Actuarial Science Movie Reviews

This episode, at the chronicle's half-way point, proves conclusively that Roughnecks should rightfully be considered
a Science Fiction landmark.
Forget the awkwardly conceived Starship Troopers film, this is
true Heinlein. In fact, for a computer animated "cartoon" series, there is more interesting detail, depth and characterization then is normally encountered in most normal
TV and film fare. Why the creators of Roughnecks have not already been voted at least one Hugo award for their efforts is
a ridiculous lapse in judgement -- especially considering the
absurd awarding of Harry Potter.

Roughnecks is the mini-series I imagined possible when I first
saw the Sexy Robot American Can commercial on television over 20
years ago. Let's hope there's much more to come from these folks; the makers of Final Fantasy have a lot to learn from them!

This was one of my favorite campaigns for the series. My favorite episode is in it. It is the one with the huge Jungle Spider picking everyone off. Then Rico is forced to help T'Phai. They Recover the team and everything is well.

I watched the whole series on tv and on dvd and I liked all of it. However the dvd series is missing some vital episodes that was shown on tv that is not in the dvd series. One of them is a segment of episodes that they are stranded on an astreoid, Zander is sick from a strange virus, the firefryes on the asteroid, and realizing that the asteroid is in reality a bug in a dorment statious. Not to mention an episode that they look for the queen that is on a transport but on it's way to Terran that is supposed to be last episode in the Klendathue Campain. You see there are some episodes that are not on dvd that are suposed to be with the series that are not with it. I would also like to know when the grand fanally of the series is going to come up in who is going to win the war between the bugs and the Roughnecks. now that is a fanally I want to see.

Last year I made a discovery... MST3K. Well, not really, I'd been watching the episodes for years. I only became VERY interested last year because I discovered Rhino had started issuing the MST episodes on DVD and including the original unedited films on the flip-side of the disks. The first four episodes Rhino put on DVD, I Accuse My Parents, Red Zone Cuba, Mitchell and Manos had lacked this feature and I had not been interested in getting those.

As a collector of odd-ball films I own a ton (many of them are Rhino tapes), but when Rhino started putting out double-sided DVD disks I became a died-in-wool MST collector too because for me the MSTied versions are like really, really good commentary tracks added to the disks. They are the kind of commentary tracks that all good DVD commentary tracks should aspire to be!

But now I discovered beginning with MST3K - Collection Volume 2, Rhino has reverted to the old practice of only one-sided disks!! Shame!! Tragedy!! On top of that, they've left the retail price in the same ballpark as the first collection which contained both versions of each film!

Oh yeah, I've read posts from others, "Rhino doesn't need to put the un-MSTied versions on the disks, those films are not worth viewing anyway! TRUE MST fans only want the MST episodes, blah, blah, blah…" Well, here is one person who is really saddened that Rhino has lowered the value of their disks (and not lowered the price!) Shame!

Who was the marketing genius at Rhino who dreamed this one up? I think there are other folks like me who enjoyed having the original films on the disks. I thought Rhino staff were people who (like me) who had a genuine love for off-beat cinema! Maybe Rhino has marketing-types running the show at company headquarters now instead of people who have a love for the product.

Here's the short version: Rhino won me over by putting out MST WITH the uncut films. Yes I'm still a big MST fan, but when allocating scarce dollars I will think twice about what gets purchased first. You know what? I don't own any of the single-sided disks. Rhino can sit on 'em! I'll buy them when they show up in the $5 cut-out bins.

Pisstified in S.F.,

Bob Burns

Rhino continues producing MST3K boxed sets, and I can't thank them enough. They foster my MST collecting habit with each release. I adore the boxed sets and recommed them for any devoted MiSTie. That said, on to the Film Blecch in this set.

Angels Revenge (bad puctuation not mine): a blatant, charm-free Charlie's Angels poser. The 'angels' aren't even remotely attractive, but they use their womenly wiles to bring down the drug trade. The real surprise in this one is the --ahem-- famous names, like Jim Backus, Alan Hale (he's shown up in a BUNCH of MST-treated flicks), and good heavens--Mr. Haney. Summary: cheesy 70s T&A theme flick, with as little story as possible, so as not to burden the audience. A dippy teacher rounds up a model, a scary stuntwoman, a lousy Vegas singer, and some other person to defeat the pushers. This one takes more than one viewing to enjoy the jokes, because it is JUST that bad.

Cave Dwellers: Rhino was smart to package this movie in the set that houses its sibling, Pod People. This cinematic train wreck has the same jumbled production values of Pod People--you'll recognize it immediately. Signature element: scenes from some other movie play behind the opening credits. Cave Dwellers gave Miles O'Keefe a set of fringed boots, a tiny loincloth, and not much else. You will HOWL during the host segment when Joel & the Bots do a half-screen action sequence of the guy with the fruity hat.
Summary: ?? go to the ends of the earth, and you still won't get what this turkey is about. Images not to be missed: Ator & Thong's fight with invisible monsters, Ator hangliding, and the scene with the "Most Attractive Man of the Middle Ages--MY MY MY!" Ultimately, there is a short bit of the actual Cave Dwellers, but the film has zero to do with them. ??

Pod People: HUZZAH! A real crapfest, complete with a bargain basement Alf wannabe. Can you imagine the pitch for this film? I think it must've gone like this: let's have a cuddly but murderous alien, a bad rock band, a weird mountain family with a poorly dubbed child, and OH! for extra spice, POACHERS! If this leaves you saying, "What the hell?" -- you are ready to watch the movie.
Summary: cuddly Alf-like killers inconvenience a bad rock group's weekend in the mountains.

Shorts, Vol 1: the best Shorts volume, IMHO. This set of shorts has actual hosting by Tom and includes The Home Economics Story, Junior Rodeo Daredevils, Body Care & Grooming (they're cops!), Cheating, A Date with Your Family, and Why Study Industrial Arts? A Date with Your Family is my personal favorite--"A violent argument erupts over whose day was more pleasant." This short couldn't get any whiter if it tried. Life in the 50s as introduced to us by the MST cast!

A great boxed set--pop the popcorn and get ready for cinema's disasters to spin in your player. A must for MST collectors, and even the box design is cute!

It was certainly a brilliant move on Rhino's part to include two of the very best episodes of MST3K, "Pod People" and "Cave Dwellers" in one collection. There would have only been 2 ways to make it even better.

1. To have also included another great episode, and one of my personal favorites, "Manos: The Hands Of Fate".

2. Instead of the rather dull and uninspired "Angels Revenge", they could have included the much funnier and lesser known "Incredible Melting Man"...which was the best of the Mike Nelson episodes (in my opinion of course).

But you can't have it all. And this collection is the best of the bunch, so far. and what you lose by having "Angels Revenge", you make up for by having the delightful "Shorts" disk, a feature of the show that was always a highlight.

I freely admit that in my opinion the show was never the same when original host and series creator Joel Hodgson left, but the show remained a laugh-out-loud study in sarcasim. and i never get tired of reliving old times with Crow, Tom Servio and the rest of the guys on the Satellite Of Love.

that really sums it up. These aren't the 4 best mst3k movies, but they'll still make you laugh.
Bloodlust stars Robert Reed(brady bunch dad) and not much else. Clincher is when the other guy gets refered to as the techie, and also complains that computer haven't been invented yet(the guy's a total nerd)
Sykdivers stars the sky in it's best performance yet.. and some people jumping out of planes. Once again the title of the film says it all. Don't expect a plot, just sky diveing. Somehow it's suppose to be a movie but feels more like a skydiving documentery. Clincher is the bar scene, which didn't fit into the moive.
Catalina Caper stars adults pretending to be kids, and of course creepy girl. Clincher is of course creepy girl song. It has a 60's Disney feel. yep it's lame.
The creeping Terror stars an alien with a long rug trailing behind it. This movie was so bad that before mst3k got it, it was overdubbed with a narrator, cause the acting is just that bad. Clincher is the dance scene. Ten minutes of a dance hall ends eventually with the creeping terror actually eating everyone, and not one person runs!! This is the best of the 4 movies.

This is a great set with a wide variety of film genres getting the MST3K treatment. Bloodlust is a gruesome remake of the Most Dangerous Game, Catalina Caper is a Tommy Kirk beach romp with some intentional "comedy", The Creeping Terror is possibly the worst and lowest budget monster-on-the-loose picture ever made, and The Skydivers is a Coleman Francis (doesn't that say it all?) "drama" involving some skydivers, a love-triangle gone awry and lots of cups of coffee from the same guy who brought us Beast of Yucca Flats. A great selection for both the long-term MST3K fan or someone just wanting to check out the show for the first time. Catalina Caper is worth it alone, as this comes from the legendarily hilarious second season of the show; when you hear Tom Servo singing "Creepy Girl" you'll know why MST3K is possibly the funniest show ever to be on television.

If you want a prime example of what it means to be a "cult classic" television series, MST3K is it. It even has a following that is very similar to Monty Python's Flying Circus. The show is loved by so many people all over the country. It was only a matter of time when we'd see some of these shows put into volume sets. "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume 1" is an excellent set with some very funny shows.

Who would've thought that the perfect instruments of torture could be B movies? Well, we quickly learn that this is possible with the show. MST3K is all about a man (either Joel Hodgson or Mike Nelson) and his robots being forced to watch some of the worst movies ever created. In the process, they wisecrack their way through every single one of them. It is a talent to admire, as many of us can do the same thing; however, many of us cannot get the same hilarious results as these guys do.

The set includes the movies "Bloodlust," "Catalina Caper," "The Creeping Terror," and "The Skydivers." The best ones are "Bloodlust" and "The Skydivers," as they are really lousy movies; meaning that the boys are able to come up with some hilarious lines and observations. You also have the chance to see these films without the MST3K crew (why in the world would you want to subject yourself to that??!!). Theatrical trailers for the movies are also available on the DVDs.

This is a wonderful show that is brilliantly clever and fresh. It will always remain a favorite of mine, that's for sure. "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume 1" is a treat to have and a joy to watch. You'll be watching each episode over and over again. A MUST for MST3K fans all around.

I'd like to thank those who took time to write
reviews for this flick; they were so positive
that I took the chance and was well rewarded.
This movie is just a 'sleeper', pure and simple.
The same thing happened with that other David Twohy
classic, Pitch Black. Twohy knows his stuff, knows
how to make a really really solid sci-fi movie.
There are great special effects here (mostly towards
the end), but this little gem has such good character development,
fine acting, pace etc., that
special effects (which I love when well done) aren't
important to the success of this film. I'll put it this
way: there is a sea of Sci-Fi out there- I'll take
more of this!
At the very least rent this and see for yourself.

AFTER BEING A SCI FI FAN FOR MANY DECADES AND SEEING MANY SCI FI FILMS.THIS ONE THE ARRIAL,THE FIRST ONE WITH CHARLIE SHEEN,NOT THE TAG ALONG ARRIVAL 2 WHICH IS OK .THE ARRIVAL IS FAR ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER VIEWED.THE STUDIO'S RECENT ATTEMPT'S LIKE MISSION TO MARS AND THE RED PLANET ARE A BAD BAD ATTEMPT.HAVE YOU VIEWED THESE.THEY SHOULD AT LEAST MAKE THEM UNDERSTANDABILE AND VIEWABILE WITH A DECENT PLOT.ALTHOUGH PITCH BLACK AND SOME ARE GOOD.IF YOU ARE A SCI FI FAN AND YOU DONT HAVE THE ORIGINAL 1996 VERSION OF ARRIVAL YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE MISSING.AD ASTRA

Writer/director David Twohy accomplished the near-impossible in the summer of 1996; he delivered a fun, fast-paced AND intelligent sci-fi thriller with The Arrival, an intriguing, thought-provoking film that was unfairly ignored in theaters at the time of its release (most viewers chose to see Twister, M:I, Independence Day). The movie has a classic premise, featuring a radio astronomer (Charlie Sheen) who receives a signal from outer space that may or may not have come from extraterrestrial life.

To say anymore would be unforgivable, as Twohy packs in believable twists and turns throughout the plot, which is fun without insulting the brain, and complex without ever bogging down in mind-numbing confusion. The script does have a few head-scratchers here and there (I was particularly miffed that Lindsay Crouse's character, an environmentalist, wasn't familiar with the concept of terraforming) and some contrivances, but they're hardly bothersome and aren't noticeable until a second viewing.

As good a screenwriter as Twohy is, he's even more adept as a director (further proven by Pitch Black, a superbly crafted deep-space thriller with a script not even half as smart as The Arrival's). With great pacing and precise editing, Twohy builds momentum with each discovery Sheen unfolds, until it culminates to an edge-of-the-seat climax that's quite satisfying (unlike...cough...cough..."V: the Final Battle", Independence Day).

The cast is all-around effective, with Sheen delivering a surprisingly terrific performance as the paranoid astronomer. It's great to see an intelligent protagonist who thinks his way out of tight jams, rather than shooting and blowing up everything in sight. No one else gets half of Sheen's screentime, but Ron Silver is nicely ambiguous as his boss, and Teri Polo, however underused, is fine as Sheen's girlfriend. Lindsay Crouse also makes a good impression as an environmentalist studying some strange activity.

On a technical level, some sci-fi fans might be a little disappointed. Those weaned on "V" and ID4 will notice the lack of large-scale special effects. Sorry, no disc-shaped motherships here. Still, the visuals present are mostly decent, certainly passable enough that they don't become a distraction to the plot. Despite the use of CGI in its more primitive stages (this was '96, after all) the effects are still occasionally excellent and imaginative, such as the spherical object those tight-lipped men wield. Composer Arthur Kempel's score adds a bit more tension to the already excruciating suspense, and evokes a creepy atmosphere during the film's quieter moments.

Remember, folks, The Arrival is a rarity, a once in a while example of how pure movie magic can be created when we've got dedicated filmmakers who want to intrigue the audience rather than catering to demographics just for the sake of box office returns. Forget Independence Day, The War of the Worlds, or V and its sequel, The Arrival is the most satisfying depiction of alien invasion to date (note: Signs is actually an overall better film than The Arrival, but that picture was mostly a microcosmic look at a possible alien invasion, and was not necessarily in and of itself about the existence of aliens).
**** 1/2 out of *****

Last year I made a discovery... MST3K. Well, not really, I'd been watching the episodes for years. I only became VERY interested last year because I discovered Rhino had started issuing the MST episodes on DVD and including the original unedited films on the flip-side of the disks. The first four episodes Rhino put on DVD, I Accuse My Parents, Red Zone Cuba, Mitchell and Manos had lacked this feature and I had not been interested in getting those.

As a collector of odd-ball films I own a ton (many of them are Rhino tapes), but when Rhino started putting out double-sided DVD disks I became a died-in-wool MST collector too because for me the MSTied versions are like really, really good commentary tracks added to the disks. They are the kind of commentary tracks that all good DVD commentary tracks should aspire to be!

But now I discovered beginning with MST3K - Collection Volume 2, Rhino has reverted to the old practice of only one-sided disks!! Shame!! Tragedy!! On top of that, they've left the retail price in the same ballpark as the first collection which contained both versions of each film!

Oh yeah, I've read posts from others, "Rhino doesn't need to put the un-MSTied versions on the disks, those films are not worth viewing anyway! TRUE MST fans only want the MST episodes, blah, blah, blah…" Well, here is one person who is really saddened that Rhino has lowered the value of their disks (and not lowered the price!) Shame!

Who was the marketing genius at Rhino who dreamed this one up? I think there are other folks like me who enjoyed having the original films on the disks. I thought Rhino staff were people who (like me) who had a genuine love for off-beat cinema! Maybe Rhino has marketing-types running the show at company headquarters now instead of people who have a love for the product.

Here's the short version: Rhino won me over by putting out MST WITH the uncut films. Yes I'm still a big MST fan, but when allocating scarce dollars I will think twice about what gets purchased first. You know what? I don't own any of the single-sided disks. Rhino can sit on 'em! I'll buy them when they show up in the $5 cut-out bins.

Pisstified in S.F.,

Bob Burns

Make some popcorn and get ready to laugh! John Carradine mailed in his horrible performance in "The Unearthly". Thor the wrestler (you might remember him from Plan 9 From Outer Space)outdid his role by actually having four lines in the whole movie!
"Sidehackers" is a real hoot! It's such a stinker it should come with a clothes pin for your nose. The bots are in rare form! I loved the "Shorts" the best. My stomach hurt from laughing so hard! Thanks for the fun guys!

MST3K is the best show on the TV today...Thank you Sci Fi...I have been watching this show whenever I get the chance and now that you can buy them on DVD is just great...Vol 3 is one of the better MST3K releases on DVD...The three movies are absolutely horrid but the hosts make you laugh so hard that you don't care anymore.."The Atomic Brain" is so mixed up with weird images and inept plot twists you can't help but shake your head and wonder how this ever got released..."The Unearthly" turns into a "Tor" celebration of sorts and Mr. Carradine just shines in this one..."Sidehackers" is pretty much a bomb after the opening credits... and the boys have a good time adding their comments to all three movies to our delight...I think the best of the disc set is the "Shorts"..."What To Do On a Date" and "A Day at the Fair" are pure hokey Americana in the 50's but Mike and the bots go the extra mile in making me laugh while watching these,they are a scream..."Last Clear Chance" is about car safety and trains, a cop bothers this farm family with advice to the new driver and it is very funny with Mike,Crow and Tom Servo ad libs...
A very good collection I thought,buy it today and laugh for a month...

Needless to say, Alien and Aliens (the first two movies) are the true gems here, but that's only 44% of this package. I'm surprised there are 3 discs dedicated exclusively to the third movie, Alien 3, which is more than half the black sheep of the series (the rest of that sheep being the 4th). I guess there's more about Alien 3 here just because they had more material to stuff in the package for it, which has absolutely no correlation with what real state each of the movies is worth. Interestingly, even though there are 3 DVD's for the third, there's no director's commentary for it. I guess that's related to something I've read online, that Fincher openly disowns Alien 3. For some hard core fans this package might represent a good deal. I regard myself as a hard core fan... but only for the first two movies. So I'll skip the stones, will wait for the separate releases of the jewels.

Looking at these "reviews" I felt the need to comment. Many fans of the series have known about this set since earlier this year. This DVD set is nothing short of a miracle and was a labor of love, made for the fans by fans of the films. There are complaints about Fox's "Double Dipping". This simply isn't so. This DVD set was made only because one person wanted to show the world what Alien 3 could've & should've been before Fox's suits stepped in and made director David Finch's life a living hell. What he got was a package deal that he had to do Special Editions of all four films and a project that lasted about a year. The specs listed above are not entirely accurate. The ALIEN: Director's Cut is actually 2 minutes shorter than the Theatrical Version. I Also believe the Anamorphic specs to be incorrect. For those complaining they don't want to be have to buy all four films remade in this manner, all four films will be released sometime early next year separately as 2 disc Special Editions. The 9th disc, however, will only be available in this Quadrilogy set.

You (almost) can't ask for more! All four films of this landmark and trendsetting sci-fi/horror series, including theatrical and extended versions of each of these unique films plus countless hours of behind the scenes footage and stills creates what can only be described as one of the most, if not THE most, definitive DVD collection available!

Too bad, then, that there are glaring omissions in this otherwise superb offering. Why is it, for instance, that there are apparently no interviews, commentary or featurettes with Sigourney Weaver?? Without her, the series would be infinitely less accessible and interesting. Her role in "Alien" was a groundbreaking, gender-bending eye-opener, and her Oscar-nominated performance in "Aliens" was equally revolutionary.

Second, why was "The Alien Legacy" substituted for "The Alien Saga"? The latter, narrated by John Hurt of "Alien," was a spectacular and riveting analysis of the making of each film in the series and their relevance. It provides a wonderful, insightful bookend for the series, and includes interviews with the principals, including Weaver!

Lastly, while some featurette material focuses on H.R. Giger, I wonder if it's too little? This master's imprint on the series - and subsequent sci-fi/fantasy films in general - is indelible and unmistakable. His creepy-yet-beautiful artistry not only created arguably the most memorable creature in film history, but supplied the wondrous alien environments as well. Directors come and go, but his influence was omnipresent throughout the series and should not be overlooked.

I mention these shortcomings simply because they're glaring in such a stupefyingly comprehensive collection. This is a must-own for me and should be for any serious fan of film. Twentieth Century Fox is to be commended for a collection that truly honors the series' fans and film connoisseurs in general.

Kneale's script, Guest's direction and the talents of the key players combine to create a sense of wonder and mystery that is often attempted, but rarely brought to the screen as successfully and as forcefully as this. We don't know till the end what "may lie in the high valleys", but we are artfully exposed to every philosophy concerning the desire of man to see, as head porter Qusang says, "What man must not see". The head Lhama (Arnold Marle) feels this knowledge should be left alone to run its own course, Rolleson (Cushing
) wishes to study it for the advancement of mankind, the American adventurers (Forrest Tucker and Robert Brown) want to exploit it for personal gain, Rolleson's wife advocates a healthy fear of it and the impressionable McNee is driven to madness in an attempt to understand it; something for everyone. Add an evocative score and this one amounts to nothing less than cinamatic genious. Don't miss it!!

I am an old movie buff and this one ranks right up at the top of my list of favorites. It is funny how your perception changes over the years. I remember this movie scaring the bejesus out of me as a child. Now, I appreciate the quality of the film making and am really awed by the fact that this film was made prior to all the special effects technology. The acting had to be superb during the 50s because the effects were so limited. This movie definitely delivers the solid acting. It pulls your emotions into the story and has you loving, hating, and wanting to throttle the various characters.

I love the psychological tension. You do not have to see the yeti to be afraid. You sense he is always lurking just outside the camera's view. I prefer that to special effects wizardry in creating monsters. I much prefer the psychological tension to the visual scare.

This movie is well worth the cost of the DVD. Order your copy today and refresh your appreciation for the old movies that pre-date special effects wizardry.

The move Abominable Snowman was one I remembered seeing on late night tv back when they used to show great older movies on lots of local stations. What I like about the movie is it doesnt depend on a lot of special effects , it has atmosphere and a couple pretty good actors in Forrest Tucker and Peter Cushing. The movie has some suspense , some science fiction and a tiny bit of horror. It is a film the whole family can watch without worrying about foul language or nudity. Great for a late night movie with plenty of popcorn.

Though not an unflawed work like Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY was, the 1969 sci-fi drama MAROONED manages to overcome its obvious flaws. The film concerns itself with the crew of Ironman One who, after having spent seven months in a converted Apollo capsule (a precursor to Skylab and the international space station) to test Man's endurance in space, find themselves trapped in their capsule some 300 miles above Earth when the craft's retro-rockets refuse to fire. This forces NASA to try and mount a last-ditch rescue effort before the oxygen inside Ironman gives out and the crew suffocate. Complications involve having to launch the rescue craft through the eye of a hurricane passing over the Florida launch site, but the rescue pilot (David Janssen) gets some unexpected help from a Russian cosmonaut orbiting in a nearby Voshkod spacecraft.

MAROONED is, as I've said, not an unflawed film. The dialogue that the fine cast, which includes Gregory Peck, Richard Crenna, and Gene Hackman, has to deal with is arguably quite banal. Another complication that arises is that the film's director, John Sturges, was better known for his work in the western genre (including THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN) and was thus not totally comfortable in the sci-fi genre. The third problem is that the special effects, which won a justly deserved Oscar in 1969, are obviously dated in ways in which those of "2001" aren't.

As a pre-cursor of things to come, however, MAROONED is unbelievably prescient. The film was released in December 1969. Four months later, in April 1970, the film's situation was echoed almost directly by the real-life saga of Apollo 13, whose three-man crew was almost stranded permanently in space when one of their oxygen tanks exploded on their way to the Moon. And like the 1995 film APOLLO 13, MAROONED shows NASA trying to come up with the right solutions to a very difficult situation. On that score alone, even though thirty years of cinematic advancements have rendered it dated to a certain degree, MAROONED still has considerable weight to it.

This represents a look into the inner workings of the space program. It's an insight into the types of decisions people must make under extraordinary circumstances. This is one of the best depictions of the Apollo program until Ron Howard's, Apollo 13. I too saw this film during its first release and it has influenced my support for our space program from a very early age to this day. I'm very pleased that a DVD is finally being released!!! I have not been "fortunate" enough to see the MST3K version of it but I hear it was harsh. Please don't let this be your only exposure to this good film. The technical accuracy and level of detail alone should be praised. Also the actors could not have been better suited for their roles.

Hopefully, Columbia will do a nice job in transferring this classic space opera -- much maligned on release, and unfairly parodied on "Mystery Science Theater 3000." If you were fortunate enough to see it in its original run, on the huge theater screen (which were twice the size of the biggest ones now), you remember what an impact this film had. Too many critics unfairly compared it to "2001", but they're obviously two different kinds of films -- this wasn't an art-house head trip, but a straigtforward sci-fi epic entertainment, and it hit its intended mark dead on. Great film, with terrific performances.

This is a boldly experimental film that has only the merest of plots. Along with Sex, Lies and Videotape, Schizopolis highlights Steve Soderbergh's talent as an alternative director, before he settled into a more conventional and less interesting style. It's difficult to describe this movie or compare it to anything else, which is refreshing. This is one of the few films that is truly unique. If it must be characterized, I suppose you could call it a broad satire on modern life. There is a cult called Eventualism that is a connecting thread. A significant point is that this Scientology-like cult, whose leader is played by Soderbergh (who also has another role as a dentist), is no more ridiculous than anything else in the film. Everything, from the sitcommish way a husband greets his wife after work to office politics is reduced to absurdity. If there is a message here, it may be that the line separating the ordinary from the bizarre is razor thin. There is something disconcerting about seeing everyday conversations transformed into non sequiturs. In one scene, people spontaneously start talking Chinese. In others, they simply talk nonsense. As in a David Lynch film, people's very identities are subject to change. Is reality really as solid and reliable as we normally assume? While some people will find this simply confusing and pointless, if you let yourself get into the mood, it will make you think. If you have an offbeat sense of humor, it will also make you laugh.

I got it finally after the, oh, fifteenth viewing.

Soderbergh is dissecting himself.

The bug guy is his wannabe-wild-and-zany-lady's man side who wants fame and other meglomania and when he gets what he wants, it's all about violence and being a rebel.

The guy with the striped socks is his always-trying-to-make-a-smart-and-philosophical-deep-comment side.

Him and his (ex)wife have affairs with each other when they put on glasses as if to say they aren't really attracted to each other unless they play a role.

First time I saw this film, I was living in Memphis and my girlfriend at the time wanted to take naked pictures of me in a small cardboard box (because she thought it would be funny to see me "boxed in") for a photography class. I told her the only way that would happen is if she bought me a twelve pack or a couple bottles of wine and I rented a movie. I grabbed this one and I never noticed her taking the pictures (Yes, I watched this movie naked and drunk in a small cardboard box. The pictures are hilarious.)

Another side note: The guy sitting at the counter in front of the camara when the Number 1 comes out owns this bar I go to too much.

By far, my favorite movie of all time. Well, unless you want to include Aguirre Wrath of God or some other movie I find genius in. Or that you find genius in as well. I don't mean to be diminutive to your opinions or feelings.

Ok, I'll shut up now.

... In a world like we live in, films like Schizopolis need to be spread far and wide.

There really is kind of a plot to this film. Steven Soderbergh, who directed and wrote this film, stars in it as well. An employee who writes speeches for a cult known as Eventualism dies suddenly, and Soderbergh's characater is assigned the task of saving the organization with a new speech, part of which must follow the rules set out in the title of the review.

Along the way hilarity ensues. The more I watch the film the more I see and the more my mind spins that anyone thought this up and was able to put it together coherently. To me one of the biggest targets of the film is language. There are characters who speak in substitute words: "Hoodwink scatterbox? Hasty landmine?" "Ambassador jumpsuit landmine.", scenes where the characters speak in generalizations (mentioned in Tom Keogh's review), and the whole last act that replays many scenes in the first act and brings together actions from the second act (where both main characters switch bodies into other characters that are lookalikes), but with Soderbergh's character dubbed in three different languages. And you know what? It doesn't matter because you still know exactly what's going on and you don't really care what they actually say, because it's all damn funny in the process.

There is the layer of social commentary as well. TV talk shows where the host is so bored he visualizes naked tree cutting, naked man on a bike (there must be something to comment on there), cult followers of Eventualism, paranoia of the mole, reverse female weight desire, ripping tags off of mattresses, loyalty to your company and projects...the whole thing has to be seen to believed.

In my opinion this film is far cleverer and funny than 95% of the comedies being produced today. Definitely funnier than anything involving Julia Roberts falling down multiple times. Challenge yourself to a new experience and check this one out. It's one of a kind.

At first this movie seemed to be B class at best. While it an A- at best it diffenately was worth the time. The acting could have been a little better at times, but the story is where this movie shows its glory. What I'm saying is the 'RETROACTIVE' parts of the movie...you'll see. It gets more and more interesting as the movie goes on. A must for any Sci-Fi fan.

Belushi sort of soups up this very interesting flick about temporary time travel. As with any time travel movie, it leaves you guessing as to the consequences and basic physics of supposed time travel,....but it also contains a sort of theme. The main character is on the road when she hooks up with Belushi,...they then go crazy and without ruining the plot of a movie you should definatel see alot of action and time travellig occur in a desperate attempt to make right what went wrong. Definately rewatchable.

Retroactive stars the unbelievably hot Kylie Travis as a cop who keeps going back in time to relive a disastrous situation with a psychopath (James Belushi) on a lonely desert road. Plot-wise, I won't say anymore, but there are lots of nice twists and turns, and best of all, some of the most wildly exciting action sequences I've seen all year. The car chases are fast and thrilling, the shootouts are intense, and the unpredictability of it all keeps you on the edge of your seat. The cast is excellent, with top-notch performances from Travis, Belushi, and Frank Whaley as the scientist who built the time travel device. Retroactive, despite a not so promising title, is definitely a must see thriller.