Memory (Visiones)

I had never heard of "Memory" till I purchased it on a 4-movie "Horror Collector's Set" DVD from the bargain bin. In addition to "Memory," the other three movies on the DVD were Tobe Hooper's "Mortuary," "Wages of Sin" and "Bloody Mary." "Mortuary" wasn't too bad but the other two films were flat-out awful, so by the time I sat down to watch "Memory" I really wasn't expecting much. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the best movie on the DVD, even though it certainly isn't what I would consider a "Horror" movie. "Memory" is a fine mystery/suspense thriller along the lines of a James Patterson story (think "Kiss the Girls" or "Along Came A Spider") with some occasional horrific overtones.

Billy Zane of "Titanic" stars as Taylor, a researcher for a pharmaceutical company who is accidentally exposed to an unknown drug compound while in Brazil for a convention. When he returns home to Boston, he begins having disturbing flashbacks of a masked person in a black cloak, dark forests, and little girls. Disturbed by these visions, he begins to do some research on the powder he touched and it turns out that Indian tribes in the Amazon have been using it for thousands of years to see other people's memories, through their own eyes. Unfortunately for Taylor, the person whose memories he's now "sharing" happens to be a psycho who's been kidnapping and killing little girls for the past 30 years without being caught. With the help of his artist girlfriend (Tricia Helfer of "Battlestar Galactica") and two family friends (the late great Dennis Hopper and Ann-Margret) he takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery and stop the masked kidnapper before he can claim yet another new victim. As his investigation moves along, it seems that the killer also has a connection to Taylor's past that he has never suspected.

Though this was obviously a low budget film (from a first time writer/director) "Memory" is a nice looking film and a tight, fast moving effort. The veteran cast turns in fine performances all around, and the twists and turns of the plot will keep the viewer guessing till its creepy finale in the kidnapper's lair. This is also the coolest set piece in the movie, a cavernous building loaded with scary looking mannequins and bizarre scrawlings on the walls. I thought I had the ending figured out early on but as it turns out, the filmmakers threw me a curve ball that I wasn't expecting. Horror fans will probably be disappointed by this flick (as I said, it really doesn't belong on a "Horror" DVD) but fans of psychological thrillers should be pleased with this little known gem.

"Memory" can apparently be found cheaply wherever bargain DVDs are sold so I would recommend checking it out. Just a tip, if you happen to buy it on the same "Horror Collector's Set" that I did, skip the other three movies on it and go right to this one.

I don't know why this is going round as a horror movie, it's not even close. Memory is a thriller and a passable one at that.

Billy Zane, Dennis Hopper, Tricia Helfer and Ann-Margret star in this clever though ultimately flawed little tale of a man recieving premonitions and his efforts to decipher them.

This is evidence once again that Billy Zane is one of Hollywoods most underrated, underutilised and underappreciated actors. The man can do it all yet gets stuck with wall to wall b-movies.

Memory has some nice ideas but fails to present them very well, it's one of those films that could have been great if handled by the right people but alas wasn't.

Decent enough effort but should have been better.

The Good:

Cast deliver

Some nice ideas

The Bad:

Generic delivery

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Billy Zane needs more appreciation

Dennis Hopper CAN do roles without coming across as weird and/or disturbing

The cast members explained in interviews that the main theme of Bennett Davlin's "Memory" is the idea of seeing something through someone else's eyes, as the main character (Billy Zane) does: an otherwise benevolent person suddenly has memories of committing horrible acts. This is not a slasher movie or home invasion movie. There's the issue of what has been hidden. Parts of the movie did trick me a little bit, and I found it to be a pretty clever flick. It's not frightening or anything, but I liked how they laid everything out.

OK, so we could be cynical and say that this is a totally improbable story. So what? The movie is understood to be improbable. I still say that it's a very clever plot. Above all, it's great to see Dennis Hopper (RIP) and Ann-Margret still playing such interesting roles. Worth seeing.

The plot of "Memory" goes like that:When Dr.Taylor Briggs is exposed to a mysterious drug while lecturing in Brazil,he is forced to relive the dark,twisted memories of a killer. Embarking upon a lone journey to unlock the mystery of a past that is not his own,Taylor must find a killer whose horrifying work may not be over...First of all I really don't understand the rave reviews this film has on IMDb.I found "Mem-o-re" disappointing,frustrating and dull.Billy Zane does his professional best with what he is given and Ann-Margret is always interesting to watch.The story itself is silly and the film lacks suspense and gore.By the thing lurches to its woefully obvious finale,you'll be knee-deep into snoozeville.I suggest avoiding this one.5 out of 10.

While in Salvador, Brazil, in a medical congress, the researcher of Alzheimer Dr. Taylor Briggs (Billy Zane) and his colleague and friend Dr. Deepra Chang (Terry Chen) are invited to visit a local hospital. They find a patient from Amazon with a unique case of tumors in the memory cells, and while examining him, the glove of Taylor ruptures and his finger touches a strange powder. Taylor has visions from 1971, and once back to Boston, he finds that he has genetically stored memories of a serial killer of little girls activated by the powder.

"Memory" is a messy and absurd thriller. I was attracted by the cast, with Dennis Hopper, Ann-Margret and Billy Zane, but I in the end I was absolutely disappointed with the coincidences and the insane and totally unbelievable story. For Brazilians, it is hilariously ridiculous the geographic confusion of the screenplay, with a sick patient coming from Amazon to Salvador (why?); Taylor and Deepra are in a congress in Salvador (there is a footage of the city), they go to a bar and the director uses footage of the front of "Barril 1800", in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro instead of a local bar; the interior of the bar is probably in a studio. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Alucinações" ("Hallucinations")