortress" built 33 stories deep. The prison is operated by a genetically enhanced sadistic warden Poe (Kurtwood Smith) and Zed-10 the computer system owned by Men-Tel Corporation who also built The Fortress. When they arrive they are outfitted with intestinators they could make your stomach in pain mode or explode mode. Even though this prison is high tech and very well guarded Brennick plots an escape anyway. I don't wanna tell you more because i'll be spoiling the movie for you. Stuart Gordon who made such low budget classics like Re-Animator and From Beyond he jumps into a bigger budget in Fortress and makes the film more enthusiatic and more energtic than ever before. The budget wasn't high though it was around 10million that's what the T.V Guide review said but its still ok, and probably will be the only bigger budget he ever did. The performances are great, plot good, and SFX are great as well. Overall this is a classic and i really enjoyed it.

"Built to hold anything . . . except an innocent man."
You know all those anonymous video box covers you see when you walk down the aisle at the video store? Well, most of them are direct-to-video productions and aren't worth a second look. Some of them are films made with modest budgets that got a limited theatrical release. Most of them are horrible which helps to explain why they left the theaters so quickly. However, once in blue moon one of these obscure "lost" films actually manages to surprise. Stuart Gordon's "Fortress" is one of those rare finds.

The population in the United States in the early 21st century has increased beyond control. In an attempt to solve the problem, the government has passed a law that limits a woman to only one child. However, John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife Karen (Loryn Locklin) run afoul of the authorities when they try to have a second child to replace their firstborn who died as an infant. Imprisoned for their crime, the couple is sent to a maximum security prison called The Fortress and are tormented by its despotic director, Poe (Kurtwood Smith).

"Fortress" is neither a completely original film nor one that has had a tremendous influence on the medium. It is quite simply an odd film that somehow works despite its limited production values and its lack of big-name stars. As with most science fiction films set in the near future, "Fortress" paints a rather bleak view of the years to come. Those looking for a nightly rental that has some deep meaning to it might enjoy the film's cautionary messages on overpopulation and private-sector prison administration. Yet, the film also satisfies as a breezy time-killer for those who find themselves with free time on their hands and nothing else to watch. Either way, "Fortress" fits the bill.

It's Got a Charm of Sorts
The first time I ever saw Christopher Lambert was in the memorable "Highlander" film back in the 1980s. I saw him again in the first sequel to that film a few years later, but after that he seemed to vanish down some type of cinematic memory hole. Occasionally, I would stumble across "Highlander" again on some cable channel and wonder about the fate of this actor. After recently wandering across the 1993 film "Fortress," I got my answer: Lambert works almost exclusively in the landscapes of low budget movies. I am not saying low budget films are a bad thing?certainly not?but if ever there was an actor who perfectly fit the parameters of a B movie production, it is Christopher Lambert. That accent coupled with a slightly stilted method of delivery dooms Lambert to semi-obscurity. You can probably tell that I am not a great fan of this actor's work, but after criticizing his acting skills, I should state that "Fortress" actually manages to achieve a certain chintzy charm.

"Fortress" presents a picture of an extremely bleak future set in America in the year 2017. The United States, and possibly the world, staggers under the weight of a massive boom in its population. In an effort to alleviate these problems, the government resorts to enforcing laws banning couples from having more than one child. Anyone caught breaking this law ends up in an underground prison run by a private corporation named Men-Tel. This prison does not qualify as one of those posh, white-collar jails we know and love today, but is a claustrophobic, overcrowded place bristling with automatic cannons, cameras that move across the ceiling, and androids armed with impressive weaponry. Even worse, newly inducted prisoners swallow "intestinators," devices that explode if a prisoner wanders beyond certain boundaries. For those inmates considered especially problematic, there awaits the "mind wipe" chamber capable of turning a man into a shattered wreck. It sure looks as though no one could escape this subterranean nightmare.

Enter John and Karen Brennick, a married couple that conceived a second child after their first born died. The Brennicks know the laws, but decide to flee to Mexico in order to escape these draconian measures. Regrettably, the couple's ruse falls apart at the border, earning them a quick trip to the Men-Tel resort and spa. John and Karen, forcibly separated, soon encounter the warden of the prison, a brutal thug played by veteran actor Kurtwood Smith, and the computer that runs the prison. John bunks with few odd characters, most notably imprisoned technology wizard D-Day (played with geeky aplomb by the always amazing Jeffrey Coombs). John Brennick doesn't intend to spend one more day than necessary in prison, and he soon enlists his roommates in a plot to escape from the prison. Along the way, Brennick dukes it out with the resident psycho, undergoes a trip to the mind wipe chamber, and schemes to get his wife out of the clutches of the evil warden.

"Fortress" offers up a whole host of gory sequences for the avid sci-fi/horror fan. The best sauce scene occurs when an intestinator explodes inside a man's stomach. The filmmakers love the idea of such a device so much they just have to show this scene soon after we learn what function such a piece of hardware serves. I kind of like that in a way. Why waste time when you can show a guy's abdomen exploding in the first twenty minutes of the movie? Moreover, the fight between Lambert and the cellblock murderer is appropriately bloody, as is the gunfire heavy finale. Overall, "Fortress" does give the viewer plenty of good old-fashioned carnage. The conclusion does seem a bit predictable, but who cares? Getting there was quite fun.

I liked most of the performances in this movie, even Lambert's turn as the laconic Brennick. Kurtwood Smith always does a good job, and Jeffrey Coombs may well be one of the greatest B movie stars in the history of cinema. Look for Lincoln Kilpatrick in a prime role, as well as the always menacing Vernon Wells playing the prison heavy who hates Brennick at first sight. About the only actor I didn't care for in "Fortress" was Loryn Locklin, who played Karen Brennick. I cannot put my finger on any specific reasons for this dislike, except that maybe I thought her too plain for the role. Stuart Gordon, the director responsible for the cult classic "The Re-Animator" helmed "Fortress." According to the production notes on the DVD, none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger helped get this movie made. With heavy hitters behind the scenes and a strong cast in front of the camera, "Fortress" entertains.

The DVD falls short in the extras department, but the picture transfer looks great. A sequel to this film appeared several years later, reportedly not as good as the original. I will probably watch this continuation of the "Fortress" saga, if for no other reason than the promised appearance of Pam Grier as the owner of Men-Tel. Grier, even at her worst, is always worth watching. Movies like "Fortress" and its sequel usually possess a few flaws, but violent science fiction can be immensely fun to watch, and in that aspect, "Fortress" delivers.

Oooh, C. L. Great Job!
This is an awesome edition to any Christopher Lambert Collection. One of his finest, and you almost get to see his whole, body front and back nude! How awesome for C.L. fans like me. I recommend you don't watch this around little ones, but it's great for watching with your special someone, it's got romance and action so you'll both be happy.

BB-T

Not bad for Lambert...
It is the future and breeding is controlled by the government. John Brannick and his wife are about to illegally have their second child. They are caught making their way out of the country and put in a fortress, a large prison in which the prisoners are controlled via a small device placed in the intestine. Silly? Yes. Fun? Definitely. I honestly can't give this movie more than three stars, but it was a fun action flick. The gore is big here and fans of this kind of movie, like "Robocop" or "Total Recall," will surely find much to like. Christopher Lambert does a nice job as the action hero who just wants to see his wife. The film is sort of like a futuristic "Great Escape." I had fun watching this film and if you're a fan of action or sci-fi, you should too. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Worth watching for the little details
Space Truckers is not a good movie. The story is ludicrous, the plotline isn't so hot, the special effects are cheap, and the acting is mediocre. Still, when I watch a movie like this, one that's supposed to be bad, I can't help but wish I could have been in it. Everyone looks like they're having an absolute blast! This is a good thing for Dennis Hopper, because I don't think he's been in a decent movie since Easy Rider. If he can't be in a good movie, he deserves to, at least, be in a fun movie.

As I said, the story is awful, but what is good are all the small details. A lot of thought went into things like posters on the walls, billboards, trucks, and highways. But, as the other reviewers have mentioned, the best part of the movie is the first ten minutes. After that, inspiration seems to have fizzled.

Still, the movie is worth watching if only for the "square pigs for a square meal," "Liquid beef: From a cow! From a cow!", and the evil pirate lord's pull-start crotch engine.

OK film
Space Truckers is a lot of fun to watch, but it is very dumb. Maybe that is part of its charm. This movie is fun to watch and is very funny in spots. Most of the reviewers of this film are correct in giving Space Truckers 3 stars.

ZERO STARS: I'll make this short and unsweet.
This is Barb Wire-Battlefield Earth BAD! Why do I subject myself to such BAD filmmaking? Considering the talent involved this is pathetic. If you have a choice whether to see this movie or have a finger removed, I guess see the movie. Otherwise avoid this at any cost ..I must say one last thing, Stephen Dork is overrated.

Square pigs, killer robots, and crotch engines oh my.....
Okay, this wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't a great one, either. I think the biggest problem this movie had was the script. It just seemed pretty weak. I did like the characters, the special effects, and the actors, but I don't think they had enough to work with.

The story involves the last of the independant space truckers, Dennis Hopper, and how he's hired to take a shipment of supicious cargo to Earth which turns out to be ultra high tech killer robots that someone is planning to use to overthrow Earth's government.

Anyway, there's some mildy amusing scenes, and stuff happens which all lead up to the climatic scene at the end involving the killer robots. As I said before, the special effects look really good and it's obvious that a lot of time and effort was spent in this area. The pirate ship was really well done. And, in Stuart Gordon fashion, the pirate captain looked like something out of Re-animator or From Beyond, from his half flesh, half metal head to his pull start groin.

The script wasn't really that strong, and some of the actors almost seem embarassed to be in the movie at times, but they perform adequately with what they are given. I thought Charles Dance (Alien 3, The Golden Child, Gosford Park) played his role quite well. And it was nice to see Dennis Hopper play something other that a deranged lunatic for a change.

All in all, fun, light entertainment, just don't expect too much from this movie in terms of a good script or decent character development.

question ?
who sang and wrote the ending theme song for space truckers ? ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Worth seeing for the commentary alone
Okay, I see lots of reviews that talk about the film itself and don't dwell much on special features. Here, I'll try to get into the reason for buying a special edition and you can read other reviews if you want to know about the story.

Re-Animator (The Millennium Edition) brings an old favourite back to life (no pun intended). The picture and sound quality are so good, it's almost as if the movie was re-made using today's technology. I always liked this quirky little movie ever since I saw it on video in 1985-86, but I had assumed it had gone the way of so many '80s low budget gems. So I was pleasantly surprised to see it recently on DVD and in a remastered edition. The film is still a classic cult film, having lost none of its wit and charm (if one can say that a gory horror fest can be 'charming'), but the thing I'm happiest about is the cast commentary, which, although not overly informative (there's a director commentary and numerous video interviews that go deeper into movie facts), is nevertheless very entertaining. The actors obviously had a lot of fun making the movie, and they clearly have a lot of fun watching it together. Some moments during the cast commentary are truly a Mystery Science Theater 3000 kibbitz-fest, and so really we get two movies in one - the original version and a goofy MST3K-style review, but with the insights and rememberances of those who helped make the film.

There are lots of extended scenes and one deleted scene that was too hot for the censor (Barbara Crampton - yeah, baby! Yeah!) Added to this, lots of audio choices make this a great buy for those with hi-fi bells and whistles. Also, a set of still photos and video interviews that put other special edition efforts to shame.

All in all, I think this is a fantastic effort, far better than many remastered editions on DVD. The team that remastered this one obviously did their job with care and reverence for this cult classic. Certainly this 're-animated' Re-Animator (okay, sorry, I meant that pun) is well worth the price of admission.

Horror at it's finest!
Rarely do great 80's horror movies get the DVD treatment they deserve. Sice the assumption that the market is limited, you can often only find mediocre transfers with little to no extras. But with "Re-Animator", that paradigm is broken and we get a top quality and thoroughly entertaining version of the cult classic.

Stuart Gordon's gore-fest concerns a medical student named Herbert West, who's experiments with bringing the dead back to life are successful, but with grave consequences. Jeffrey Combs is first rate as the whacked out West, and he plays it both for shock and comedy value. It is criminal that he isn't more widely recognized outside of the horror and cult circles. The rest of the cast is exceptional, especially Robert Sampson as the re-animated headmaster. The special effects can best be described as gruesome, with plenty of decapitations, body parts flying, and other nasties. But what sets "Re-Animator" apart from other 80's horror flicks is the story, the good acting, and the good production. This is a great movie that satisfies both the need for quality filmmaking and the need for gore.

The Millenium Edition DVD is packed with extras, all of them worthwhile. What initially pleased me most was the quality of the transfer, which makes the horrible VHS transfers seem like a different movie. The commentary, especially by the producer and the cast, is more like a high school reunion with everyone having a good time. The interviews also give valueable insight, and the deleted scenes are also nice goodies for fans.

This is the definative version of "Re-Animator", and great value for anyone who loved the movie. The extras are quality, and the transfer is superb. In short, a DVD you must own (assuming you can stomach it).

Funny Gore Flick
How they took HP Lovecraft's short story (which is one of the SCARIEST short stories ever written, in my opinion)and came up with this, I'll never know, but there's no denying the entertainment value.
This has some outrageous scenes, like the decapitated head performing cunnilingus on a woman strapped to a table, and the exploding eyes, and the re-animated cat. It is easy to see why this has such a huge, loyal cult following.
Now to be fair, what I'm about to say has not been mentioned by the other 106 reviewers, leading me to believe that this only occured with my copy, but I was not able to move the arrow on the main menu, so I missed out on the extra features. Like I said, I proably recieved a defective copy, but it may be wise to investigate before purchase.

"Re-Animate Her"
One of my all time favorite horror movies next to day of the dead, Zombie, dead alive, etc. A good horror for fans of the undead or just a quick scare. There are some very gruesome scenes such as decapitation by shovel, eyeballs exploding, attacking intestines, and it seems when ever you see the Deans daughter, about five or ten minutes later she's naked. I also highly recommend Bride of the Re-Animator.

Utterly Disgusting
This is a warning to any horror fan. This movie is extremely disgusting and has absouletly NO point what so ever. I feel bad for jeffery combs, because of this movie his repuataion is now worse than ever. The gore is over the top, and there is no plot, besides phystoic zombies trying to kill people.

Here is the gore that this movie has: Decapitation by shovel, bitten off fingers, a bone saw through the stomach, someone pulling off some guys skin, than revealing the skull, and with a bone saw removes the skull, and picks up the brain and plays with it, we see a guy shove a Q-tip in a hole in someones for head, a cat with a broken neck, a stomach exploding with organs coming to life and attacking someone, eyes exploding, a head being impaled on a needle and lots more blood plus a head that falls off after being hit by a woman. For violence, we get someone being hit in the head with a shovel, someone being thrown into the wall with extreme force breaking the glass, slapping, hitting and punching to ward off a dead zombie.

Overall, I think this movie was a waste of money. But, now that you know what the movie is truly about, you can make that descision for yourself. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The story of Fortress takes place in drastically overpopulated America of the year 2017, where each woman is allowed only one pregnancy. John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife Karen (Loryn Locklin) flee to Mexico when she becomes pregnant after the death of their first child. They are captured by border police and sent to the Fortress, a subterranean high-security prison owned by the Men-Tel corporation and operated by "Zed-10," an omnipotent computer system, and a sadistic, genetically "enhanced" warden (Kurtwood Smith) who has nefarious plans involving Brennick's wife and unborn child. Along with his cellmates (including Jeffrey Combs, a favorite of director Stuart Gordon), Brennick plotsa breakout, and Fortress shifts into auto-pilot action mode.

After making his reputation with such audacious horror films as From Beyond and Re-Animator, Stuart Gordon graduated to a bigger budget with Fortress, but his penchant for exploitation remains deliriously intact. While borrowing elements from a variety of better sci-fi movies, Fortress indulges every prison-flick cliché, but does it with such enjoyable B-movie vigor that it qualifies as a bona-fide guilty pleasure (indeed, it deserves to be ranked with James Cameron's original Terminator in terms of its budgetary ingenuity). Featuring such giddy (and gory) devices as "intestinators" (deadly obedience devices implanted in prisoners' bodies) and a torturous "Mind Wipe Chamber," this is really just a drive-in action movie with lofty ambitions, and the schlocky script hasn't a prayer of rising above the level of juvenile popcorn fodder. But there's no denying the energy and enthusiasm that Gordon brings to the film, which understandably became a global box-office hit and spawned a 1999 sequel starring Lambert and Pam Grier. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (21)

One of Stuart Gordon's Best Films
Fortress is one of Stuart Gordon's best films ever made. I never saw this in the theatre because I was only 8 years and never heard of the movie before. I heard this was an international success but it received little notice in the U.S. (I even noticed the box office business money it was only around 6mil). But hey i don't care how it did i just care if i enjoyed the movie or not.

The film opens in 2017 where we realize a couple John and Karen Brennick (Christopher Lambert and Loryn Locklin) are trying to have another child due to the first one they lost but unfortunately they can't due to overpopulation crisis in America.
They try to have another but they're caught and sent a Maximum Security system called "The Fortress" built 33 stories deep. The prison is operated by a genetically enhanced sadistic warden Poe (Kurtwood Smith) and Zed-10 the computer system owned by Men-Tel Corporation who also built The Fortress. When they arrive they are outfitted with intestinators they could make your stomach in pain mode or explode mode. Even though this prison is high tech and very well guarded Brennick plots an escape anyway. I don't wanna tell you more because i'll be spoiling the movie for you. Stuart Gordon who made such low budget classics like Re-Animator and From Beyond he jumps into a bigger budget in Fortress and makes the film more enthusiatic and more energtic than ever before. The budget wasn't high though it was around 10million that's what the T.V Guide review said but its still ok, and probably will be the only bigger budget he ever did. The performances are great, plot good, and SFX are great as well. Overall this is a classic and i really enjoyed it.

"Built to hold anything . . . except an innocent man."
You know all those anonymous video box covers you see when you walk down the aisle at the video store? Well, most of them are direct-to-video productions and aren't worth a second look. Some of them are films made with modest budgets that got a limited theatrical release. Most of them are horrible which helps to explain why they left the theaters so quickly. However, once in blue moon one of these obscure "lost" films actually manages to surprise. Stuart Gordon's "Fortress" is one of those rare finds.

The population in the United States in the early 21st century has increased beyond control. In an attempt to solve the problem, the government has passed a law that limits a woman to only one child. However, John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife Karen (Loryn Locklin) run afoul of the authorities when they try to have a second child to replace their firstborn who died as an infant. Imprisoned for their crime, the couple is sent to a maximum security prison called The Fortress and are tormented by its despotic director, Poe (Kurtwood Smith).

"Fortress" is neither a completely original film nor one that has had a tremendous influence on the medium. It is quite simply an odd film that somehow works despite its limited production values and its lack of big-name stars. As with most science fiction films set in the near future, "Fortress" paints a rather bleak view of the years to come. Those looking for a nightly rental that has some deep meaning to it might enjoy the film's cautionary messages on overpopulation and private-sector prison administration. Yet, the film also satisfies as a breezy time-killer for those who find themselves with free time on their hands and nothing else to watch. Either way, "Fortress" fits the bill.

It's Got a Charm of Sorts
The first time I ever saw Christopher Lambert was in the memorable "Highlander" film back in the 1980s. I saw him again in the first sequel to that film a few years later, but after that he seemed to vanish down some type of cinematic memory hole. Occasionally, I would stumble across "Highlander" again on some cable channel and wonder about the fate of this actor. After recently wandering across the 1993 film "Fortress," I got my answer: Lambert works almost exclusively in the landscapes of low budget movies. I am not saying low budget films are a bad thing?certainly not?but if ever there was an actor who perfectly fit the parameters of a B movie production, it is Christopher Lambert. That accent coupled with a slightly stilted method of delivery dooms Lambert to semi-obscurity. You can probably tell that I am not a great fan of this actor's work, but after criticizing his acting skills, I should state that "Fortress" actually manages to achieve a certain chintzy charm.

"Fortress" presents a picture of an extremely bleak future set in America in the year 2017. The United States, and possibly the world, staggers under the weight of a massive boom in its population. In an effort to alleviate these problems, the government resorts to enforcing laws banning couples from having more than one child. Anyone caught breaking this law ends up in an underground prison run by a private corporation named Men-Tel. This prison does not qualify as one of those posh, white-collar jails we know and love today, but is a claustrophobic, overcrowded place bristling with automatic cannons, cameras that move across the ceiling, and androids armed with impressive weaponry. Even worse, newly inducted prisoners swallow "intestinators," devices that explode if a prisoner wanders beyond certain boundaries. For those inmates considered especially problematic, there awaits the "mind wipe" chamber capable of turning a man into a shattered wreck. It sure looks as though no one could escape this subterranean nightmare.

Enter John and Karen Brennick, a married couple that conceived a second child after their first born died. The Brennicks know the laws, but decide to flee to Mexico in order to escape these draconian measures. Regrettably, the couple's ruse falls apart at the border, earning them a quick trip to the Men-Tel resort and spa. John and Karen, forcibly separated, soon encounter the warden of the prison, a brutal thug played by veteran actor Kurtwood Smith, and the computer that runs the prison. John bunks with few odd characters, most notably imprisoned technology wizard D-Day (played with geeky aplomb by the always amazing Jeffrey Coombs). John Brennick doesn't intend to spend one more day than necessary in prison, and he soon enlists his roommates in a plot to escape from the prison. Along the way, Brennick dukes it out with the resident psycho, undergoes a trip to the mind wipe chamber, and schemes to get his wife out of the clutches of the evil warden.

"Fortress" offers up a whole host of gory sequences for the avid sci-fi/horror fan. The best sauce scene occurs when an intestinator explodes inside a man's stomach. The filmmakers love the idea of such a device so much they just have to show this scene soon after we learn what function such a piece of hardware serves. I kind of like that in a way. Why waste time when you can show a guy's abdomen exploding in the first twenty minutes of the movie? Moreover, the fight between Lambert and the cellblock murderer is appropriately bloody, as is the gunfire heavy finale. Overall, "Fortress" does give the viewer plenty of good old-fashioned carnage. The conclusion does seem a bit predictable, but who cares? Getting there was quite fun.

I liked most of the performances in this movie, even Lambert's turn as the laconic Brennick. Kurtwood Smith always does a good job, and Jeffrey Coombs may well be one of the greatest B movie stars in the history of cinema. Look for Lincoln Kilpatrick in a prime role, as well as the always menacing Vernon Wells playing the prison heavy who hates Brennick at first sight. About the only actor I didn't care for in "Fortress" was Loryn Locklin, who played Karen Brennick. I cannot put my finger on any specific reasons for this dislike, except that maybe I thought her too plain for the role. Stuart Gordon, the director responsible for the cult classic "The Re-Animator" helmed "Fortress." According to the production notes on the DVD, none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger helped get this movie made. With heavy hitters behind the scenes and a strong cast in front of the camera, "Fortress" entertains.

The DVD falls short in the extras department, but the picture transfer looks great. A sequel to this film appeared several years later, reportedly not as good as the original. I will probably watch this continuation of the "Fortress" saga, if for no other reason than the promised appearance of Pam Grier as the owner of Men-Tel. Grier, even at her worst, is always worth watching. Movies like "Fortress" and its sequel usually possess a few flaws, but violent science fiction can be immensely fun to watch, and in that aspect, "Fortress" delivers.

Oooh, C. L. Great Job!
This is an awesome edition to any Christopher Lambert Collection. One of his finest, and you almost get to see his whole, body front and back nude! How awesome for C.L. fans like me. I recommend you don't watch this around little ones, but it's great for watching with your special someone, it's got romance and action so you'll both be happy.

BB-T

Not bad for Lambert...
It is the future and breeding is controlled by the government. John Brannick and his wife are about to illegally have their second child. They are caught making their way out of the country and put in a fortress, a large prison in which the prisoners are controlled via a small device placed in the intestine. Silly? Yes. Fun? Definitely. I honestly can't give this movie more than three stars, but it was a fun action flick. The gore is big here and fans of this kind of movie, like "Robocop" or "Total Recall," will surely find much to like. Christopher Lambert does a nice job as the action hero who just wants to see his wife. The film is sort of like a futuristic "Great Escape." I had fun watching this film and if you're a fan of action or sci-fi, you should too. ... Read more