SoapboxQuantez08

In this sturdy "stranded couple" film, everyone is suspected of smuggling immigrants across the Mexican border. Practically everyone. Early in the film, a polite couple stops for fuel at a small Texas town, en-route to a job offer in California. The shady gas-station owner/operator, Dean, seizes an opportunity to take the couple's last few hundred dollars. It being that this is a border-town, and the couple are out of money, you might guess where the film goes from this point. Well, sort of. While not advertised as a period piece, the film seems to have a certain 70's mood. Not to complain, as it adds a certain flavor and zest, per se. I'm not familiar at all with Bill Sage as Dean, but he did his part, as did the rest of the cast. Eric Mabius apparently filmed this one concurrently with "The Crow: Salvation" and stars as Luke. His wife in the film, Marley Shelton, is in fine form as an actress (especially in a waitress uniform). There are a few head-scratching scenes, such as a scene where Web can't make up his mind whether he wants to use a .38 caliber or an automatic pistol, at a crucial point. But for the most part, the film is serious (almost too serious, as Dean is overtly slimy as the villain, to the point where he has no respect for infants whatsoever). As I mentioned, the performances are a strength, including R. Lee Ermey (star of Full Metal Jacket) as the long arm of the border-law. All in all, a worthwhile film, deserving of repeat views.

The only flaw I want to emphasize is that the early scenes in this film, much like the opening credits, are too quick to be effective. This one (however) is more faithful to the novel than the original, and once you get past the first 15 minutes, it doesn't seem so rushed. Romy Windsor plays the vision-bound, introverted, semi-tolerated Marie. Neither Marie, nor her husband Richard, nor their friend Tom, believe in werewolves. Janice, an ex-nun, is the only one considering a werewolf-existence possibility. Marie/Richard met her in Drago, and Janice's belief in demons is probably what paved the way for her werewolf suspicions. Along the way, some peeps have vanished, including a hitch-hiking couple and the long-dead sister Ruth. When Marie discovers that the sheriff covered-up the disappearance of the pleasant hitch-hiking couple, or attempted to do so, tempers flare. There's more than one way to skin a wolf (or cover it's tracks), and it isn't by lying to red-riding hood. You can't run a successful werewolf business without breaking a few nuns, as it turns out. The lethargic and apathetic sheriff would probably agree. The main complaint here is the scarce on-screen werewolf time. But in my opinion, this is redeemed by acceptable performances, just enough atmosphere, and a classic 80's score.

"Time doesn't matter when you're talking about eternity." At one point in the film: One of the eight one-time convicts (who were hired to steal suitcased loot in pairs) says this to a fellow thug (who, in turn, points a gun on the declarist's forehead). Every character in this flick has a reason to be on-edge, and we discover those reasons at the end of the film, which is blessed with a magnificent cast. Eric Roberts leads the pack with style, Chris Rock plays a goon who boasts, and Kevin Bernhardt is a tough guy that delivers extremely-timely lines. The hostage "Cleopatra" adds plenty of sex appeal, sporting some fine threads and some fine cleavage, almost distracting the viewer. There's a certain '95 film that may seem cousin-bound, but to compare this film to "The Usual Suspects" is blasphemous. 'Suspects' doesn't have the action, humor, or the Cleopatra that this film has. TUS simply has an unusually inferior cast and script to this action-comedy. This crowd-pleaser also stars Bill Forsythe, known for his villainous role in 'Out for Justice'. In this one, he seems to play a homophobe who bickers at Kerry, and early in the film they visit a titty bar. In this one, however, he doesn't battle Steven Seagal at the end. But gay or straight, they all slowly but surely realize they have more in common than they initially thought. And whether you're an Eric Roberts fan or not, this has to be considered (along with 'Nature of the Beast') a 1995 timeless masterpiece.