oes Death have a plan, such that fate is
predetermined? Or is it possible to cheat Death? Those
questions are central to Final Destination,
a thriller that comes from the same writing/producing
team--Glen Morgan and James Wong--that gave The X-Files
some of its scariest moments.
Just before his high school class trip to Paris, Alex
Browning (Sawa) has a vivid premonition that the plane
is going to explode just after takeoff. Panicking, Alex
insists on getting off the plane, and in the confusion
that ensues, seven students and teachers are forced to
disembark. One teacher reboards the plane, while the
other, Ms. Lewton (Cloke) stays behind with the students
in the terminal--only to watch first-hand as the
premonition becomes reality.
The students, including Alex's friends
Billy (Scott) and Tod (Donella); the obnoxious Carter
(Smith) and his girlfriend Terry (Detmer); and Clear
(Larter), a vibrant, independent young woman who didn't
know Alex but heeded his warning anyway, struggle to cope
with the aftermath of the explosion, which claimed so
many of their peers. Some of them resent Alex and his
eerie gift to see and understand where Death will strike
next, while others--including Ms. Lewton--just fear him.
Only Clear, who experienced some of the same sensations
that Alex did during his premonition, embraces Alex and
tries to help him. Time passes, and the survivors of
the ill-fated flight try to move on with their lives. Death, however, has other ideas. And as two
skeptical FBI agents investigating the air disaster
note, one by one the survivors are dying--and the only
connection among the deaths is Alex.
Meanwhile, Alex begins to recognize the scope of his
power, and he starts to deconstruct Death's plan step by step in order to cheat Death at his own game. But can he
win?
Death strikes fear
From the outset, Final Destination strives to avoid the
pitfalls common to the teen horror genre, and in that, it succeeds. An unseen
yet eerie presence, Death is undeniably the villain here, not some masked, insane serial killer. And Death surfaces in the most common aspects of daily life,
playing on day-to-day fears: a slip in the bathtub, a
random bus accident, a kitchen mishap gone terribly
awry. Even the vividly detailed, horrific in-flight
explosion is enough to strike fear into the most hardened of
frequent flyers.
But so much of the film relies on if-then scenarios that
it requires a remarkable suspension of disbelief to buy the
chain of events that lead to each character's death. Then
again, they are being stalked by the Grim Reaper himself.
Part existential exposition on the meaning of life and
death, part gory thriller and part teen-angst drama, Final Destination never seems quite at home in any of those roles. The story starts out as a
stylishly shot horror film with a deeper subtext, then
veers back into more familiar slasher-flick territory filled with
blood, gore and just barely over-the-top sequences, and then throws in
the requisite teen melodrama and romance for good
measure.
While some elements of the film are actually more
predictable than viewers might expect, the scares and
death scenes themselves are generally well done, and
certainly deliver shock value--a credit to first-time
feature director Wong. Keep an eye out for lots of in-jokes
tied to everything from The X-Files to classic horror
directors in the set design and the script.
Of the young cast, Sawa stands out in the lead role,
carrying the film squarely on his shoulders even when
it loses focus. And Larter exudes a fresh energy
as the outsider who believes Alex. Points for the
greatest departure between roles: Smith's loutish
character is nothing like the gay teen he plays in
Dawson's Creek.
If you can overlook logic and the sizable loopholes in
the story, Final Destination will
offer an entertaining couple of hours. But I found
myself wishing that the film broke the mold even
further to realize its full potential.
-- M.P.
he final episode of the first season of Farscape left its heroes in quite a predicament. The mysterious living ship Moya and some of her fugitive crew were being hunted by the relentless Scorpius (Wayne Pygram). Meanwhile, Moya's frightened offspring Talyn had been commandeered by another nemesis, the vengeful Captain Crais (Lani Tupu). And as if all of that were not dire enough, two more heroes, John Crichton (Browder) and Ka D'argo (Simcoe), find themselves literally clinging to one another for dear life, floating in the vacuum of space with little hope of rescue.
It would probably not be giving too much away to reveal that our heroes do manage to extricate themselves from this pickle...sort of. As the first episode of Farscape's second season opens, Crichton and D'argo have indeed been rescued by fellow refugee Aeryn Sun (Black), but their troubles are far from over. As Scorpius and his Peacekeeper minions continue to hunt them, the trio attempt to hide in an abandoned mining camp on an obscure asteroid. Water is scarce and food is nonexistent, but tension is plentiful due to a dark secret that Aeryn is keeping from her comrades.
Things are not going well on Moya either. Under attack, the ship refuses to cooperate with what's left of her crew until she finds her stolen baby. As usual, Rigel (voiced by Jonathan Hardy) and Chiana (Edgley) deal with the situation by attempting to decide between panicking and wringing each other's necks. Worse still, the wise and resourceful Zhaan (Hey) seems, for some reason, to be flipping her bald, blue lid.
It should also be safe to divulge that by the episode's end all of the heroes find themselves back together on Moya, able to continue their journey into the uncharted territories in search of their homes and their freedom. But the road to reunion is full of twists and turns, and the reunion itself doesn't come cheap. In order to evade the evil Scorpius, Moya and her passengers are forced to give up one of their own.
Still a hit, but with a few misses
Fans who followed Farscape's first season of will be pleased to learn that everything that made the show unique and engaging is still present in the first two episodes of season two. The unique characters continue to grow, the dialogue is still offbeat and inventive and the otherworldly visuals are still captivating.
However, there is one significant problem with these first two episodes: they should have been the first three. The first episode, "Mind the Baby," feels extremely rushed and disjointed, as if the plot of two shows had been crammed into one. Key dramatic moments and plot points take place offscreen, while other scenes are wasted on events that neither develop the characters nor advance the story. This may be a disappointment to fans since, in the past season, the creators of Farscape have demonstrated real skill in spinning a complex, ongoing tale that takes its time to unfold. As the second episode of the season begins, the characters carry on as if none of the tumultuous events of the previous show have taken place. Moya and company are back on the road, looking for the next strange alien on the next strange planet, seeming to have forgotten all about the sacrifices they just made.
The acting in the first two episodes is also not quite up to snuff. The performances, usually honest and refreshingly playful, seem self-conscious and forced at times. The result is a bit like watching stage actors wrestle with a really good play on a really off night. However this was more of a problem in the first episode than the second, suggesting it could be the fault of the director.
In order to keep these criticisms from seeming too, well, critical, it's important to remember two things. First, that a couple of sub-par episodes are never an accurate gauge of the overall strength of a series. And second, that these episodes' shortcomings are conspicuous only because of the high standards Farscape set for itself in the past year. This is still a fine show, probably one of the best SF series on the air these days. It's a safe bet that viewers who stick with it will find that its original vision and fine storytelling will continue to surprise and entertain.
Avid Farscape fans will roll their eyes at my tardiness in figuring this out, but did you know that Lani Tupu provides the voice of Moya's pilot as well as portraying Captain Crais? For me, it sure added a nifty wrinkle knowing that the same actor plays our heroes' most loyal friend and their most shifty adversary.
-- A.C.
ook expert Dean Corso (Depp) is reputed to be the best at acquiring rare
and valuable books for his rich clients, even if it means employing some less-than-scrupulous business practices. This reputation catches the eye
of Boris Balkin (Langella), an eccentric book collector who specializes in
satanic literature.
Balkin has recently purchased one of only three existing copies
of a 17th century book called The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows,
allegedly based on a work written by Lucifer himself. Legend
has it certain rituals involving the book will actually conjure the Prince of
Darkness. Balkin, however, believes only one of the books is genuine. He
employs
Corso to track down the owners of the other two books and compare them with
his copy to find out which one is authentic.
No sooner does Corso have the book in his possession than his world starts
coming unhinged. He finds his apartment ransacked. Later, when he asks a
bookstore
owner friend (James Russo) to stash the book for him, his friend is murdered
in a manner mimicking one of the tome's nine etchings.
Corso also notices a mysterious young woman (Seigner) wherever he goes.
Eventually he makes contact with her in Europe, where she becomes an
accomplice of sorts, appearing at the most opportune times, then
disappearing again without explanation. Also embroiled in the search is
Lianna Telfer (Olin), the widow of the man who sold the book to Balkin just
before hanging himself.
Corso's investigation eventually leads him into a dark world where rich decadents worship the devil and the supernatural is very real. As the mystery unfolds, Corso finds himself increasingly eager to unlock the secrets of the books, despite the evil that surrounds them.
More film noir than thriller
Roman Polanski has adapted this work from a novel by Arturo Pérez Reverte (The Club Dumas) into a stylish though uneven supernatural detective thriller. Although it has
been promoted as a satanic horror film along the lines of End of Days and Stigmata, it has more in common with film noir.
Polanski doesn't need special effects to create the feeling of a dark,
sinister
presence. Indeed, the film's few visual effects are so poorly done--laughably
fake flames lick the side of a flatly painted castle at one point--they
take more away from the film than they add.
Comparisons are bound to arise with Polanski's 1968 masterpiece of demonic
suspense, Rosemary's Baby. But The Ninth Gate fails to capture
the creepy, skin-crawling feeling of his earlier film. Some of Polanski's
trademark
sensibilities are evident--long, lingering camera movements; subtle, seemingly
insignificant shots that provide clues along the way; and a quiet, menacing
visual style. Unfortunately, the overall effect is merely plodding and will
not likely appeal to American audiences used to the quick editing and fast
pace
of today's films.
Depp, looking like a bookish Don Juan DeMarco, does his best to add
interest,
but even he can't save this film from its own pretension. The other
performances
are solid as well, particularly Frank Langella as the devil-obsessed
Balkin.
As the mystery begins to unravel, so does the plot--so much so that only
the tattered remains of a story are left by the end. It starts out
strongly, but
never lives up to its promise. The story builds too gradually to a
conclusion that is satisfying only in that it brings to an end the
anticlimactic final act.
A good premise, but no payoff. The ending just left me scratching my
head. If you want to see a good demonic horror movie, save yourself the time and money and rent Rosemary's Baby.
-- C.W.
oes Death have a plan, such that fate is
predetermined? Or is it possible to cheat Death? Those
questions are central to Final Destination,
a thriller that comes from the same writing/producing
team--Glen Morgan and James Wong--that gave The X-Files
some of its scariest moments.
he final episode of the first season of Farscape left its heroes in quite a predicament. The mysterious living ship Moya and some of her fugitive crew were being hunted by the relentless Scorpius (Wayne Pygram). Meanwhile, Moya's frightened offspring Talyn had been commandeered by another nemesis, the vengeful Captain Crais (Lani Tupu). And as if all of that were not dire enough, two more heroes, John Crichton (Browder) and Ka D'argo (Simcoe), find themselves literally clinging to one another for dear life, floating in the vacuum of space with little hope of rescue.
ook expert Dean Corso (Depp) is reputed to be the best at acquiring rare
and valuable books for his rich clients, even if it means employing some less-than-scrupulous business practices. This reputation catches the eye
of Boris Balkin (Langella), an eccentric book collector who specializes in
satanic literature.
