90's American Horror Part Thirty-Seven

THE UNBORN

(1991)

Dir - Rodman Flender

Overall: WOOF

Up until the last twenty or so minutes, the Roger Corman produced The Unborn is merely a generic if harmless Rosemary's Baby/It's Alive hybrid that is not likely to wow audience members with its "originality".  The first full-length from director Rodman Flender and scripted by the schlock-peddling screenwriting duo of John Brancato and Michael Ferris, it lays out its cards early on where Brooke Adams and her on-screen husband hook up with Dr. James Karen in order to artificially have a child after several failed attempts.  Of course the doctor is up to no good and of course the miraculous critter growing in the womb is of malevolent intent, all becoming increasingly dull as it keeps wracking up the predictable plot points.  Adams is fine in the lead and the movie has some notoriety for featuring a cameo by Lisa Kudrow as well as a small part for Kathy Griffin, (both pre-fame), but this is hardly enough to retain one's interest.  Depending on the viewer's tolerance and/or preference for unintentional camp, the finale throws caution to the wind and becomes a hilarious series of set pieces involving an animatronic fetus, a laughably stupid reveal of the bad guy's scheme, over the top death sequences, and logical narrative blunders left and right, especially where Adam's character's clashing behavior is concerned.

FEAR

(1996)

Dir - James Foley

Overall: MEH

 

Released the same year as Wes Craven's Scream, the angsty 90s thriller Fear is a fitting companion piece in some respects, accurately described as Fatal Attraction for teens.  Scripted by Christopher Crowe and directed by James Foley, (both of whom had adjacent material under their belt by this point), it unfolds in a predictable manner that sees Mark Wahlberg's menacing psychopath manipulating his way into a family whose daughter is the object of his unhinged obsession.  That is until the finale that goes too hard in its gruesome implausibility to work.  The cast does an admirable job and this would serve as a star-making turn for Reese Witherspoon as the hapless victim, (with a twenty-four year old Alyssa Milano playing a highschooler who is supposed to be almost a decade younger, ah movies), but Wahlberg gets the juiciest part.  Gratuitously shirtless and with his unshakable Boston accent in tow, his mix of surface-level charm, warped psychosis, and unavoidable rage appropriately personifies any father's worst nightmare as far as their daughter's love interest is concerned.  Though it has a slick production, the derivative plot coupled with how icky and uncomfortable of a watch it is does not lend itself to repeated viewings, despite how attractive everyone is as well as all of the hip, alternative songs on the soundtrack

 

RESURRECTION

(1999)

Dir - Russell Mulcahy

Overall: MEH

 

For the fan of Se7en who thought that the one thing missing from said movie was schlock, Resurrection has you covered.  Based on a story by lead Christopher Lambert and reuniting him with Highlander director Russell Mulcahy, it is a very formulaic and very late 90s police procedural thriller that sticks to the main bullet points of a deranged killer with a biblical agenda who is always several steps ahead of the cops.  It is handled at a cruising pace, only slowing down for a few precious minutes early on to allow for Lambert to cry over his lost son.  Elsewhere, there is no subtlety, plenty of gore, and stock tough guy banter to carry things through where audience members will have a crystal clear time following the same beats that have been laid out in countless other campy action movies.  To the film's credit, the killer reveal is surprising enough and made more so by the fact that it comes while there is still a half-hour or so left in the running time.  Unfortunately though, this leads to a bumbling final act where the bad guy alludes capture yet again by defying the laws of physics, only to have an all-too-brief final encounter with Lambert that offers no further profound, melodramatic details and instead is unintentionally goofy.  It is far from a complete waste of time and David Cronenberg was bored enough to make a cameo as a priest, but just adjust your expectations accordingly.