Reviews (6)

Loved this movie, It is top on my list to watch again
This movie is full of suspense, light erotica, rommance, great acting, backrounds and photography. I would highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy horror. It's only drawback is that it is not available in DVD form.

Memories
Sure the movie is outdated compared to what cinema has become today but what early movies aren't. The first time I saw Meridian I was to young to appriciate it but now I do. The photograpy is great. Those with and active imagination will enjoy this movie more than others, and even if Beauty and the Beast type stories aren't your thing there is plenty of other aspects to the film that are sure to interest you.

See more of Sherilynn Fenn after midnight....
A lushly photographed Continental retelling of the Beauty-and-the- Beast/young-girl-comes-of-age-with-demon-who-turns-into-handsome-prince story, my commentary will part from other reviewers (I found the story predictable, and acting melodramatic) by mentioning my primary reason for purchase of this video: the Tuscan villa setting including the famous "Monster Grotto". The sculpture garden attributed to a retired 'condottiere' who commissioned grotesque sculptures for his meditative garden, reflecting his supposed cynical worldview. The views of this Tuscan curiosity are worth the lightweight fairy tale surrounding it.

This Was Great!!!!!!!!
A beautiful young artist must choose her destiny in this hauntingly sensual tale of love, passion and revenge.
Catherine Bomarzini (Sherilyn Fenn of Two Moon Junction) returns to the family castle in Italy after her father's death. There she finds herself drawn into a mysterious love triangle with a handsome, sinister magician and a creature of the night whose gentle eyes and touch reveal his infinite love. Is this creature real or an illusion? Guided by the ghost of a slain young beauty, Catherine discovers the ancient curse that enshrouds Bomarzini Castle-a curse only she can dispel.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a really loving and great movie!

IT REMINDS ME OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ONLY WITH MORE
SEDUCTION AND LOVE!

A MUST SEE AND A MUST HAVE! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A very horrible sequel for Demonic Toys!!!
Lisen!!! don't even watch this [stuff]!
Because:
1- Is very short (Less than one hour).
2- Jude's death was VERY STUPID.
3- The voice of OPPSY DAISY was changed and it was very bad acted.
4- The story was extremly cheap than the first one.

P.S: Just don't watch it!!!!!!!!
Sayonnara,adios,goodbye

Fun but ridiculous
This is one of those so-bad-it's-good movies. The plot, which involves a little space alien cop and his girlfriend battling demon-possesed toys, is incredibly stupid. The acting isn't much better. Evan with all this, you will have a lot of fun with this movie. Guranteed! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Don't mess with Deth
A science-fiction fantasy adventure set in Angel City (Los Angeles) in the year 2257. Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is a Trancer-hunter. Deth's mission in life is to hunt down members of a phsyic cult of zombie-like creatures called Trancers, under the control of a man named Martin Whistler. However, Whistler has escaped back in time to become one of his ancestors, in 1985 Los Angeles.

I like to say this is the Evil Dead (or Army of Darkness) of the Sci-Fi genre. Evil Dead is acclaimed as being one of the best horror movies for what it could do with its low-budget, Trancers does this in the same fashion. Tim Thomerson plays Jack Deth, who could go one-on-one with any hero in any movie. Deth has some great lines in the movie which are often quite funny, if your name was Jack Deth, you know you would talk in the 3rd person don't you!?

The special effects, although not great by todays standards, do get the job done. The soundtrack to this movie is also pretty good. The movie itself gets a full 5 out of 5 stars, although the DVD could have been much better. This is a must for any action or sci-fi fan to put into their collection.

Overall : 5/5

Jack Deth is back and he's never been here before...
A science-fiction fantasy adventure set in Angel City (Los Angeles) in the year 2257. Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is a Trancer-hunter. Deth's mission in life is to hunt down members of a phsyic cult of zombie-like creatures called Trancers, under the control of a man named Martin Whistler. However, Whistler has escaped back in time to become one of his ancestors, in 1985 Los Angeles.

I like to say this is the Evil Dead (or Army of Darkness) of the Sci-Fi genre. Evil Dead is acclaimed as being one of the best horror movies for what it could do with its low-budget, Trancers does this in the same fashion. Tim Thomerson plays Jack Deth, who could go one-on-one with any hero in any movie. Deth has some great lines in the movie which are often quite funny, if your name was Jack Deth, you know you would talk in the 3rd person don't you!?

The special effects, although not great by todays standards, do get the job done. The soundtrack to this movie is also pretty good. The movie itself gets a full 5 out of 5 stars, although the DVD could have been much better. This is a must for any action or sci-fi fan to put into their collection.

Overall : 5/5

Trancers
One of the greatest movie ever made! I wish all the other ones were out as well! I had 7 of them on vhs! I miss them!
Jack death is totally cool in it!!
Great special effects!
Great story! The time is the future and the country has changed! Police are called troopers and that is what jack is!
His job is to kill trancers to save the human race. He is a man that you can count on to do his job. In the future there is a war between the humans and the trancers with whistler who is the head of the trancers to went down the line to the past in the body of his ancestor who was a police officer. Jack must fight impossible odds to try to save whistler ancestor and himself and the world. Just a little bit to get the juices flowing!

Eerily Entertaining Sci-Fi Movie
"What kind of name is Peter Gunn?" "What kind of name is Jack Deth?" is just one of the memorable lines you will see in this low budget 1985 cult thriller "Trancers," starring the ever reliable Tim Thomerson and a struggling Helen Hunt. "Trancers" spawned five sequels, all of which never quite duplicated the fun of the original. I saw somewhere on the Internet that Thomerson is the "King of the B movies," but "Trancers" is the one film he made that stands head and shoulders above all others. If you draw a blank with the name "Tim Thomerson," you most likely saw him in a few bigger budget pictures, such as "Air America, "Uncommon Valor," and "Who's Harry Crumb?" He's done television work as well, appearing on "Xena" and "The Days of Our Lives." Once you recognize Thomerson, you'll remember his appearance in numerous films. Helen Hunt should need no introduction, but the fact that she appears in this low budget film is oddly jarring. Hunt went on to appear in two "Trancers" sequels before moving on to "Mad About You" and eventual stardom.

"Trancers" opens with a futuristic L.A. The majority of Los Angeles sits under water, a victim of a massive earthquake. A council rules the remaining areas of the city, but their reign is under fire by a man named Whistler, an evil psychic with the ability to put certain weak-minded people (called squids) under a "trance." Whistler hopes to overthrow the council with his trancer shock troops. Trancers tend to be rather ugly blokes, with crusty looking lips and yellowish skin. The council dealt a series of blows to Whistler and his movement with the help of trancer hunters like Jack Deth. Deth and his fellow officers move around the city, hunting down trancers in order to kill them. Jack refers to this process as "singeing" because a trancer shot with a gun burns away, leaving only a black, ashy outline on the ground.

After Jack quits the force over a dispute with his boss, he's suddenly called back to duty when an emergency arises. It seems Whistler sent himself "down the line" (read: time traveled into the past) to Los Angeles in 1985, where he hopes to hatch a plan that will doom the council and allow himself to take over. Jack Deth must now follow Whistler back in time in order to put an end to the nightmare of the trancers. When Jack goes down the line he meets Lena (Helen Hunt), who quickly becomes a part of the mission to track down Whistler. Predictably, a romance springs up between Deth and Lena as the two race around L.A. battling Whistler's new batch of trancers.

It's difficult to tell if "Trancers" is a serious science fiction film or a sly spoof. There are a lot of gags and jokes centered on Christmas in 1985 Los Angeles, especially with Lena's job as an elf at a department store. I don't want to spoil this scene for you, but it is one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile. Imagine a battle with foam candy canes, a set of antlers, and a falling Christmas prop and you'll get the idea. This battle in the mall also leads to one of the funniest lines in the film when a lady calls security on a walkie-talkie and squawks, "Security, we've got trouble at the North Pole." If the idea of a singed Santa named Murray appeals to you, buy "Trancers" right away.

There are other elements in this film that might appeal to the dedicated cheese lover. Watch how Thomerson drives the car; his hands twist and turn the wheel but the car continues moving in a straight line. Then there is the deadly effect of a tanning booth, which apparently can radiate enough heat to singe a raincoat or burn hands. Jack's special watch, which can freeze time for ten seconds, seems to stop time for minutes. These are small problems that instead of detracting from the film actually serve to add a chuckle or two. Arguably, the biggest joke in the film is the trancers themselves. They aren't that hard to kill, don't look particularly scary or dangerous, and have absolutely no powers whatsoever. You'd figure that at the very least the trancers would possess some sort of psychic power with which to threaten our heroes. You'd be wrong. These guys are so weak you could kill them by hitting them over the head with a rolled up newspaper. Be sure and watch for Deth's first encounter with a trancer in the diner of the future L.A.; I laughed for a long time over the uppercut he delivers to an old waitress when she turns out to be a trancer.

"Trancers" is actually entertaining overall, with an occasionally cool soundtrack, funny dialogue, and better acting than one usually finds in a movie of this caliber. I really enjoyed Thomerson as Jack Deth; he's fun to watch and actually makes you root for his character. It's too bad the people who made the DVD didn't take the film seriously, as the transfer is fuzzy, there's a dead spot in the middle of the movie, and no commentary. What the DVD does have, amazingly enough, is a whopping FORTY-FIVE trailers on the reverse side of the disc. Sure, the trailers are for low budget clunkers like "Puppet Master" and "Robot Wars," but it's still great to watch them. For the price, "Trancers" is well worth the time. Hopefully, the rest of the series will come out on DVD soon.

Jack Deth is BACK!
And he's never even been here before! Classic quotable ad line for the cult hit Trancers back when it played in theaters in 1985. Yeah, Trancers really played the big screen venues back before video ate up the grindhouse theater chains that booked these exploitive little trash movie gems. Charles Band (of Full Moon fame) created his own little movie studio, the now defunct Empire Pictures, which scored a megahit with Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator and, from 1983 until 1988 (or 89), released many a great piece of low rent cinema, Trancers being one the tiny studio's bigger non-Stuart Gordon hits (Ghoulies was the other one).

Jack Deth is an Angel City cop tracking down the last few Trancers, people who have become mental zombies enslaved to their psychic leader Whistler, who Deth singed (slang for dispatch revolver style) on one of the 'Rim Worlds'. But it turns out that Whistler is not dead, he has gone 'down the line' to wipe out the current Angel City Council members family lines. Deth has to go back in time, to 1985 Los Angeles, and snag Whistler before he rewrites the future to his power mad liking.

Although Trancers has plot holes and paradoxes you can drive several highways through, the script manages some real wit and fun with its premise and character actor Tim Thomerson is obviously having a blast playing Deth. The Full Moon (now Koch Distributing) DVD is just a copy of the Vestron Video laserdisc release, presenting the movie in full frame and offering up some bios and filmographies of the various actors. 40 trailers for most of Band's Full Moon output is offered on the b-side and that makes this disc all the more worth having. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Master of the Unknown!!!!!!!!
Two begins from another dimension; two sorcerers with immeasurable powers. One has sworn to destroy the Earth; the other has vowed to protect it. Their timeless battle has crossed over from the fourth dimension and only one man will reign in the end...
Doctor Mordrid (JEFFREY COMBS) is the chosen guardian who can protect the Earth from eternal darkness; Kabal (BRIAN THOMPSON) is his vengeful enemy whose implacable wrath has escalated with time. Kabal has arrived on Earth and is planning to use his infinite powers to unleash a horde of hellish demons to devour and destroy humankind.
Bound by hate and a mystical amulet that holds the powers of life and death, the immortal wizards will meet for the last time. Their centuries-old rivalry has matured into the ancient struggle of good versus evil. Now, their battle takes on majestic proportions as Mordrid and Kabal give life to prehistoric skeletons and begin their final conflict...

A pleasant, goofy little movie
This is a movie, not a book. Doctor Anton Mordrid is a wizard protecting Earth while moonlighting as an apartment building owner and lecturer on the Occult. Jeffrey Combs plays Mordrid with obvious enthusiam. Combs is a terrific actor who deserves some mainstream success. He can currently be seen on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Weyoun. This film has good acting, a female lead who is NOT a mindless bimbo, only one scene with nudity, and decent special effects. Give it try. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

brillance
everyone who has tried to belittle this film before me can go straight to hell. you obviously know nothing about filmmaking. i have only seen about fifteen minutes of metal storm and i'm ready to bust the bank on this masterpiece. My favorite scene occured when the characters rode air-jets through a canyon, and then one of them said,"Open the way", before entering a captivating computer grid. To all of you disbelievers, rewatch this film from this gem of wisdom, "open the way", don't be close-minded, love this film.

Fun late-nighter needs DVD treatment!!!
Help get Metalstorm to DVD! Write Universal, or Anchor Bay, or Blue Underground, or anybody! This great late-nighter is definitely in need for the digital treatment! Look, they put Spacehunter and Cherry 2000 on DVD!! And this movie is much more entertaining than them! I love the cheesy, goofy ending where Jared Syn is sliding down the time whirlpool that looks like he is going to the Land of the Lost or something! On my waiting list for movies to come out on DVD, this is right up there with "Night of the Creeps." Buy it if you can find it!

Worst sci-fi film ever!
The worst Science fiction I ever seen, so bad that it makes it good.

One of the COOLEST B movies EVER made.....
This movie was a favorite of mine as a young teenager! It still is a favorite of mine over 20 years later. Yes, the writing and story line are a bit strange, strained and simple. But this is due to much of the poor writing. But for being a low budget film, this movie is great. Its a cross between "Death Race 2000" and "Space Hunter". It was released in the theaters as a 3D movie in the early Eighties. The 3D effect is great!! By todays standards the movie truly shows its age. But you have to remember when it was made. Most of the technology of today hadn't even been invented yet! So it must be judged for what it is, a good science fiction story with some cool basic 3D special effects. IT IS A SCIENCE FICITON MOVIE AND STORY LINE. SO YOU NEED TO BE OPEN MINDED ABOUT THE STORYLINE AND POSSIBILITIES THAT SPACE AND SCIENCE FICTION OFFER.

The story line is rather simple.....Our hero (Jeffrey Byron) is a "Tracker" on an alien planet. Trackers are sort of like a cross between a police officer and an Army Ranger. He is searching for Jared-Syn a humanoid like alien who is set on taking over the known world. Byron comes upon the heroin (Kelly Preston) who's father was murdered by Jared-Syn's son and his followers. Upon being murdered all victims souls are stolen and stored in a huge storage crystal. Jared-Syn uses their souls as power for his evil plans. Byron vows to track down Jared-Syn and avenge Prestons fathers death.

This movie has a few know actors/actresses in it. Kelly Preston who married John Travolta. Then we have Tim Thomerson of the "Trancers" series fame and MANY MANY other B movies. Richard Moll of "Night Court" fame stars in this film also.

Just remember one thing......If you have the intellect to see beyond a movies flaws and use your imagination a bit, then this is a great movie to see and enjoy. If on the other hand you are a science fiction dweeb and geek who compares every movie to the likes of Star Wars or Star Trek then forget this movie and move on to your next corporate BILLION dollar budgeted movie.

IN SHORT MANY OF US LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!

WRETCHED!!!
It seems as though most of the reviewers have seen this film on cable, tv or video. I remember going to see this film when I was 14 in 1983. This film along with Jaws 3-D were released in 1983 and I was caught up in the whole 3-D thing. While at the time I found Jaws 3-D to be at least suspenseful I, as a teenager, was going to walk out of this horrible film. The only reason I stayed was because I paid for this movie and I wasn't going to walk out on something I paid good money for. In retrospect I think I did more harm in staying. I don't remember the plot the characters or much else. What I do remember is the I the rage that I felt at having wasted time and money by watching this film. The only way I could ever re-watch this film is if it airs on Mystery Theater so that I can poke fun at this film with the hosts of that show. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

They're the World's Oldest Party Animals!
I first saw "Prehysteria" on "The Disney Channel" in the early nineties. Since then, it's become one of my favorite movies of all time. The plot evolves around a greedy mueseum curator named Rico Sarno (Stephen Lee) who steals five sacred pygmy dinosour eggs from a tribe in South America. Hoping to make history, he brings them back to North America. But his plans are ruined when the eggs accidentally drop into the hands of Frank Taylor (Brett Cullen) and his kids pre-teen Jerry (Austin O'Brien) and teen Monica (Samantha Mills).

Frank is an archeologist who just barely makes a living by finding fossils and selling them to the mueseum Rico is in charge of. When the eggs are hatched by the Taylor's lonely dog they all try to keep the kind, cute and curious pygmy dinosaurs a secret. But Frank is falling in love with Vicki (Colleen Morris) an innocent young woman who works for Rico, and finds his life complicated when the dinos begin trashing his house and Rico finds out that they are in the Taylor's hands and he attempts to get them back.

"Prehysteria" is an all time favorite of mine because of the plot, the acting and the humor but especially because of the adorable pygmy dinosaurs. They look so life like and they make you wish they were your own. A big hand to the creator of them!

Though "Prehysteria" was a huge hit when it had it's direct-to-video release in 1993, it has been given thumbs down reviews by a bunch of critics. I don't see how that could possibly happen as it is a completely refreshing, cute and smart nineties family movie. I highly reccomend it to all!

Prehysteria is hysterical
This video is excellent for kids. There is no violence, though there are some uses of words of doubtful taste. There is an explanation of how the movie was made, how the dinosaurs were designed and created. Very creative and a cute vision of those violent animals that is not scary for the young children. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Different. Definately different.
I love bad movies. I have dozens of truly silly flicks and this one just fits right in. The special effects were considerably better than I expected, as was the acting. As usual, Jacqueline Lovell took what was given to her and made the best of it. Not nearly as bad as BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS (which is in my opinion THE worst movie ever made) but still fun.

Let's face it, people, if you want to enjoy yourself and watch these movies you need a great sense of humor, a willingness to overlook flawed material, and a good stiff drink. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. This ain't Oscar material. This is sit back with your friends, crank up the sound, relax and get ready to laugh your butt off. That's what bad movies are all about. This one will do just fine, thank you.

not weird enough
I thought this diverting little effort could have been pushed a lot further. Indeed, I was hoping for it to be a genuine cult item but I was left a little disappointed.
Not bad though and cheap enough to add your collection.
Now, where's The Dark Backward when you need it on dvd ?

Small Town Mutants
The Stackpooles are different from the rest of the town. They have money. They keep themselves apart from the town except when stocking up supplies. They are also quadruplets mutated in unusual ways.

One brother is dumb but super-strong. Another brother has super-senses (and really big eyes), the sister has unresistable powers of sexuality. The last brother, Myron, has all of the brains. He is the head of the family with a head as big as most peoples' torsos. They are also connected telepathically.

Grifters, infidelity and bribery drive a plot that reveals what the Stackpooles are up to in their isolated home. But Myron really hates not being in control and the battle of wills and tortures begins.

With liberal amounts of nudity, sex, and colorful characters this is an enjoyable and sometimes silly horror film that is very light on the blood and guts (although there is some finger breaking). I found it to be quite rewatchable and one of the better thought out Full Moon films. Myron is a wonderful evil genius.

Funny Movie If You Like Big Heads
This movie is about people backmailling a family of freaks who
do brain operations on people. These poor blackmailers do not know what they got themselves in for. If you like B horror movies then you will like this one. No one in this movie is normal.

Quality Viewing For Aeroflot Passengers Only
Question: How low can a movie go? Answer: VERY!

Initially, I was looking forward to seeing this flick, one that promised 'head over heels' fun in the tradition of Re-animator & Basket Case. But I should have known better.

With a box cover catchphrase of 'upset the head, and you're dead', this video nasty failed to live up even to MY extremely low expectations.

Set in a hicksville town called Nob Hollow....yes, that's right....Nob Hollow, the Stackpool family is up to the usual no good. While lacking the finesse of the Klopecs, this collection of circus sideshow oddities & mutants is bound to amuse. These oddballs are led by a psychic brainiac called Myron (better known as the head of the family). You see, Myron's exactly that...a horribly deformed gigantic head in a chair. Obviously a graduate of the 'Hideous Human Experimentation' University. Judging by his collection of grotesquely deformed & lobotomised victims, I'd say with full honours. Now here's a movie spot that even Eric Roberts would have rejected....er....well maybe. The special effects are cheap....I mean you have to convert the budget into Indian Rupee to be even slightly impressed. The plot's hardly worth mentioning suffice to say that the head is big and severely brain damaged. Save your bucks and buy a chuppa chup instead. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Cheesy, oh so cheesy!
You would think Demi Moore's first film, the aptly titled "Parasite," would attract more attention from moviegoers. Actually, I accidentally saw a few minutes of Moore on one of those late night talk shows recently and the host "surprised" her with about thirty seconds of cheesy footage from this 1982 film. The actress took it all in good stride, giggling and squirming over her histrionic performance in the film. After having seen "Parasite" in its entirety, I would have to say Moore is one of the bright spots in the movie, a painful admission for me considering my dislike for most of this actress's work. What can you expect from a Charles Band film, though? Yep, the producer of such shlocky pap as "Laserblast," "Puppet Master," and "Blood Dolls" is the driving force behind "Parasite." As serious horror fans know, Band worked under the Empire Pictures label before starting Full Moon Productions several years later. Low budget cheese lovers have learned to adore many of Band's inept pictures; but then again, how can you ignore a guy who consistently used puppets, dolls, or midgets in his films. Band has some sort of fixation for miniatures, a mania put to good use here with the cheesy looking parasite thingies.

Set in the future world of 1992, "Parasite" tells the story of the hapless Doctor Paul Dean. Dean worked for the merchants, or minions of ruthless corporations whose goal is to turn the population of the United States into slaves. The doctor, who wrote a book on parasites, created a vicious type of organism for the merchants. Why? Who knows, but in the course of his work Dean becomes infected with one of these grotesque organisms and runs away from the merchants in order to seek a cure before it kills him. He heads to the small town of Joshua, located out in the desert, where he runs into a gang of miscreants led by an escaped merchant slave, an elderly hotel owner with a penchant for pancake makeup and huge wigs, a cranky gas station owner, a restaurant proprietor with a huge scar on his face, and Demi Moore. Moore, who of course will become the heroine of the film, grows lemons on a little farm outside of town. No one in town is particularly friendly to outsiders, especially one in as shaky and sweaty of a condition as the shambling Dean. The doctor knows he must work quickly if he is to kill the parasite before the merchants locate him and bring him back to the city.

But wouldn't you know it? Dean keeps another parasite in a metal container that the town thugs promptly steal and release with disastrous consequences. The parasite is a nasty looking creature, long and rubbery with huge teeth. The creature attaches itself to a person and proceeds to feed upon the victim until they turn into a shriveled up husk and die. Fortunately for Dean, the one residing in his abdomen is in hibernation due to periodic injections of some strange fluid. The doctor is the fortunate one since those unlucky enough to encounter the other parasite die in extraordinarily gruesome ways. Think John Hurt in "Alien," with the creature bursting out of stomachs and faces with the concomitant spray of saucy effects. The gore, more than any other element of "Parasite," helps move the film along.

We never learn just what went on in the outside world to bring about such an unfortunate series of events. One of the characters mentions in passing that he left New York City when the atomic debris raining out of the sky began killing people. We also notice that gasoline costs roughly fifty dollars a gallon, silver rather than paper currency is the only acceptable mode of exchange, and merchants carry around some cheesy looking laser wand that can cut off people's hands with seeming ease. Merchants also drive really nice Ferrari type cars with nifty doors that open upwards rather than outwards. It figures the corporate types would get all the perks in the future. The merchant who comes for Dean is a rough sort, a guy clad in a three piece suit who thinks little of slapping poor Demi around in order to get information. We learn from Dean that this is the guy who acted as liaison between the corporations and the government in the parasite program. The summary of the film sounds impressive, but almost nothing seems to happen in this movie. I had little idea what was going on until roughly forty-five minutes into the picture.

I kept thinking about Band's film "Laserblast" as I watched "Parasite." The two films share similar locales, both have a mysterious figure showing up and asking a lot of questions (the merchant here and a government agent in "Laserblast"), and both have some nice slow motion violence. In "Laserblast," we saw a lot of hilarious car explosions and fires from numerous camera angles. Regrettably, we don't see nearly enough of this type of action in "Parasite." Granted, we do get a funny slow motion fistfight scene in the beginning, along with a guy on fire towards the end, but no cars blow up here (probably due to a sluggish car market caused by the apocalypse). One thing we do get from this film is much better performances from the cast. All the actors do an acceptable, if occasionally goofy, job playing their parts. Moore stands out, not surprisingly, and even strikes a pose eerily reminiscent of her teary scene at the end of "Ghost" eight years later. "Parasite" is a worthwhile film for cheese lovers, although Moore fans might wish to avoid it and watch instead some of her (supposedly) worthier projects.

parasite
Parasite is an awsome movie with one of the very best "face explosion" scenes ever. this movie doesn't drag and is a definite "sleeper" cult movie. plenty of gore and supprise as the monsters change as they grow leaving the viewer in the dark as to what's going to happen next. I wish they'd put this out on vhs.

flat and cropped presentation of widescreen 3-D movie
This was released to theatres in 1982 in full color polarized 3-D and widescreen (using the clear grey glasses) and on a low budget level was kind of fun. It is interesting today as it was Demi Moore's first film. I bet she leaves it off her resume these days. This DVD is presented flat and the widescreen image is cropped to fit the TV screen. I think they should have released it letterboxed at least. The 3-D is the main reason to watch the film anyway, so this DVD isn't really worth owning in my opinion. Better to search out the 3-D widescreen tapes that are out there (unofficially?) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

don't buy it- but if it comes on t.v..........
This is the type of movie few people will like enough to own. For its time (1985), it has great special effects, and the plot at the very least is inventive. A computer geek goes through a 'vortex', and has to save his girlfriend from the enemy. The enemy makes him go through about six different situations, and the nerd has to think his way out of it (with the help of his computer, of course).

This movie is not to be taken seriously in any way, shape or form. Serious film seekers stay away at ALL costs!! This film is a time- killer, plain and simple. A rainy day, nothing better to do kind of movie. In that context, this is a four star movie.

This is the type of movie you watch just for the expierence of watching it. I forewarn you; at times the dialouge is total cheese, but if you like (a) science fiction or (b) to watch strange films about 10 people have seen before (or a mix of both) either rent it or watch it on t.v. Who knows, you may be one of the few who wants to own it!

BLACKIE LAWLESS!!
The guy on the cover looks a lot like the lead singer from the worlds greatest metal band, W.A.S.P. That's because it's him!! That's right, Blackie Lawless and the rest of W.A.S.P. make a cameo appearance as Satan's rock band. Sort of the official "house band" of Hades!! Cool Stuff / Corny Movie!! GREAT!! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Where do i find the music?
The movie was "interesting" it takes some getting used to, u just have to laugh with it. I've been trying forever to track down the band that does the song "pain" but I can't figure out who sings it. the music video says "blood dolls" but nothing shows up on them as being a real band...

I'm almost ashamed
I'm almost ashamed to admit this but I loved this movie. The first time I saw it I thought it was a parody but by the third or fourth time it simply grew on me. Virgil is a billionaire with an anatomical problem and a totally out of control sense of humor. His henchman Mr. Mascaro is a clown who has no intention of making you laugh. Virgil has a live band held captive in the living room and has living dolls who kill people. Sounds ridiculous right? Well it is but Blood Dolls never pretends to be anything more than the B flick it is.

An affordable, funny title
I avoided this movie for quite some time, wondering if it would have anything at all to offer. Just looking at the packaging and promotion made it seem as if this movie might be nothing more than a Puppet Master spoof, and that worried me a little. Still, it was a Full Moon production and I wasn't semi-certain that Full Moon wouldn't do that to one of their more successful franchises, so I cast my fear aside and bought it. Happily, I have to say that I made the right choice in the matter.
Blood Dolls was indeed a spoof of Puppet Master, but only to a point. It also went even further than that, going out of its way to help even the most reserved viewer have at least a little laugh. The story focuses around Virgil, an eccentric billionaire, who wears a mask to conceal the fact that he has a really odd secret. Still, this does little to conceal how truly twisted his sense of humor is, and how much he delights in power and acquisition. Added to this is an entertaining support cast, from his girls-in-a-cage band that he forces to play at will, to his biological inventions, the blood dolls.
It isn't something that should be taken too seriously, and is positively entertaining.
Everyone needs a little laughtrack to get them through the night.

FULLMOON FAN
Sorry, but I can't agree with any of the reviews beyond one star. If Plan 9 From Outer Space is considered the worst movie of all time, then Blood Dolls has to be a very close second. Now I'm a huge fan of Full Moon Pictures and will continue to be so, but if Charles Band can aesthetically justify the means on Videozone as to his reasons for making such a stupid, ridiculous and non-sensical flick, then I'm afraid that Mr. Band no longer has what it takes to make a good, or at least decent, horror movie. There was no need or justification of an all-female band held captive and forced to do the bidding of Virgil to simply play music; the role of the dolls, at best, were minimal; and the plot was simply stupid, forced and over contrived with flawed, foolish and unbelieveable characters such as a dominatrix, a sidekick killer clown ..., a masochist--absolutely foolish in all aspects. Please bring back the imagination that created such great Full Moon pictures such as Shrieker and the Puppet Masters, and my absolute favorite, which was created in 1995, the unedited version of Castle Freak with Jeffrey Coombs. ...

Just Wondering
I think the movie is kinda a kip off of a nother movie but this one is better and the band in the move is very good and so are the songs and if anyone knows the name i would like to know ... Read more

Reviews (2)

don't buy it- but if it comes on t.v..........
This is the type of movie few people will like enough to own. For its time (1985), it has great special effects, and the plot at the very least is inventive. A computer geek goes through a 'vortex', and has to save his girlfriend from the enemy. The enemy makes him go through about six different situations, and the nerd has to think his way out of it (with the help of his computer, of course).

This movie is not to be taken seriously in any way, shape or form. Serious film seekers stay away at ALL costs!! This film is a time- killer, plain and simple. A rainy day, nothing better to do kind of movie. In that context, this is a four star movie.

This is the type of movie you watch just for the expierence of watching it. I forewarn you; at times the dialouge is total cheese, but if you like (a) science fiction or (b) to watch strange films about 10 people have seen before (or a mix of both) either rent it or watch it on t.v. Who knows, you may be one of the few who wants to own it!

BLACKIE LAWLESS!!
The guy on the cover looks a lot like the lead singer from the worlds greatest metal band, W.A.S.P. That's because it's him!! That's right, Blackie Lawless and the rest of W.A.S.P. make a cameo appearance as Satan's rock band. Sort of the official "house band" of Hades!! Cool Stuff / Corny Movie!! GREAT!! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Don't mess with Deth
A science-fiction fantasy adventure set in Angel City (Los Angeles) in the year 2257. Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is a Trancer-hunter. Deth's mission in life is to hunt down members of a phsyic cult of zombie-like creatures called Trancers, under the control of a man named Martin Whistler. However, Whistler has escaped back in time to become one of his ancestors, in 1985 Los Angeles.

I like to say this is the Evil Dead (or Army of Darkness) of the Sci-Fi genre. Evil Dead is acclaimed as being one of the best horror movies for what it could do with its low-budget, Trancers does this in the same fashion. Tim Thomerson plays Jack Deth, who could go one-on-one with any hero in any movie. Deth has some great lines in the movie which are often quite funny, if your name was Jack Deth, you know you would talk in the 3rd person don't you!?

The special effects, although not great by todays standards, do get the job done. The soundtrack to this movie is also pretty good. The movie itself gets a full 5 out of 5 stars, although the DVD could have been much better. This is a must for any action or sci-fi fan to put into their collection.

Overall : 5/5

Jack Deth is back and he's never been here before...
A science-fiction fantasy adventure set in Angel City (Los Angeles) in the year 2257. Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is a Trancer-hunter. Deth's mission in life is to hunt down members of a phsyic cult of zombie-like creatures called Trancers, under the control of a man named Martin Whistler. However, Whistler has escaped back in time to become one of his ancestors, in 1985 Los Angeles.

I like to say this is the Evil Dead (or Army of Darkness) of the Sci-Fi genre. Evil Dead is acclaimed as being one of the best horror movies for what it could do with its low-budget, Trancers does this in the same fashion. Tim Thomerson plays Jack Deth, who could go one-on-one with any hero in any movie. Deth has some great lines in the movie which are often quite funny, if your name was Jack Deth, you know you would talk in the 3rd person don't you!?

The special effects, although not great by todays standards, do get the job done. The soundtrack to this movie is also pretty good. The movie itself gets a full 5 out of 5 stars, although the DVD could have been much better. This is a must for any action or sci-fi fan to put into their collection.

Overall : 5/5

Trancers
One of the greatest movie ever made! I wish all the other ones were out as well! I had 7 of them on vhs! I miss them!
Jack death is totally cool in it!!
Great special effects!
Great story! The time is the future and the country has changed! Police are called troopers and that is what jack is!
His job is to kill trancers to save the human race. He is a man that you can count on to do his job. In the future there is a war between the humans and the trancers with whistler who is the head of the trancers to went down the line to the past in the body of his ancestor who was a police officer. Jack must fight impossible odds to try to save whistler ancestor and himself and the world. Just a little bit to get the juices flowing!

Eerily Entertaining Sci-Fi Movie
"What kind of name is Peter Gunn?" "What kind of name is Jack Deth?" is just one of the memorable lines you will see in this low budget 1985 cult thriller "Trancers," starring the ever reliable Tim Thomerson and a struggling Helen Hunt. "Trancers" spawned five sequels, all of which never quite duplicated the fun of the original. I saw somewhere on the Internet that Thomerson is the "King of the B movies," but "Trancers" is the one film he made that stands head and shoulders above all others. If you draw a blank with the name "Tim Thomerson," you most likely saw him in a few bigger budget pictures, such as "Air America, "Uncommon Valor," and "Who's Harry Crumb?" He's done television work as well, appearing on "Xena" and "The Days of Our Lives." Once you recognize Thomerson, you'll remember his appearance in numerous films. Helen Hunt should need no introduction, but the fact that she appears in this low budget film is oddly jarring. Hunt went on to appear in two "Trancers" sequels before moving on to "Mad About You" and eventual stardom.

"Trancers" opens with a futuristic L.A. The majority of Los Angeles sits under water, a victim of a massive earthquake. A council rules the remaining areas of the city, but their reign is under fire by a man named Whistler, an evil psychic with the ability to put certain weak-minded people (called squids) under a "trance." Whistler hopes to overthrow the council with his trancer shock troops. Trancers tend to be rather ugly blokes, with crusty looking lips and yellowish skin. The council dealt a series of blows to Whistler and his movement with the help of trancer hunters like Jack Deth. Deth and his fellow officers move around the city, hunting down trancers in order to kill them. Jack refers to this process as "singeing" because a trancer shot with a gun burns away, leaving only a black, ashy outline on the ground.

After Jack quits the force over a dispute with his boss, he's suddenly called back to duty when an emergency arises. It seems Whistler sent himself "down the line" (read: time traveled into the past) to Los Angeles in 1985, where he hopes to hatch a plan that will doom the council and allow himself to take over. Jack Deth must now follow Whistler back in time in order to put an end to the nightmare of the trancers. When Jack goes down the line he meets Lena (Helen Hunt), who quickly becomes a part of the mission to track down Whistler. Predictably, a romance springs up between Deth and Lena as the two race around L.A. battling Whistler's new batch of trancers.

It's difficult to tell if "Trancers" is a serious science fiction film or a sly spoof. There are a lot of gags and jokes centered on Christmas in 1985 Los Angeles, especially with Lena's job as an elf at a department store. I don't want to spoil this scene for you, but it is one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile. Imagine a battle with foam candy canes, a set of antlers, and a falling Christmas prop and you'll get the idea. This battle in the mall also leads to one of the funniest lines in the film when a lady calls security on a walkie-talkie and squawks, "Security, we've got trouble at the North Pole." If the idea of a singed Santa named Murray appeals to you, buy "Trancers" right away.

There are other elements in this film that might appeal to the dedicated cheese lover. Watch how Thomerson drives the car; his hands twist and turn the wheel but the car continues moving in a straight line. Then there is the deadly effect of a tanning booth, which apparently can radiate enough heat to singe a raincoat or burn hands. Jack's special watch, which can freeze time for ten seconds, seems to stop time for minutes. These are small problems that instead of detracting from the film actually serve to add a chuckle or two. Arguably, the biggest joke in the film is the trancers themselves. They aren't that hard to kill, don't look particularly scary or dangerous, and have absolutely no powers whatsoever. You'd figure that at the very least the trancers would possess some sort of psychic power with which to threaten our heroes. You'd be wrong. These guys are so weak you could kill them by hitting them over the head with a rolled up newspaper. Be sure and watch for Deth's first encounter with a trancer in the diner of the future L.A.; I laughed for a long time over the uppercut he delivers to an old waitress when she turns out to be a trancer.

"Trancers" is actually entertaining overall, with an occasionally cool soundtrack, funny dialogue, and better acting than one usually finds in a movie of this caliber. I really enjoyed Thomerson as Jack Deth; he's fun to watch and actually makes you root for his character. It's too bad the people who made the DVD didn't take the film seriously, as the transfer is fuzzy, there's a dead spot in the middle of the movie, and no commentary. What the DVD does have, amazingly enough, is a whopping FORTY-FIVE trailers on the reverse side of the disc. Sure, the trailers are for low budget clunkers like "Puppet Master" and "Robot Wars," but it's still great to watch them. For the price, "Trancers" is well worth the time. Hopefully, the rest of the series will come out on DVD soon.

Jack Deth is BACK!
And he's never even been here before! Classic quotable ad line for the cult hit Trancers back when it played in theaters in 1985. Yeah, Trancers really played the big screen venues back before video ate up the grindhouse theater chains that booked these exploitive little trash movie gems. Charles Band (of Full Moon fame) created his own little movie studio, the now defunct Empire Pictures, which scored a megahit with Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator and, from 1983 until 1988 (or 89), released many a great piece of low rent cinema, Trancers being one the tiny studio's bigger non-Stuart Gordon hits (Ghoulies was the other one).

Jack Deth is an Angel City cop tracking down the last few Trancers, people who have become mental zombies enslaved to their psychic leader Whistler, who Deth singed (slang for dispatch revolver style) on one of the 'Rim Worlds'. But it turns out that Whistler is not dead, he has gone 'down the line' to wipe out the current Angel City Council members family lines. Deth has to go back in time, to 1985 Los Angeles, and snag Whistler before he rewrites the future to his power mad liking.

Although Trancers has plot holes and paradoxes you can drive several highways through, the script manages some real wit and fun with its premise and character actor Tim Thomerson is obviously having a blast playing Deth. The Full Moon (now Koch Distributing) DVD is just a copy of the Vestron Video laserdisc release, presenting the movie in full frame and offering up some bios and filmographies of the various actors. 40 trailers for most of Band's Full Moon output is offered on the b-side and that makes this disc all the more worth having. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

DEFORMED. DEVIOUS. DEPRAVED.!!!
Dr. Lorca (Michael Citriniti), an eccentric collector of biological oddities-has just "acquired" his greatest specimen; a horrible mutant born of noxious waste...but the creature's rightful owner wants it back.
The collectors' clash is cut short though, as the sickening specimen come to life, re-animating an angry, oozing little army of ferocious freaks.

DEFORMED. DEVIOUS. DEPRAVED.!!
Dr. Lorca, an eccentric collector of biological oddities-has just "acquired" his greatest specimen; a horrible mutant born of noxious waste...but the creature's rightful owner wants it back. The collectors' clash is cut short though, as the sickening specimen comes to life, re-animating an angry, oozing little army of ferocious freaks.

FULL MOON'S BEST!!!
This is an amazing dark comedy!TWO CRAZED COLLECTORS+ONE MONEY HUNGRY SALES WOMAN+ONE DETECTIVE+ONE SEXY ASSISTANT+ONE DITZ+FOUR DEFORMED,DEVEOUS,AND DEPRAVED MUTANTS=TROUBLE!Belinda Yoste sells mutatet embryos.Two crazed collectors Dr. Lorca and Dr.Lazar are after a new speciman that she is selling.After she sold it to Dr. Lazar Lorca's assistant Sheila steels it after they found out about it from Belinda's ditz receptionist Elvina.Soon after Lazar hires a detective, Mr.Kanter to find them.He,Mr.Lazar,Belinda,and Elvina travle to his castle to find them.It all hites the fan when Lorca's four mutants break free.Who will survive?How will they stop them?

Leather shorts, hiking boots, and a gorilla mask
The plot is simple (much like the acting of the two "collectors"): biological freaks vs collectors-- freaks 4, collectors 0.

Repeat after me. "THIS IS A REALLY BAD MOVIE". How bad was it? So bad that I lost no time buying HEAD OF THE FAMILY, which is even worse. Jacqueline Lovell picks up this movie and walks off with it. Watch it with friends. We laughed, we groaned, we pointed out mistakes, and we all fell in love with Lovell's Sheila character. Anyone can be a highwayperson but how many do it in the dead of winter amidst a snow covered landscape dressed ONLY in hiking boots, leather shorts and a gorilla mask? Definately a first for me.

The effects were laughable, which made the movie even more fun. Lovell and company (most of which did a surprisingly good job in the acting dept.) kept us interested and amused. I loved this movie!

Hideous!!!!!!!!
This story from Full Moon Pictures is about some little creatures who are made of, and are born in toxic waste. Killing starts and terror begins. Rated R for nudity, violence, and language. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a shame
i am a fan of indie films and b-movies and am well aware that the caliber of each actor will not always be up to par with that of the mainstreamers, but this usually fair and understanding critic was shocked and disgusted with the performance of one of the child actor, Daniel Hartley. the film itself was entertaining and well directed but mr. Hartley drew my attention in every scene he was in. his clishe facial expressions and predictable deliveries turned the movie into a joke and seriously scarred what would have been a decent comedy. see the movie, it's good, but be prepared for the bumbling, inept danial hartley.

Good Movie, But Hartley Goes BONK
Ok... I saw this movie on T.V. and I first want to say that it is an ok movie and has some good scenes, but the introduction of the character played by Daniel Hartley almost made me vomit. His acting is horrid and the way he delivers a line reminds me of an old WWII German pep-rally. Daniel Hartley's protrail of his charater is so like Hitler himself, I am surprised they allowed it to make the final cut. I recomend the film... but warn against Hartley's performance. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

brillance
everyone who has tried to belittle this film before me can go straight to hell. you obviously know nothing about filmmaking. i have only seen about fifteen minutes of metal storm and i'm ready to bust the bank on this masterpiece. My favorite scene occured when the characters rode air-jets through a canyon, and then one of them said,"Open the way", before entering a captivating computer grid. To all of you disbelievers, rewatch this film from this gem of wisdom, "open the way", don't be close-minded, love this film.

Fun late-nighter needs DVD treatment!!!
Help get Metalstorm to DVD! Write Universal, or Anchor Bay, or Blue Underground, or anybody! This great late-nighter is definitely in need for the digital treatment! Look, they put Spacehunter and Cherry 2000 on DVD!! And this movie is much more entertaining than them! I love the cheesy, goofy ending where Jared Syn is sliding down the time whirlpool that looks like he is going to the Land of the Lost or something! On my waiting list for movies to come out on DVD, this is right up there with "Night of the Creeps." Buy it if you can find it!

Worst sci-fi film ever!
The worst Science fiction I ever seen, so bad that it makes it good.

One of the COOLEST B movies EVER made.....
This movie was a favorite of mine as a young teenager! It still is a favorite of mine over 20 years later. Yes, the writing and story line are a bit strange, strained and simple. But this is due to much of the poor writing. But for being a low budget film, this movie is great. Its a cross between "Death Race 2000" and "Space Hunter". It was released in the theaters as a 3D movie in the early Eighties. The 3D effect is great!! By todays standards the movie truly shows its age. But you have to remember when it was made. Most of the technology of today hadn't even been invented yet! So it must be judged for what it is, a good science fiction story with some cool basic 3D special effects. IT IS A SCIENCE FICITON MOVIE AND STORY LINE. SO YOU NEED TO BE OPEN MINDED ABOUT THE STORYLINE AND POSSIBILITIES THAT SPACE AND SCIENCE FICTION OFFER.

The story line is rather simple.....Our hero (Jeffrey Byron) is a "Tracker" on an alien planet. Trackers are sort of like a cross between a police officer and an Army Ranger. He is searching for Jared-Syn a humanoid like alien who is set on taking over the known world. Byron comes upon the heroin (Kelly Preston) who's father was murdered by Jared-Syn's son and his followers. Upon being murdered all victims souls are stolen and stored in a huge storage crystal. Jared-Syn uses their souls as power for his evil plans. Byron vows to track down Jared-Syn and avenge Prestons fathers death.

This movie has a few know actors/actresses in it. Kelly Preston who married John Travolta. Then we have Tim Thomerson of the "Trancers" series fame and MANY MANY other B movies. Richard Moll of "Night Court" fame stars in this film also.

Just remember one thing......If you have the intellect to see beyond a movies flaws and use your imagination a bit, then this is a great movie to see and enjoy. If on the other hand you are a science fiction dweeb and geek who compares every movie to the likes of Star Wars or Star Trek then forget this movie and move on to your next corporate BILLION dollar budgeted movie.

IN SHORT MANY OF US LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!

WRETCHED!!!
It seems as though most of the reviewers have seen this film on cable, tv or video. I remember going to see this film when I was 14 in 1983. This film along with Jaws 3-D were released in 1983 and I was caught up in the whole 3-D thing. While at the time I found Jaws 3-D to be at least suspenseful I, as a teenager, was going to walk out of this horrible film. The only reason I stayed was because I paid for this movie and I wasn't going to walk out on something I paid good money for. In retrospect I think I did more harm in staying. I don't remember the plot the characters or much else. What I do remember is the I the rage that I felt at having wasted time and money by watching this film. The only way I could ever re-watch this film is if it airs on Mystery Theater so that I can poke fun at this film with the hosts of that show. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Don't mess with Deth
A science-fiction fantasy adventure set in Angel City (Los Angeles) in the year 2257. Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is a Trancer-hunter. Deth's mission in life is to hunt down members of a phsyic cult of zombie-like creatures called Trancers, under the control of a man named Martin Whistler. However, Whistler has escaped back in time to become one of his ancestors, in 1985 Los Angeles.

I like to say this is the Evil Dead (or Army of Darkness) of the Sci-Fi genre. Evil Dead is acclaimed as being one of the best horror movies for what it could do with its low-budget, Trancers does this in the same fashion. Tim Thomerson plays Jack Deth, who could go one-on-one with any hero in any movie. Deth has some great lines in the movie which are often quite funny, if your name was Jack Deth, you know you would talk in the 3rd person don't you!?

The special effects, although not great by todays standards, do get the job done. The soundtrack to this movie is also pretty good. The movie itself gets a full 5 out of 5 stars, although the DVD could have been much better. This is a must for any action or sci-fi fan to put into their collection.

Overall : 5/5

Jack Deth is back and he's never been here before...
A science-fiction fantasy adventure set in Angel City (Los Angeles) in the year 2257. Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is a Trancer-hunter. Deth's mission in life is to hunt down members of a phsyic cult of zombie-like creatures called Trancers, under the control of a man named Martin Whistler. However, Whistler has escaped back in time to become one of his ancestors, in 1985 Los Angeles.

I like to say this is the Evil Dead (or Army of Darkness) of the Sci-Fi genre. Evil Dead is acclaimed as being one of the best horror movies for what it could do with its low-budget, Trancers does this in the same fashion. Tim Thomerson plays Jack Deth, who could go one-on-one with any hero in any movie. Deth has some great lines in the movie which are often quite funny, if your name was Jack Deth, you know you would talk in the 3rd person don't you!?

The special effects, although not great by todays standards, do get the job done. The soundtrack to this movie is also pretty good. The movie itself gets a full 5 out of 5 stars, although the DVD could have been much better. This is a must for any action or sci-fi fan to put into their collection.

Overall : 5/5

Trancers
One of the greatest movie ever made! I wish all the other ones were out as well! I had 7 of them on vhs! I miss them!
Jack death is totally cool in it!!
Great special effects!
Great story! The time is the future and the country has changed! Police are called troopers and that is what jack is!
His job is to kill trancers to save the human race. He is a man that you can count on to do his job. In the future there is a war between the humans and the trancers with whistler who is the head of the trancers to went down the line to the past in the body of his ancestor who was a police officer. Jack must fight impossible odds to try to save whistler ancestor and himself and the world. Just a little bit to get the juices flowing!

Eerily Entertaining Sci-Fi Movie
"What kind of name is Peter Gunn?" "What kind of name is Jack Deth?" is just one of the memorable lines you will see in this low budget 1985 cult thriller "Trancers," starring the ever reliable Tim Thomerson and a struggling Helen Hunt. "Trancers" spawned five sequels, all of which never quite duplicated the fun of the original. I saw somewhere on the Internet that Thomerson is the "King of the B movies," but "Trancers" is the one film he made that stands head and shoulders above all others. If you draw a blank with the name "Tim Thomerson," you most likely saw him in a few bigger budget pictures, such as "Air America, "Uncommon Valor," and "Who's Harry Crumb?" He's done television work as well, appearing on "Xena" and "The Days of Our Lives." Once you recognize Thomerson, you'll remember his appearance in numerous films. Helen Hunt should need no introduction, but the fact that she appears in this low budget film is oddly jarring. Hunt went on to appear in two "Trancers" sequels before moving on to "Mad About You" and eventual stardom.

"Trancers" opens with a futuristic L.A. The majority of Los Angeles sits under water, a victim of a massive earthquake. A council rules the remaining areas of the city, but their reign is under fire by a man named Whistler, an evil psychic with the ability to put certain weak-minded people (called squids) under a "trance." Whistler hopes to overthrow the council with his trancer shock troops. Trancers tend to be rather ugly blokes, with crusty looking lips and yellowish skin. The council dealt a series of blows to Whistler and his movement with the help of trancer hunters like Jack Deth. Deth and his fellow officers move around the city, hunting down trancers in order to kill them. Jack refers to this process as "singeing" because a trancer shot with a gun burns away, leaving only a black, ashy outline on the ground.

After Jack quits the force over a dispute with his boss, he's suddenly called back to duty when an emergency arises. It seems Whistler sent himself "down the line" (read: time traveled into the past) to Los Angeles in 1985, where he hopes to hatch a plan that will doom the council and allow himself to take over. Jack Deth must now follow Whistler back in time in order to put an end to the nightmare of the trancers. When Jack goes down the line he meets Lena (Helen Hunt), who quickly becomes a part of the mission to track down Whistler. Predictably, a romance springs up between Deth and Lena as the two race around L.A. battling Whistler's new batch of trancers.

It's difficult to tell if "Trancers" is a serious science fiction film or a sly spoof. There are a lot of gags and jokes centered on Christmas in 1985 Los Angeles, especially with Lena's job as an elf at a department store. I don't want to spoil this scene for you, but it is one of the funniest things I've seen in awhile. Imagine a battle with foam candy canes, a set of antlers, and a falling Christmas prop and you'll get the idea. This battle in the mall also leads to one of the funniest lines in the film when a lady calls security on a walkie-talkie and squawks, "Security, we've got trouble at the North Pole." If the idea of a singed Santa named Murray appeals to you, buy "Trancers" right away.

There are other elements in this film that might appeal to the dedicated cheese lover. Watch how Thomerson drives the car; his hands twist and turn the wheel but the car continues moving in a straight line. Then there is the deadly effect of a tanning booth, which apparently can radiate enough heat to singe a raincoat or burn hands. Jack's special watch, which can freeze time for ten seconds, seems to stop time for minutes. These are small problems that instead of detracting from the film actually serve to add a chuckle or two. Arguably, the biggest joke in the film is the trancers themselves. They aren't that hard to kill, don't look particularly scary or dangerous, and have absolutely no powers whatsoever. You'd figure that at the very least the trancers would possess some sort of psychic power with which to threaten our heroes. You'd be wrong. These guys are so weak you could kill them by hitting them over the head with a rolled up newspaper. Be sure and watch for Deth's first encounter with a trancer in the diner of the future L.A.; I laughed for a long time over the uppercut he delivers to an old waitress when she turns out to be a trancer.

"Trancers" is actually entertaining overall, with an occasionally cool soundtrack, funny dialogue, and better acting than one usually finds in a movie of this caliber. I really enjoyed Thomerson as Jack Deth; he's fun to watch and actually makes you root for his character. It's too bad the people who made the DVD didn't take the film seriously, as the transfer is fuzzy, there's a dead spot in the middle of the movie, and no commentary. What the DVD does have, amazingly enough, is a whopping FORTY-FIVE trailers on the reverse side of the disc. Sure, the trailers are for low budget clunkers like "Puppet Master" and "Robot Wars," but it's still great to watch them. For the price, "Trancers" is well worth the time. Hopefully, the rest of the series will come out on DVD soon.

Jack Deth is BACK!
And he's never even been here before! Classic quotable ad line for the cult hit Trancers back when it played in theaters in 1985. Yeah, Trancers really played the big screen venues back before video ate up the grindhouse theater chains that booked these exploitive little trash movie gems. Charles Band (of Full Moon fame) created his own little movie studio, the now defunct Empire Pictures, which scored a megahit with Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator and, from 1983 until 1988 (or 89), released many a great piece of low rent cinema, Trancers being one the tiny studio's bigger non-Stuart Gordon hits (Ghoulies was the other one).

Jack Deth is an Angel City cop tracking down the last few Trancers, people who have become mental zombies enslaved to their psychic leader Whistler, who Deth singed (slang for dispatch revolver style) on one of the 'Rim Worlds'. But it turns out that Whistler is not dead, he has gone 'down the line' to wipe out the current Angel City Council members family lines. Deth has to go back in time, to 1985 Los Angeles, and snag Whistler before he rewrites the future to his power mad liking.

Although Trancers has plot holes and paradoxes you can drive several highways through, the script manages some real wit and fun with its premise and character actor Tim Thomerson is obviously having a blast playing Deth. The Full Moon (now Koch Distributing) DVD is just a copy of the Vestron Video laserdisc release, presenting the movie in full frame and offering up some bios and filmographies of the various actors. 40 trailers for most of Band's Full Moon output is offered on the b-side and that makes this disc all the more worth having. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

They're the World's Oldest Party Animals!
I first saw "Prehysteria" on "The Disney Channel" in the early nineties. Since then, it's become one of my favorite movies of all time. The plot evolves around a greedy mueseum curator named Rico Sarno (Stephen Lee) who steals five sacred pygmy dinosour eggs from a tribe in South America. Hoping to make history, he brings them back to North America. But his plans are ruined when the eggs accidentally drop into the hands of Frank Taylor (Brett Cullen) and his kids pre-teen Jerry (Austin O'Brien) and teen Monica (Samantha Mills).

Frank is an archeologist who just barely makes a living by finding fossils and selling them to the mueseum Rico is in charge of. When the eggs are hatched by the Taylor's lonely dog they all try to keep the kind, cute and curious pygmy dinosaurs a secret. But Frank is falling in love with Vicki (Colleen Morris) an innocent young woman who works for Rico, and finds his life complicated when the dinos begin trashing his house and Rico finds out that they are in the Taylor's hands and he attempts to get them back.

"Prehysteria" is an all time favorite of mine because of the plot, the acting and the humor but especially because of the adorable pygmy dinosaurs. They look so life like and they make you wish they were your own. A big hand to the creator of them!

Though "Prehysteria" was a huge hit when it had it's direct-to-video release in 1993, it has been given thumbs down reviews by a bunch of critics. I don't see how that could possibly happen as it is a completely refreshing, cute and smart nineties family movie. I highly reccomend it to all!

Prehysteria is hysterical
This video is excellent for kids. There is no violence, though there are some uses of words of doubtful taste. There is an explanation of how the movie was made, how the dinosaurs were designed and created. Very creative and a cute vision of those violent animals that is not scary for the young children. ... Read more