TNL Movie Club: The Faculty

[bbobb]

So I was trying to decide what movie to spotlight for my turn in the movie club. I was considering a variety of options, some documentaries, another japanese movie that I love (Still Walking, from my personal favorite modern Japanese director who did one of my previous picks, Nobody Knows. Check it out if you have time) or a few of the classics up on netflix.

But then a friend of mine informed me that there was a certain forgotten film up now from the late 90s that I should watch again. But I remembered thinking it was shit back in the day when I watched it. What the hell though, I figured I'd watch it again, and it turns out the movie is a hell of a lot better than I remembered. Not a classic mind you but still a fun flick. So for this week in the movie club I bring to you:



A brief summary stolen directly from IMDB:

Herrington High, Ohio, a small-town highschool. All of a sudden, the teachers start changing attitude. When Casey and Delilah have to hide in a closet in the teacher's lounge, they witness the strangulation of Nurse Harper by two of them. Shocked, they manage to flee. Only moments later, the nurse seems to be very alive, but also somehow changed, like all the teachers and most of the students. Only Casey, Delilah and four others seem to be suspicious. Proof of an alien infection is finally brought by the chemistry teacher, who also points out a way to kill the infected humans. The plan now is to get the queen, before the aliens can spread out over the whole country

I'm not going to try to say this film is a masterpiece. Hell it's not even close to some of Rodriguez's best films. But what it is is a fun little Invasion of the Body Snatchers-esque horror film. I actually think it's pretty tragic that the film is as much maligned as it is. Yes, it steals blatantly from movies such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers and especially The Thing. But at the same time it mixes it up with elements straight out of the Breakfast Club. It's a campy love song to those classic films I've mentioned and in the end makes for a pretty fun film that more people should see, and if you have seen it and thought you hated it you really should give it a second chance.

And that covers it. Go watch this and discuss.


EDIT: Oh and a little addendum. I really liked the soundtrack to this movie as well with some classic 70s hard rock songs covered by 90s Alternative rock bands, and some original songs from those bands as well. please just ignore the horrible version of I'm Eighteen by Creed though

[Dolemite]

Ah, yes, that period during which all horror movie posters had the entire cast all gathered together and staring at you.

[dave is ok]

I'm not watching this shit again

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

You want to just copy/paste that for you in every movie thread? Save you some more of your precious time?

[dave is ok]

Ah, yes, that period during which all horror movie posters had the entire cast all gathered together and staring at you.

[Rumpy]

I remember liking this, haven't seen it in ages. This is is when Kevin Williamson was on a roll, Hollywood loved him.

[MechDeus]

I remember being so disappointed in Rodriguez for making this movie because of how bland it looked, but when I caught it on cable it wasn't that bad and the special effects were better than I was expecting. Also: John Stewart cameo.

[Doc Holliday]

Watched this last night. I decided Kevin Williamson suffered from the same infliction Kevin Smith did of writing the same dialogue/voice for every movie. Also this movie is the least Robert Rodriguez of all Robert Rodriguez movies, which isn't necessarily bad. He's made some stinkers -- Once Upon a Time in Mexico -- but, this might as well been made by Producer Daddy's Boy #1,317. The CG special-F's are fine, esp for a $15 mil budget, but the aliens were uninteresting. So, those are my complaints.

The ups are a late 90's ensemble cast and a nostalgic soundtrack only big money and Producer #1,317 could buy. It also has Jon Stewart's best performance of all time. And the story line is exciting and promotes drug use which is nice, right?

Overall, it's just a ♠♠♠ movie, when it could have been ♠♠♠♠1/2 had Rodriguez been given some freedom. So, watch it before Machete or OUATIM but not before Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, or Planet Terror, and don't expect to see any Rodriguezness in it.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, seemed like more of a job for Rodriguez. It's an okay movie, weird to think it was just a few years before Elijah took off for Middle Earth.