Screamers

Rating:
Summary: Great science fiction movie
Review: Peter Weller is one of those actors you either love or hate. I know my opinions about him vary widely depending on which film I see him in. I thought "Buckaroo Banzai" a ridiculous waste of time largely because I couldn't stand Weller's smarmy performance as a brain surgeon/rock musician who takes time out to save the world. Even his turn as the doomed Officer Murphy in "Robocop" gives the audience little incentive to appreciate this actor, mainly because he undergoes the transformation into cyborg so rapidly. I admit I did enjoy his turn as a sadistic, drug dealing dad in "Firstborn." Then there is the 1995 science fiction film "Screamers," a movie where Weller really comes into his own as a gruff, laconic soldier attempting to battle his way off a distant planet. Based on a book from the science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick, "Screamers" is definitely a low budget film, but it is one of the more effective B movies I have seen recently.

The age-old battle between management and labor finally erupts into open warfare when the corporations involved in mining operations on distant planets decide to strike back when miners refuse to work after a spate of radiation induced deaths. The managers--now formed into an economic bloc called the NEB--decided to retaliate with atomic strikes on mining bases on Sirius 6-B, thereby turning the planet into a desolate plain populated by increasingly diminishing numbers of soldiers on both sides. The commander of the "good" guys, if there are any good guys, is Hendricksson (Weller), a miner turned soldier rapidly tiring of the attrition warfare raging on the planet. A message that the war may soon be over allows Hendricksson and his men a brief respite from their miseries until a shuttle crash lands near their base. The only survivor of this mission tells Hendricksson some disturbing news about the situation on earth, information that contradicts what he thought he knew about the cease-fire. In an effort to discover just what in the heck is going on, Weller's character, with the survivor from the shuttle crash in tow, sets out across the planet's surface to meet with the leader of the enemy forces. It is a risky mission but a necessary one. If things go well, Hendricksson and his fellow soldiers may yet get off this miserable ball of dirt.

Significantly complicating matters are the screamers, nasty little pieces of military hardware cooked up on earth for the miners to use against the NEB forces. Essentially, these tools of death are small machines bristling with saws and razors that cruise beneath the soil looking for unprotected soldiers. Only a grunt wearing a special bracelet that sends an "I'm O.K." signal to the screamer will be safe; all others are fair game. Even worse, after some ten years in use the screamers have somehow mutated underneath the earth, so much so that even the miners know little about the devices anymore. Not only does Hendricksson have to trek through the dangerous landscape of Sirius-B, he also must worry about what the screamers are doing. By the way, the radiation levels on the planet are still so high that anyone venturing outside for an extended period of time must smoke a special type of cigarette to neutralize the toxins building up in the body. By the time Hendricksson reaches the enemy base he realizes things are going on that bode ill for himself and his men. Mutated screamers wiped out NEB headquarters except for three hardy souls who somehow managed to survive. When Hendricksson makes a horrible discovery about his own base, he resolves to get off the planet any way he can. The conclusion to the movie is well done, to say the least, as is the entire movie. I enjoyed "Screamers."

The movie is a lighter on the action than you would expect from a movie about an intergalactic war, and a little cheap on the set pieces, but director Christian Duguay wisely works within his budget to create a movie loaded with bleakness and despair. The snowy, desolate atmosphere of the nearly abandoned planet looks like it was shot on the dark side of the moon (it was Canada, apparently). The interior shots of the enemy base and the desperate escape the characters make from this fortress added even more claustrophobic mood to the movie. When the end of the film finally rolls around, you find yourself praying that Weller's character will escape from the planet and finally make his way back to earth. Throw in dashes of gory violence, the interesting effects work of the screamers, and Weller's hard-bitten performance and you have the makings of a minor cult classic. I have never read anything written by Philip K. Dick, so I cannot speak to the compatibility of this movie with the story it came from, but "Screamers" functions exceedingly well as a stand alone picture.

The DVD doesn't offer very many extras, unfortunately. Only a trailer for the film and a choice between fullscreen and widescreen presentations graces this disc. A commentary from Weller would have been nice but is not a necessity in order to enjoy the film. Watching "Screamers" makes me want to check out some of Philip K. Dick's books. I have heard great things about him, along with some weird things about his personal life, which gives me reason to believe reading some of his writings would be worthwhile. In the meantime, I will probably rewatch "Screamers" a time or two.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but it could have been better
Review: Philip K. Dick's short story ("Second Variety") was better. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad movie, but I wish they'd have stuck a little closer to the original story. I know, it would be difficult to have it as a Russia vs. USA war on Earth, but I thought the way they presented it was a bit weird. Peter Weller is great in his role, however, and overall, the acting was quite decent. But if you really want some good SF entertainment, buy PKD's short stories (buy the first few volumes, as they have the best stories --

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: Quick -- name a motion picture based on a short story by Philip K. Dick and starring a tough guy who played a killer cyborg in a previous hit movie.

If you guessed _Total Recall_, you're correct, but it's not the one I had in mind.

This one is nothing like _Total Recall_ (which was an excellent movie but wandered far -- or did it? think twice -- from Dick's 'We Can Remember It For You Wholesale'). The story here is straightforward and doesn't involve any questioning of the nature of reality -- though it does, at least obliquely, question the nature of the relationship between humans and machines.

Peter Weller (_Robocop_) is the big cahuna here, and he does an excellent job as the morose, taciturn, tough-as-nails, just barely likeable 'hero' of the piece. The situation: there's some sort of corporate war on, and there's a mining colony, and there's some disinformation, and there's a possibility none of the fine folks that work the mines will ever get home again. (The film is based loosely on Dick's 'Second Variety' but doesn't follow it in detail at all; for one thing, the story was set on Earth.)

And there are the Screamers.

I can't tell you much about them without spoiling the movie for you. I guess I can let you know that they are machines and that they are evolving. Beyond that . . . well, watch and see.

This is a gritty, taut movie, and it's mostly well executed. The cast do a fine job -- especially Roy Dupuis but also that kid who used to rollerblade around on _Caroline In The City_. Some of the tension is artificial but the plot keeps on developing to the very last moment of the film.

It's not great, but it's good. And in its way it's a faithful adaptation of the spirit of Dick's story, despite its major liberties with the details. That spirit has to do with the evolution of machines to the point that they're willing and able to kill one another, just like _real_ humans do. In that respect, the film is dark, pessimistic, and 'Dickian', and it bears up well under repeated viewings.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre sci-fi
Review: Screamers did have some potential to be a decent science fiction movie. In a nutshell, two factions have been fighting a long and brutal war on another planet. One side, the Alliance, developed mechanical weapons called Screamers, which dwell in the ground and cut up enemy troops from the New Economic Bloc. But what the Alliance does not realize is that the Screamers have become intelligent enough to not only build themselves, but to contstantly modify and improve themselves and even create human look alikes which recognizes all humans as enemies, and not just the NEBs.

There is some suspense as you wonder which character is a human and which is a Screamer. But it does not make much sense that a character that you later find out is a Screamer helped the humans previously repulse an attack by an army of "Davids", screamers that look like little boys. Why would it fight with the humans one day and then try to kill them the next? Logic gaps like this help to undermine the film.

Peter Weller's character mentions that the Screamers have an underground factory that no human has ever seen. It would have been good if the screenplay allowed for the surviving humans to find the factory. An interesting issue raised in this movie is that as machines become more human, they can also adopt our weaknesses and flaws. This occurs in the end when two Screames of the same model fight against each other because one of them has fallen in love with one of the humans. However, this ground was already covered in the superior film Blade Runner, wherein Rutger Hauer's Roy, the leader of the rogue replicants, shows that he is capable of empathy for the person who had been trying to kill him and saves his life.

I initially had no intention of seeing Screamers, but was encouraged to rent it based upon the number of positive reviews it had received below. While it is not an awful movie, it is not really worth going out of your way to see it.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but immensely flawed.
Review: Screamers features a game cast, some tense action/suspense scenes, but suffers from some poor effects (some were just downright laughable), one plot twist too many, and an ending that seemed a little too cliched for me. That's too bad because there was quite a bit going for it. I liked Peter Weller's performance, as he delivered a very good take. Jennifer Rubin is decent, and her good looks make it easier on everybody. Sci-fi fans might enjoy, who knows.

Rating:
Summary: Poor sci-fi thriller that could have been better
Review: Screamers is an interesting sci-fi thriller, and it does have a lot going for it for a while. There are some tense moments interspersed throughout the film, and it's a decent film for the first hour-and-a half. During that time span there's enough action, suspense, and relatively adequate acting and screenwriting to satiate undemanding fans of sci-fi and horror. Unfortunately, it all goes to hell in the finale. The last 20 minutes are so awful, filled with one unsurprising plot twist too many and featuring a badly directed and staged kung-fu catfight between two screamers that looks so campy you would swear you were watching a film that wasn't trying in the least bit to take itself seriously. The final scenes are also a misfire; it hints at the idea of a sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Quite good for a cheap Sci-fi
Review: SCREAMERS is that type of cheapo sci-fi film that is better than most big budget science fiction movies of its sort. It's loud, creepy, and sometimes very exciting.

Working from a short story by the genius of science fiction, Andrew K. Dick, SCREAMERS is the story about two warring companies that are fighting over the rights to mine a precious ore on a distant planet. However, thrown into the plot are a group of almost living machines called Screamers that are used as anti-personel weapons against the NEB groundsoldiers. But the screamers are learning how to upgrade themselves to dangerous levels, creating threats to their creators.

Peter Weller, better known as Robocop, does a very credible job as a Lieutenant left on the planet after the main war has ended. He is the right combination of Marlboro Man ruggedness and human passion that was needed for the role. Jennifer Rubens is pretty much wasted as a neutral gun runner whom is just trying to survive on the planet's radiation-torn surface. While most of the performances in the film scream (excuse the pun) B-movie, Weller rises above the material and proves that he is really a gifted actor.

Christian Duguay, who can't seem to get a solid break in Hollywood, directs with a very creepy and suspensful hand. Some of the imagery he creates is very dark and nasty, and you feel the dirtiness of the planet.

Despite some pretty cheest segments, SCREAMERS is a very good film considering its budget. It tends to be a bit repetitive after a while, but this is forgiven as a surprise every now and then breaks the cycle and elevates this film from being a truly schlocky B-movie. As you're watching it, you could see how with a couple of million more dollars and a better marketing campaign, this could've been a classic sci-fi movie that more people would've seen.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best low budget sci/fi flicks.
Review: Screamers takes the idea from Philip K. Dick's story "The Second Variety", and puts it on another planet set in the future. This is low budget, and with maybe a few million dollars this probably would outclass flashy "hip" sci/fi like The Matrix. The story is easy to follow, but it's very intriguing. If you go into this movie expecting tons of action... forget about that. The dialogue in the film is well done, and the atmosphere is pretty grim. Great acting as usual from Peter Weller (His best next to Naked Lunch). Roy Dupuis was not in this film for very long, but this was one of his best performances ever. You may remember him from the La Femme Nikita show on USA. In this movie he plays an N.E.B. solider who is like a cross between the Terminator, and Shakespeare. While many movies have cheap one liners, he uses famous quotes instead, giving this a more intelligent feel all around. This is creative low budget sci/fi, and not for all tastes.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best modern low budget sci/fi flicks.
Review: Screamers takes the idea from Philip K. Dick's story "The Second Variety", and puts it on another planet set in the future. Yes, this is low budget, but it works. Screamers is basically a post apocalyptic sci/fi film that fans of the genre should probably enjoy. Maybe if this film had a huge budget it could probably have outclassed even The Matrix. The story is easy to follow, but it's very intriguing. If you go into this movie expecting tons of action... forget about that. The dialogue in the film is well done, and the atmosphere is pretty grim. Great acting as usual from Peter Weller, our rugged hero on the desolate planet Sirius 6b. Roy Dupuis was not in this film for very long, but this was one of his best performances ever. You may remember him from the La Femme Nikita show on USA. In this movie he plays an N.E.B. solider who is like a cross between the Terminator, and Shakespeare. While many movies have cheap one liners, he uses famous quotes instead, giving this a more intelligent feel all around. This is creative low budget sci/fi, and not for all tastes.

Rating:
Summary: Great idea - lacked conveyance
Review: The concept of the movie is great because it gives a new flavor to the sci-fi scene. The movie starts off with the feeling of a B type movie, but some impressive cg shots make it A-grade just lacking depth. Screamers concepts are the machines that continue to evolve and deplete the human armies off the planet and hope to move onto earth which opens it up for a possible sequel that could have pulled this movie up from being bland, but I guess we are not going to see it in the near future.