Crime Zone

Well, what can I say? I have seen a lot of low budget, poorly produced sci-fi and horror flicks, and I *usually* can find something of value in them, but this movie from 1988 is by far one of the worst. Crime Zone makes Albert Pyun's Cyborg look like a masterpiece. Let's see....where to start.....the lighting, props, costumes and effects are REALLY poor. I mean, people aren't stupid, it's obviously a bb gun Helen carries around through the last half of the film. I think I saw the same gun at Wal*mart last week. I don't even want to discuss the plot let alone the acting. I don't know how David Carradine got mixed up in this film, because the other actors are quite lame. I guess Sherilyn Fenn is OK, but Peter Nelson and Michael Shaner are REALLY lame, I think even I could act better. Lets not forget about the score. My god, it sounds like it was made with a Toys 'R' Us kids Casio keyboard. I gave the movie a 3/10 because some company actually had the balls to release this p.o.s.. Now I know why it hasn't been released on DVD yet. Maybe Criterion should put out a special collector's edition of it! Haha. I think I even liked Troll 2 better, and that is really freakin sad....

Before Liosa branched out with bigger films, this little, unremarkable and forgettable sci fi action pic, but with really good sets, generates moderate interest, helped by it's eye catching VHS cover. Hot exotic dancer/ex whore, Fenn, donning short white hair, and new lover, young hunky unemployed Bone, give decent sexy performances, as the ruled civilians in the dystopian crime zone. Itching to get free, they are thrown an opportunity, they can't resist by a shady stranger, cigarette smoking Carradine, who really doesn't have to act, and doesn't appear until the 32 minute mark of the film. He's in a few scenes, as the film progresses, and does add color to a somewhat, other unoriginal and thin premise, with some larger than life supports. Carradine's character is very intriguing, multi layered, but Fenn and hunk carry it. There's a fresh, sexy presence she carries in film, and she is really good. Unremarkable B great film isn't. C'mon' up your game, Lioza.

The first twenty minutes of Crime Zone is pretty good with a ( Ridley Scott Blade Runner) feel to it. The total darkness , lighting and mood, of the movie then took me down. (Peter Nelson) as Bone certainly looked the part of the leading man, but I was distracted by his soft and high pitched voice. (Sherilyn Fenn) played the nasty girl Helen and instead of making her look foxy by accentuating her petite figure they put an Ellen DeGeneres hair cut on her and parted it on the side like a boy. This is Sherilyn Fenn, Just let her where her natural hair for heavens sake. Everybody else besides (Carradine) were not great to be charitable. There is a number of twists and turns with no reason given to like or root for any of the characters. I watched the whole thing and was glad when it was finally "The End".

Distant future. A dystopian society with elements of a rigid caste system, in a world after a nuclear war. The city where the burning blonde Helen and the melancholy Bone live. A place in which they, on the one hand, want to succeed, and on the other hand, from which they want to escape. One day they get such a chance when someone named Jason gets in touch and offers them to steal the disk in exchange for him taking them outside the oppressive location. The announced mission does not bode well, but there probably won't be another chance. The heroes get to work, but, as sometimes happens, one thread pulls behind it a whole series of other events and, being nobody yesterday, the heroes turn into involuntary "runners in the shadows".

Most of this picture consists of obvious and not so obvious oppositions. The location is called the "City of the Sun", but it is always night here and it rains regularly. Local law enforcement agencies, in addition to their uniforms, distinguished by a stylish gothic make-up, adhere to strict discipline and formalities, but their behavior and regulations are not much different from the morals of frostbitten street mercenaries. Here, regulated prostitution coexists with restrictions on personal freedoms and hopeless devastation coexists with thriving sectors. The killing of unwanted elements has been turned into an element of entertainment broadcasts. Otherwise, there is a typical "high tech, low life" set and attention to small details, traditional for the cyberpunk genre, somewhat diluted with elements of neo-noir.

This film does not pretend to be any highly artistic or pompous messages, the plot is straightforward and individual scenes could use more elaboration, at the same time, the overall atmosphere is quite at the level, so in particular for the same one-time viewing in the evening or two.

I recently watched Crime Zone (1988) on Tubi. The story takes place in an apocalyptic future where crime has been eradicated and society is ruled by a dictatorship. When someone attempts to steal top-secret information, they cross paths with a rebellious Bonnie & Clyde-style couple who are more than ready to stir up chaos-and become the perfect distraction. Together, they launch a coordinated crime spree.

Directed by Luis Llosa (Anaconda), the film stars David Carradine (Death Race 2000), Sherilyn Fenn (Wild at Heart), Don Manor, and Peter Nelson (Die Hard 2).

This is one of those movies with cheap sets, props, and costumes-but somehow it still manages to pull you into its universe. It has a "poor man's Cherry 2000" vibe in many ways. While the plot includes a few twists and turns, they don't land as effectively as intended. The shootouts are average, and the ending is as cliché as they come. The women are striking, but the acting across the board is mediocre at best.

In conclusion, Crime Zone is a below-average post-apocalyptic film that's ultimately not worth your time. I'd score it a 4/10 and recommend skipping it.