Cardcaptor_Jim

The newest video game sensation is "Arcade", a virtual reality game that one must win....or lose your mind and forever be part of the game. Alex (Megan Ward) and her friends try the game, but Alex's boyfriend loses and disappears. One of Alex's friends tries a home version of the game and disappears before her eyes. Determined to get their friends back, Alex and her friend Nick (Peter Billingsley) take on the mind-reading Arcade!

While the plot may be familiar to anyone who's seen TRON, this is a decent low-budget sci-fi film. Many of the actors are now familiar faces: Seth Green, A.J. Langer and John DeLancie among them. Although director Albert Pyun usually directs low-budget boredom (DOLLMAN, CYBORG, etc.), this movie actually has a good story and some pretty good actors. The pace is somewhat slow, and the CGI F/X won't impress today's kids accustomed to video game-like movies with endless amounts of special effects, explosions and loud music, but fans of movies that actually have a plot and characterization will find it entertaining. I'd place this with Pyun's better movies such as RADIOACTIVE DREAMS and THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER.

Charles Band, the film's producer and CEO of Full Moon Pictures, held this movie's release back for a year in order to redo the CGI F/X. For those curious to what they originally looked like, watch the 10 minute "Videozone" featurette included on the DVD. I think it was a wise move, and the movie benefits greatly because of it. The only complaint I really have is that the DVD didn't include the full "Videozone" segment, which included this film's trailer. (This DVD was part of a import boxed set of region-free DVDs.)

A geologist returns to his home town of Comet Valley to search for a meteorite that landed several years ago. He stays at a bed and breakfast run by his former girlfriend (who looks ten years younger than he does). It turns out that giant alien seeds have landed and transformed the locals into emotionless, mind reading zombies. Our hero teams up with the local scientist / drunk to stop these "Seedpeople" from taking over.

If the plot sounds familiar, you may have seen one of several versions INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. The plot is hardly original, the acting is very poor (everyone has a moment where they shame their acting coaches) and the special effects are not so special. Yet, I love this movie! Why? Because Hollywood horror movies these days are all filled with CGI, obnoxious characters, loud music and explosions in place of an actual story. Hollywood is obsessed with remaking classic movies that insult the intelligence of fans of the original films or making endless amounts of torture porn sequels instead of coming up with an original idea. SEEDPEOPLE has very little in the way of digital effects, choosing to use physical effects instead, doesn't try to hide its low budget and offers likable characters and low key music. Yeah, it's an unofficial remake, but it doesn't insult me like current remakes.

I'm not sure why no composer is listed in the opening credits, but can someone explain why Holly Fields is said to be 21-years-old in the "Videozone" (making of) segment, when her birthday is listed as 1976? That would make her 16 in 1992. Also, the narrator of "Videozone" says Peter Manoogian directed DANGEROUS TOYS (actually DEMONIC TOYS). This didn't take away from my enjoyment of "Videozone". But why isn't there a trailer on the region free DVD?

There's a new DJ in the town of Pahoota, shock jock Dangerous Dan O'Dare (Paul Hipp). He's about to bring some rock'n'roll to the former polka channel KDUL Superstation 66.6. A pretty reporter (former MTV VJ Martha Quinn) is covering the story for a TV network when she sees a UFO. Of course, no one believes her. Dan finds out she's telling the truth when an alien that has a head that looks like a blue-black cauliflower with a window set in front, and his robot minion, take over the radio station. The alien has come to Earth to shrink women and place them in bottles using Dan's voice to pick the best-looking female listeners. Each woman the alien wants experiences a rock fantasy, much like a music video, that others can't see. Yes, really.

This admittedly silly Full Moon film is a sci-fi rock'n'roll comedy, and it delivers the goods with pretty girls, great music and some laughs too. No one will call this movie a classic, but it's fun in a "check your brain at the door" sort of way. The music is pretty awesome. There's a heavy metal song (with Ron Keel), a grunge rock song and, my favorite, "Manic Depresso" by Sykotik Sinfoney, a silly song with guys in clown, cow and nun outfits. Yes, really.

The acting is fairly good, although some actors are a bit over the top. Ted Nicolaou's direction is competent, if uninspired. The music score is by the rock band Blue Oyster Cult. Those who normally skip the end credits may want to know that the final joke takes place after the credits. (Of course, you might need to be a Full Moon fan to really appreciate it.) When Cinemax broadcast this movie back in the 1990s, they unfortunately cut out the final scene. A movie titled DOLLMAN VS. THE DEMONIC TOYS is a sequel to DOLLMAN, DEMONIC TOYS and BAD CHANNELS simultaneously. (Actually, this "sequel" changes the ending to BAD CHANNELS, and it's not good at all.) The DVD includes an 11 minute featurette (a condensed version of "Videozone".)

Although this movie is hard to recommend to the average movie lover, I found it to be highly entertaining.