A teenage girl goes to an abortion clinic to have her baby aborted, saying it is God's will. At the same time, her father and three brothers decide to overtake the clinic guerrilla-style because killing abortionists is God's will. Things get even messier when the doctors suspect that the teenager was impregnated by her own father. Perhaps the film could have been called "Assault on Abortion Clinic 13".
Some good things can be said about this episode. For example, Caitlin Wachs (who plays the lead, Angelique Burcell, and is best known for playing Penny in "Inspector Gadget 2") is amazing. From the first frame with her running, she struck me as a very good lead... not sure why, but she did. And Ron Perlman (aka "Hellboy") as her father. Wow, you couldn't cast a better God-loving maniac.
And they deal with abortion issues, which is always a tough thing to do. Granted, this is a horror show and not a political or religious program, but I think they did a fine job of making the audience question themselves -- making both sides of the issue look like they should consider the alternative.
But despite these things -- and some great gore shots -- there was something missing. The biggest thing I noticed was the film quality. It appeared to be more like a made-for-TV movie than an actual film. The quality of a crappy Stephen King mini-series. And yeah, technically these are made-for-TV movies, but this was the first one so far I really felt like it was.
Also, who did the makeup and costumes. I don't want to blame Lyn Kelly, so it must have been someone else (and I won't bother to look who it was offhand). I don't want to ruin anything, but at one point there is a creature that makes an appearance... and it is obviously a man in a rubber suit. I don't expect perfection (many films succeed with poor costumes) but the costume was just so cheesy... there was no way to be scared or take the creature seriously.
This is the second episode of Season Two I have watched, and both have let me down. Please don't tell me the series is already on a downward spiral. I was really hoping for a season three and four to blow my mind -- so many masters have not touched this show yet. So, I was disappointed by the series and I was disappointed by John Carpenter. I know he can make some crap ("Ghosts of Mars") but he has such a rich history, too. Yet, you should see this for the same reason you watched "Homecoming" -- the issues raised make the movie's failings tolerable.
Some good things can be said about this episode. For example, Caitlin Wachs (who plays the lead, Angelique Burcell, and is best known for playing Penny in "Inspector Gadget 2") is amazing. From the first frame with her running, she struck me as a very good lead... not sure why, but she did. And Ron Perlman (aka "Hellboy") as her father. Wow, you couldn't cast a better God-loving maniac.
And they deal with abortion issues, which is always a tough thing to do. Granted, this is a horror show and not a political or religious program, but I think they did a fine job of making the audience question themselves -- making both sides of the issue look like they should consider the alternative.
But despite these things -- and some great gore shots -- there was something missing. The biggest thing I noticed was the film quality. It appeared to be more like a made-for-TV movie than an actual film. The quality of a crappy Stephen King mini-series. And yeah, technically these are made-for-TV movies, but this was the first one so far I really felt like it was.
Also, who did the makeup and costumes. I don't want to blame Lyn Kelly, so it must have been someone else (and I won't bother to look who it was offhand). I don't want to ruin anything, but at one point there is a creature that makes an appearance... and it is obviously a man in a rubber suit. I don't expect perfection (many films succeed with poor costumes) but the costume was just so cheesy... there was no way to be scared or take the creature seriously.
This is the second episode of Season Two I have watched, and both have let me down. Please don't tell me the series is already on a downward spiral. I was really hoping for a season three and four to blow my mind -- so many masters have not touched this show yet. So, I was disappointed by the series and I was disappointed by John Carpenter. I know he can make some crap ("Ghosts of Mars") but he has such a rich history, too. Yet, you should see this for the same reason you watched "Homecoming" -- the issues raised make the movie's failings tolerable.