Stars: Josh Hartnett, Elijah WoodBudget: $15 million
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
Back to the 90s and a teen horror film
that exists thanks to power of scream.
The resurgence of teen slasher allowed
a number of high school based horror
films rode high into the box office.
Featuring a cast of actors fresh from other roles, or on their way to big time.
(Elijah Wood auditioned for LotR while
filming this!). Famke Jansen fresh from
James Bonds big comeback Goldeneye,
Jason Patrick as the T1000 in T2.
Old Robert Rodriguez was still pretty fresh faced here too. His subtle comedic tones still visible.
The film in my eyes also takes a LOT
of things from other films. Mismatched
kids like breakfast club, invasion of the
Body Snatchers and in particular
the amazing scene from The Thing. Where they are testing to see which one is an alien with the drugs is such a homage to the testing scene with the hot wire in the blood.
So what's the premise here?
It's a sci-fi horror not a slasher, some weird alien brain controlling prawns take over a small town.
Our band of disjointed youths come together over with common cause to defeat said menace.
It features all the usual tropes such as disbelieving parents/authority figures. People you think you can trust who you can't and a big twist at the end.
Don't take faculty seriously like some of the other teen films out at the time. This movie firmly has its tongue planted in cheek the whole way. Yes there's some scares and twists and turns but this film has comedy at its heart too.
I think some missed this point back in the day though. I say give it a second chance now and watch it from a new perspective.
THN awards the faculty 4 out of 5 stars.
