Psyclops

I really wanted to like this movie. Actually, I really wanted to LOVE this movie.

Unfortunately the actors are so bad at acting the entire movie was ruined for me.

And it really IS unfortunate because the director has talent. It's a low budget flick and he does quite a lot with it. He's very creative and knows how to make the action keep coming. The story unfolds really nicely but then you get blocked from loving it by the really sub-par acting. And it's all of them. They are just horrible.

So unfortunate because as i say the movie is very very creatively done. It could have been great with four better actors.

While I enjoyed this B movie greatly, there is no way that it was not influenced by the great New England master of supernatural lore, HP Lovecraft. After all, filmed by citizens of New Hampshire and Vermont, no doubt fairly well-versed in the work of Lovecraft, as is nearly every supernatural and horror B movie scriptwriter. And the similarities with From Beyond are obvious, yet with a lighter touch that makes this venture stand well on its own. Nice animated model insects similar to what would be done in a Band/Full Moon Production, as is the brief glimpse of the "other world". How many here will understand the reference to the "videodisc" being recorded by the old-time inventor of the "other world" viewscope gadget? If not, check out CEDMAGIC.COM and learn about the last great step in non-laser grooved media formats, thanks to RCA.

From the same director that brought us the horrible yet lovable Draniac now comes Psyclops! I must say I really enjoyed this movie, it was quite inventive and bizarre. Obviously Psyclops was made on a super low budget like all Brett Piper films, but therein he works his magic.

If you don't like low budget films then you probably aren't going to like the movie. This isn't the latest $100 million Hollywood blockbuster, nor does it ever claim to be. Paradoxically this movie makes you think hard about possible parallel universes, and at the same time suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy the utterly fantastic story.

Scant few films still use stop-motion animation (ala Harryhausen), but Brett Piper still uses them in many of his movies, including this one. The stop-motion animation is very campy like a cheesy sci-fi film from the 1950's, and I'll guess that it's an homage to that era. Psyclops also uses opticals and various forms of CGI, but they are scant and it doesn't rely on them all that much. Did I mention that Psyclops has zombies with good old special effects makeup?

Watching many new films each week I generally see a heap of unoriginal films, or trendy forgettable films. Psyclops may not be exactly Oscar material, but for a "B-Movie" it succeeds where so many others fail in originality. I've seen Psyclops twice now, and it was just as good the second time around as the first.

...was a budget of millions. This story with a decent budget and all that brings would have been a huge hit. It is original, funny, warm and dramatic. And there's science too :)

Anyone who likes B movies and wonders what happened to the genre we love so much will be heartened to see this movie. There's all the staples of a good B show. Friends having fun and helping each other, science gone terribly awry, adventure, excitement a well thought out story that actually involves science (as opposed to just using it as a prop) and maybe a sequel.

The best thing by far is the originality. In one well woven plot you get other dimensions, undead, cyborgs, witches and mad scientists. What more can anyone ask for?

Acting 7/10 Plot 10/10 Production Values 7/10 Direction 9/10 Entertainment 10/10

Unlike some others I don't rate movies against other big budget monstrosities that they cannot hope to compete against solely due to the monetary constraints. I rate against other movies in it's class/budget range.

And for the other reviewers who say they watch these B movies because you laugh at how bad they are, you're flat out liars. No-one wastes time doing that unless all you EVER do is watch movies. The only reason you claim to watch them for that reason is to try and give yourself credibility with other viewers of this genre. All you are really seeking to do is to bash a class of movie you have never liked and probably haven't watched in years.

Everything Brett Piper does is pure gold (okay, maybe "Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell" left a little to be desired). I am never disappointed by his films, which can rarely be said about any filmmaker, let alone the low-budget, independent kind, who have to work a lot harder on their movies. And true to form, "Psyclops" is a great viewing experience. An inspired plot, talented actors, beautiful visuals--hey, this is as good as it gets, folks. The fun begins when an amateur videographer happens upon a lost dimension-bending machine and gets his video camera fused to his skull, turning from video geek to video freak (as the box will tell you). From there, it's awesome effects (Piper did stuff for Troma in his early days), big laughs, suspense, thrills, chills, and yes, even characters you're rooting for. In fact, this movie is put together so well, aspiring filmmakers should use it as reference material, especially for a horror project. Piper throws in everything and the kitchen sink, blending it together perfectly into a fine feast any horror fan will appreciate. I know I do. I'll stop there and leave you with a final thought: go rent this movie right now, emphasis on the right now part.