BRAINSTORM(1983)
Dir - Douglas Trumbull
Overall:
GOOD
The second and last full-length film to be directed by visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull, Brainstorm doubles as the final movie of Natalie Wood's career who died before principal photography wrapped. Though her death inevitably led to production being shut down, financial trouble in finishing it, a lukewarm release from MGM, and Trumbull's permanent disinterest in completing another full-length movie for Hollywood ever again, the film itself is an intriguing science fiction drama that delivers some nightmarish intensity during its later moments. Besides Wood who is effective in a supporting role as half of an estranged married couple, Christopher Walken, Louise Fletcher, and Cliff Robertson turn in solid performances in their own right. The story tackles some heady themes of the type of humanistic turbulence that headstrong scientific determination can bring forth and Trumbull gets to experiment with aspect ratios and breathtaking widescreen photography, even reinterpret a version of his famous stargate sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey for what turns out to be an uplifting and downright romantic finale.
TRAPPED ALIVE(1988)
Dir - Leszek Burzynski
Overall: WOOF
One of only two theatrically released films from writer/director Lezek Burzynski,
Trapped Alive
has a cameo from Cameron Mitchell during his infamous washed-up period
of turning up in any available B-movie for a quick day's shooting and, (presumably), some alcohol money.
Other than that though, this is an embarrassing and meandering mess.
Poorly written characters who are all unlikable find themselves trapped
in a mine shaft and whether or not they are escaped criminals, hostage
women, or a cop who randomly partakes of a sex scene with some broad
while on the job, all of their drama comes off as both awkwardly forced
and wretchedly boring. Burzynski has the dull pacing sense of any first
time regional filmmaker and even though his trashy tale here throws in a
cannibal man in a bad Halloween mask, he even fails to make that
part exciting let alone unintentionally funny. Said kind-of-monster also does not properly show up until over an hour in because of course, but at least more footage of people behaving inconsistently, Sullivan Hester stripping down to her lingerie, and a ridiculous, melodramatic, expository plot twist happens to try and jolt the viewer awake.
THE TERROR WITHIN(1989)
Dir - Thierry Notz
Overall: MEH
A typical low-rent sci-fi/horror hybrid from cheapie producer extraordinaire Roger Corman,
The Terror Within is an
Alien
knock-off with the standard amount of cornball charm attached to it.
Keeping the cast down to a minimum and setting most of the proceedings
in a single underground bunker location, it creates enough of a
convincing post- apocalyptic atmosphere at least until the "gargoyle" monster shows up after exploding prematurely from a human woman's womb
in full-on chest-burster style. Said creature is nothing more than a
tall actor in a rubber suit and that is exactly what it looks like; a
fleshy monstrosity that is showcased in full lighting enough times to
come off as ridiculous instead of menacing. To be fair though, part of
the fun is in watching everyone on screen take such a threat so
seriously and director Thierry Notz, (in his full-length debut), keeps
the pacing cruising within the slasher framework of picking off all of
the characters in bloody detail. Also amusing is George Kennedy with a
laser gun and Andrew Stevens getting an "adios mother fuckers" quip in
before detonating their now alien-infested base of operations with a
clearly labeled remote control.
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