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Dom Robinson reviews
Mosaic Movies
- Cert:
- Cat.no: MMD 30125
- Running time: 97 minutes
- Year: 2000
- Pressing: 2002
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 15 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: None
- Widescreen: 16:9 (1.77:1)
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £15.99
- Extras: Behind-the-scenes, Photo Gallery, Trailer, Interviews, Production Notes
Director:
- Brian Yuzna
(Beyond Re-Animator, Bride of Re-Animator, The Dentist 1 & 2, Faust: Love of the Damned, Progeny, Return of the Living Dead Part 3, Society)
Producers:
- Julio Fernandez and Brian Yuzna
Screenplay:
- David Quinn
Music:
- Xavier Capellas
Cast:
- John: Mark Frost
Jade de Camp: Isabel Brook
Lt Dan Margolies: Jeffrey Combs
Claire: Monica Van Campen
Blue: Jennifer Rope
Newscaster: Leslie Charles
M: Andrew Divoff
John Jaspers – nutty psycho or just a misunderstood guy? Could be either but he doesn’t have a very good start when his girlfriend is sadistically killed right in front of him and he’s promised the chance to get revenge when he meet the non-Bond M (Andrew Divoff), who provides John with long silver blades that shoot out from his wrists, rather like Wolverine in X-Men with which to strike back.
Not everyone understands him though and the mental and physical torture that ensues includes being locked in a mental asylum under the investigation of psychiatrist Jade de Camp (Isabel Brook), but also being buried alive by M and having to fight your way out. What follows is far from original as John, now known as Faust, believes he has sold his soul to M in return for his new persona, behaves like some kind of superhero doing all the things that a superhero does such as saving the pretty maiden psychiatrist when she gets into a scrape. Yes, it’s a “Beauty and the Beast” situation.
There’s also many a scene that doesn’t make a massive amount of sense but then they’re not really meant to, as well as plenty of gore including one kinky sex scene that goes far beyond what you’d even expect from a Michael Hutchence home movie.
Also along for the ride and on John’s trail is Lt Dan Margolies played by Jeffrey Combs who at times appears rather like an older Jim Carrey and just as manic. Most recently he has been seen in the UK in Peter Jackson‘s fantastic The Frighteners alongside Michael J. Fox. Andrew Divoff makes for an intriguing and self-indulgent bad guy.
Highly-recommended stuff for the schlock-horror lovers who don’t hanker for complete originality but love what they are given done very well.
John goes for a double-header. Both the sound and picture on this disc are absolutely first-rate. The film is framed in the original 16:9 and is anamorphic. Inventive use of special FX as the director teams up again with Screaming Mad George, the print is free of any defects and crisp and clear. The print has an intentionally slick look to it and the blood flows a glorious shade of red.
The sound is in Dolby Digital 5.1 and is well-used throughout the film. Whereas most movies would only go to town on the odd occasion in the sonic department, this one throws in sharp cutting noises to striking effect most of the time while creating soft, subtle and subdued scenes at others, the use of the DD5.1 soundtrack in those circumstances creating a delightful and enveloping sense of surround sound which slightly deafens as it pleases.
Jordan’s plastic surgery goes one step too far. The extras begin with a 2-minute Trailer and a 4½-minute Behind-the-scenes featurette, but all the latter is is some of the filming on set mixed in with the respective film clips and nothing more. The Interviews last barely six minutes and feature the director plus Mark Frost and Isabel Brook. All of this footage is in anamorphic 16:9.
There are 12 pics in the Photo Gallery and Production Notes on the cast and crew, the special effects, a comment from the director and Fantastic Factory for whom this was their first film.
As for chaptering, there’s not many with only 15. All the menus are static and only the main one features sound. There are no subtitles unfortunately.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL 
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.