The Faculty
3/4
Starring: Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Clea DuVall, Shawn Hatosy, Laura Harris, Jordana Brewster, Bebe Neuwirth, Jon Stewart, Robert Patrick, Piper Laurie, Famke Janssen
Rated R for Violence/Gore, Strong Language, Drug Use and Some Nudity
The goal of "The Faculty" is to do for sci-fi movies what "Scream" did to horror flicks, meaning crafting a legitimate entry while poking fun at its conventions. "The Faculty" shares the same screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, but lightning doesn't strike twice. The script isn't as knowing or witty, and Robert Rodriguez isn't as clever or, in this case, as skilled as Wes Craven.
That all being said, I still enjoyed the movie. It does have its moments, and the acting is strong. It's not a classic, nor is it even groundbreaking, but it is fun. Where else can you find respected actors like Bebe Neuwirth and Famke Janssen in a teenage horror movie?
Strange things are going on at Harrington High. The football coach, Joe Willis (Patrick), attacks Principal Drake (Neuwirth) late at night. The teachers are drinking water by the gallon and have undergone unusual personality changes. And the unusual behavior is spreading to other students. Now, Casey (Wood), the school geek, Delilah (Brewster), the school sexpot, Stan (Hatosy), the captain of the football team, Stokes (DuVall), the emo loner, Marybeth (Harris), the new girl, and Zeke (Hartnett), the school rebel, will have to find out what's going on before a group of aliens take over the world.
There are nearly a dozen important roles in this movie, so character development is at a minimum. But while none of these performances are Oscar-worthy, but they are effective. The teens are just as good as the adults, which gives the film balance. There isn't really anyone worth singling out, although Clea DuVall manages some scenes where she is not incredibly irritating (considering her lack of talent, that's an accomplishment).
Before "The Faculty," Robert Rodriguez was the new wonderboy of cinema. His career was built on much of the same territory as Quentin Tarantino; affectionate but skilled love letters to 70's genre movies (specifically westerns). His debut, "El Mariachi," was labeled as "the $7000 wonder," and both the sequel, "Desperado" and his next movie, "From Dusk til Dawn" were both successful. The pairing of Rodriguez and Williamson seems like a genre lovers dream, but it's kind of a disappointment. Neither is at their best, with Rodriguez particularly lacking. The film is frantically paced. A psychological thriller, which is really what this is until the final act, needs to be able to churn to get the creepiness up.
Still, "The Faculty" is fun.
Starring: Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Clea DuVall, Shawn Hatosy, Laura Harris, Jordana Brewster, Bebe Neuwirth, Jon Stewart, Robert Patrick, Piper Laurie, Famke Janssen
Rated R for Violence/Gore, Strong Language, Drug Use and Some Nudity
The goal of "The Faculty" is to do for sci-fi movies what "Scream" did to horror flicks, meaning crafting a legitimate entry while poking fun at its conventions. "The Faculty" shares the same screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, but lightning doesn't strike twice. The script isn't as knowing or witty, and Robert Rodriguez isn't as clever or, in this case, as skilled as Wes Craven.
That all being said, I still enjoyed the movie. It does have its moments, and the acting is strong. It's not a classic, nor is it even groundbreaking, but it is fun. Where else can you find respected actors like Bebe Neuwirth and Famke Janssen in a teenage horror movie?
Strange things are going on at Harrington High. The football coach, Joe Willis (Patrick), attacks Principal Drake (Neuwirth) late at night. The teachers are drinking water by the gallon and have undergone unusual personality changes. And the unusual behavior is spreading to other students. Now, Casey (Wood), the school geek, Delilah (Brewster), the school sexpot, Stan (Hatosy), the captain of the football team, Stokes (DuVall), the emo loner, Marybeth (Harris), the new girl, and Zeke (Hartnett), the school rebel, will have to find out what's going on before a group of aliens take over the world.
There are nearly a dozen important roles in this movie, so character development is at a minimum. But while none of these performances are Oscar-worthy, but they are effective. The teens are just as good as the adults, which gives the film balance. There isn't really anyone worth singling out, although Clea DuVall manages some scenes where she is not incredibly irritating (considering her lack of talent, that's an accomplishment).
Before "The Faculty," Robert Rodriguez was the new wonderboy of cinema. His career was built on much of the same territory as Quentin Tarantino; affectionate but skilled love letters to 70's genre movies (specifically westerns). His debut, "El Mariachi," was labeled as "the $7000 wonder," and both the sequel, "Desperado" and his next movie, "From Dusk til Dawn" were both successful. The pairing of Rodriguez and Williamson seems like a genre lovers dream, but it's kind of a disappointment. Neither is at their best, with Rodriguez particularly lacking. The film is frantically paced. A psychological thriller, which is really what this is until the final act, needs to be able to churn to get the creepiness up.
Still, "The Faculty" is fun.
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