Screamers

Rating:
Summary: Another Subpar Philip Dick Adaptation
Review: "Screamers" starring Peter Weller as Hendricksson, the commander of a lonely outpost on a planet far from Earth, is supposed to be a morality tale about the dangers of creating ever more sophisticated weapons with which to kill each other. Instead, it is a terse psuedo-action flick that becomes dreadfully predictable about half way in.

In "Screamers" a war has been dragging on for years between Earth forces and NEB forces. NEB stands for the New Economic Bloc. It is a profit-minded enterprise set up to mine an energy-rich planet. When the workers start dying, they refuse to continue mining. The substance they are mining is killing them with radiation poisoning. NEB eventually rains nuclear weapons down on them as a lesson to all other workers who might resist. When the people back on Earth find out what has happened they declare war against the NEB forces.

"Screamers" picks up ten years into the war. The war has settled down into a World War I like war of attrition. Hendricksson has received a request from the NEB forces commander to come to their location to work out a peace treaty.

And oh yeah, there are these mechanical devices on the planet that the inhabitants call "screamers". These robots were built by the Earth forces to defend against the NEBs. The Earth forces carry wristbands that protect them from the screamers. The screamers manufacturing process has been totally automated and no one knows how to shut it down. The screamers have learned how to build ever more sophisticated units and are now indiscriminately attacking Earth forces too.

To describe any more of the story would be to give away the heart of it. Suffice it to say, Hendricksson has to make a discovery and a decision late in the movie that is supposed to make you second guess the advanced weapons that we are currently researching. In reality the movie just makes you question why you wasted your time watching it.

I do give "Screamers" some points for doing something with an obviously limited budget. Director Christian Duguay has managed to create a feeling of otherworldliness and desolation, in Canada of all places. Plus the level of acting is far above what you would expect. Peter Weller has unfortunately been typecast in Hollywood and no longer receives parts worthy of his better than average acting abilities.

"Screamers" could have been a much better adaptation than it was. Then again, Hollywood has often missed the mark on Philip Dick adaptations.

Rating:
Summary: for insomniacs
Review: A handful of friends & I saw this at the theater when it was released. We saw it on opening day because the trailers were so awesome. We couldn't wait.

I swear, I don't think one of us managed to stay awake during the entire showing. Its like I guess we would have walked out, but we couldn't wake up. Not kidding. (You're probably thinking 'zonked' & you'd be right. But that can't account for all of us dozing off.)

I still don't remember how this movie ends, only that I never think a movie has put a group of people to sleep.

Rating:
Summary: Philip K. Dick Does It Again
Review: A movie that I rented this weekend was Screamers staring Peter Weller, Roy Dupuis and Jennifer Rubin. I was expecting some sort of monster movie but what I got was a bit different. Now I have to buy a copy.

Based on Philip K. Dick's short story Second Variety, this story plays on the theme of what is real. A mining colony on Sirius 6B went on strike because of radiation released by the mining operations. The company did not like that and the two have been at war for ten years. The miners managed to survive by creating screamers, underground flying buzz saws. Now the company wants peace. Both sides have found out that the war is a lie and want to band together. The trouble is the screamers have an automatic production facility and it has started turning out new versions.

Properly advertised this could have been a pretty big film, but it wasn't. Instead it was lost in obscurity. But if you like Philip K. Dick, the man behind Total Recall and Blade Runner, then you will get a kick out of this movie (and all of the surprise twists in the plot).

Rating:
Summary: Philip K. Dick Does It Again
Review: A movie that I rented this weekend was Screamers staring Peter Weller, Roy Dupuis and Jennifer Rubin. I was expecting some sort of monster movie but what I got was a bit different. Now I have to buy a copy.

Based on Philip K. Dick's short story Second Variety, this story plays on the theme of what is real. A mining colony on Sirius 6B went on strike because of radiation released by the mining operations. The company did not like that and the two have been at war for ten years. The miners managed to survive by creating screamers, underground flying buzz saws. Now the company wants peace. Both sides have found out that the war is a lie and want to band together. The trouble is the screamers have an automatic production facility and it has started turning out new versions.

Properly advertised this could have been a pretty big film, but it wasn't. Instead it was lost in obscurity. But if you like Philip K. Dick, the man behind Total Recall and Blade Runner, then you will get a kick out of this movie (and all of the surprise twists in the plot).

Rating:
Summary: A movie of blood and guts with lots of action and supprises.
Review: A planet where nothing is left but 2 sides fighting a war. When people from one side try to talk peace with the other they find they cannot trust anyone for "screamers" or robots that look just like humans have taken over everything.

Rating:
Summary: More barking than screaming
Review: Amiable Sci-Fi tosh set, surprise, surprise, on an inhospitable, barren planet. It's hard to follow the plot but there is some sort of war over mining rights and technological weapons have gone somewhat AWOL. The film's budget seems equivalent to a family outing to a burger joint but without side orders of chips. Not that that's a bad thing, it usually means we're in for some fun, and we are.

Hendricksson, played by Peter Weller and accompanied by the naive but likeable Jefferson, decides to trek to the enemy camp in search of a truce. During this journey, the redoubtable Weller seems to retreat into a world of his own, muttering to himself like a derelict in a park. What follows is an astonishing display of method incoherence not witnessed since Brando in 'Apocalypse Now'. "That used to be the most wonderful sophisticated prize in the galaxy. The answer to
the world's energy problem .... spoonful of Buranium(?) could take us from earth to Saturn in a day *mumble* thought we'd discovered gold, naked disc bombers *mumble* new economic block..." Goodness, what on Earth is he rabbiting on about? I know it's not Earth and it's perishingly cold but this is ridiculous. "Overall Neb's miners and scientists found radiation out of the ground <unintelligible drawl> Neb Corporation threatened our forces ... re-open ... standoff .. started Uranium *long mumble* disc bombs, chain bombs, bacterial crystals...decimated civilian survivors were evacuated and we held up in a bunker and been there ever since." Phew! Exasperated, Weller turns to Jefferson. "Jefferson, what am I saying?" Unsurprisingly, Jefferson's mouth hangs open and admits no sound. After all, a man with what looks like part of a commode stuck to his head has his own problems to contend with. But they are being stalked by funny burrowing creatures that look like moles or Speedy Gonzales with a prostate problem. Jefferson unwisely asks Hendricksson for an explanation as to their origin. "They are scavengers *mumble* rotting meat gives off methane gas, gas is fuel. Hell, I don't know. Eyeball jelly makes handy blade wax." Yes, with leadership like this, the alliance could be in big trouble.

After a little local difficulty, our heroes reach the enemy camp where they are confronted by more helmets rejected by Darth Vader for being too silly. Amongst them is a soldier who chews the scenery as well as his dog tags, a chap called Becker who insists on bulging his eyes like a fish while talking like Snake Plissken and a fetching young lady who strips off and lathers herself while having an innocuous conversation with Hendricksson. Hey, so who needs a salary?

By now, the quirky meets clueless direction has won you over. It's sort of like an old Charles Band flick that's wandered into Irwin Allen's 'Time Tunnel' series. The camerawork is a sort of sci-fi John Cassavetes gone wrong and is rather fascinating after a while. The set up hopes someone walks into frame and when they do, the camera adjusts itself like a rehearsal, occasionally panning in, then out again or jumping from side to side as it feels fit. Perhaps the camera itself is a screamer, internally improving itself as the film progresses, or lurches which is a more accurate description.

The climax is laugh out loud funny, with at least three surprise twists that are not so much twists as whirling Dervishes. Is it enough to make the film cult? A couple of poignant ideas are rather lost in the mix of froth and fromage.

Rating:
Summary: Easy To Miss The Point
Review: Another reviewer here attributes the story on which this movie is based to "Andrew K. Dick". Well, at least he got it part right. Philip K. Dick wrote a short story called Second Variety a few decades ago, and it is on his interesting idea that this movie is based.

Philip K. Dick has been adapted before. Movies like Blade Runner [Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?], Total Recall [We Can Remember It For You Wholesale], and in summer 2002 The Minority Report [same title] have thrilled audiences while not remaining entirely faithful to Dick's ideas [especially Total Recall, in which Paul Verhoven took huge liberties]. Screamers holds to the idea, but not the setting, of Dick's story. To understand this story you must understand the context and what was on Dick's mind: The US and USSR [keep in mind the time of writing] have finally done it. They have finally blown each other up, and the remnants on earth fight it out in a style reminiscent of WWI. The US develops mechanized standoff weapons called Claws [the Screamers of the movie] which kill in an indiscriminate fashion. US troops are protected by wrist bands which ward off the Claws. Because the Claws are built in wholly mechanized factories, Dick takes them to another level - that of designing new weapons of their own. The obvious happens: US and Soviet armies alike are now targets. The clever, signature Philip K. Dick twist comes when the protagonist of the story finally recognizes the fact that these mechanized killing machines, just as we humans, have developed the means to start killing each other. What irony.

This movie's telling is small, yes, and it is low budget. The story does not need glitz and special effects. The story, in order to be understood, requires perspective and a recognition of what is actually being examined. Human folly is the tale here, and it is fairly well told. Enjoy this story.

Rating:
Summary: This is one of the greatest movies of all time!
Review: Atmosphere is the first word to come to mind. Some of the most interesting sets ever imagined can be seen in this film from a long abandoned mining colony that is falling apart to an underground labyrinth of catwalks and dark passages this movie treats your sensations. The characters complement one another perfectly and their diversity is refreshing. The special effects are few and far between but when they appear the're show stoppers. The smaller mettalic screamers are perfect examples of the wonderful CG. The plot twists and turns while maintaining a steady course to it's surprising ending which will make you think for quite awhile. Overall, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen and would highly recommend it to anyone, especially someone who likes Sci-Fi.

Rating:
Summary: Good movie on a budget
Review: Based on a Phillip K. Dick story (the writer of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," which was the background for "Blade Runner") this movie delivers, but suffers because of the apparently tight budget. Some scenes in here reminded me of the original "Star Trek" episodes, where the production crew had to become quite inventive to get effects on an almost non-existing budget.

So, movies low on money have to rely on their scripts and on good actors, and "Screamers" has both. The story and its subplots could serve for three movies and especially Peter Weller showed a superb performance here. Generally there are some weaknesses, but they can be forgiven, if you allow yourself to get into the story.

If you have enough of FX loaded movies that cover their thin plot with a multitude of explosions, then give it a try.

Rating:
Summary: Good movie on a budget
Review: Based on a Phillip K. Dick story (the writer of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," which was the background for "Blade Runner") this movie delivers, but suffers because of the apparently tight budget. Some scenes in here reminded me of the original "Star Trek" episodes, where the production crew had to become quite inventive to get effects on an almost non-existing budget.

So, movies low on money have to rely on their scripts and on good actors, and "Screamers" has both. The story and its subplots could serve for three movies and especially Peter Weller showed a superb performance here. Generally there are some weaknesses, but they can be forgiven, if you allow yourself to get into the story.

If you have enough of FX loaded movies that cover their thin plot with a multitude of explosions, then give it a try.