Crime Zone

An agreeably stark and rough post-apocalyptic little Sci-fi b-grade film by Roger Corman's Concorde productions, which depicts a neon-glazed future where citizens are put into categories as they carry out daily routines, are run by strict rules (like state-sanctioned sexual activities), cameras watch their every move, the rich extend their existence in the Garden of hibernation and they're governed by a power-hungry state where a mighty police force keeps order. This follows two young love-birds going against the trend, by taking up an offer by a stranger to steal some important computer chip where in doing be free of the strangling reign of the dead-end zone. But things don't go to plan, where they are caught up in a web of murder, mystery and intrigue. So now they are on the run. This is what you can call an grimly futuristic twist to Bonnie and Clyde in a post-world war three society. Quite formulaic, but it does offer up an ambitious surprise or two with its sharply written, if elaborate screenplay. Director Luis Llosa remarkably keeps a fast tempo, delivering impulsively edgy action sequences, efficiently workable special effects and getting atmospheric vigour out of the smoky low-rent sets. They do look dingy, but it brings an authenticity about its war-torn decay. An arrestingly foreboding synthesizer score only adds to the steamy humidity. The performances are quite impressive. Peter Nelson is ably good with a very delectable Sherilyn Fenn as the young on-the-run couple Bone and Helen who are dreaming of a better life and to get that the rules are to be broken. Because they wouldn't kiss ass. The collectedly smooth David Carradine (who also was one of the associate producers) goes about his business in a very cunning manner. Then there's durable support by Michael Shaner and Orlando Sacha. By-the-way kick-ass cover artwork too.

"No way. We're going out in style."

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 feel this movie can be appreciated by fans of the bmovie scifi genre. it takes a bit of patience to watch it, i've seen it about two times. the second time was better. i zoned out and watched it, my friend did not like it and fell asleep. meanwhile i enjoyed this visual feast. its based in your post apoc city underground. the main character is kicked out of his police job. back to his seedy apartment. ironically he claims he'll be going back to nothing. although he still has his place and seems to be getting by. he wants to get out of the city, a sort of ghetto with bleak implications. an amazing line is delivered by a fascist city guard, who bursts into his apt, because they saw him with a known prostitute outside of the legal zone the other day... "is that the normal size of your ----" referring to his privates the society is exploitave and interrogative. i really appreciate the sound track and back alley progression of the film. i like the gritty nature of the film. technically this is not a pleasing film and will not enthrall techno junkies. use of the imagination is required. i feel this adds well to post-apoc completist essences.

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....

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".