Plot: What’s it about?
The internet, what a doubled edged sword. While it can be used for good purposes, we always hear the horror stories, where some young girl meets someone from the ‘net, and is found dead a few days later. This premise of an internet stalker is what makes Strangeland tick. Girls have been coming up missing, and one was just found floating in the river, and she wasn’t practicing her backstroke. Another girl, Genevieve is still missing, and the detective on the case has a personal stake in the project, he’s her father. The man who has Genevieve goes by the screen name “Capt. Howdy,” and revels in the tortures he puts the detective, Gage, through. But Gage doesn’t let Howdy get to him too much, and tracks down his lair, ending in Howdy’s arrest and trial. Howdy is found not guilty by reason of insanity, and is released three years later. The townspeople are outraged that he is back, and harass him, even though he claims to be reformed. Is Howdy really reformed? Or will his sadistic tendencies be too strong for him to ignore?
Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider is the creative force behind this movie, writing and playing the lead role. While his writing lacks substance and his acting manages to rival that of a small section of driftwood, this movie is so bad and so desperate to be hip, you can’t help but laugh. The aging Snider must have needed to feel young again, and he comes off like a dirty old man here. You can tell when people are out of touch with the youth, and this movie tries, very hard, to be hip, but you can tell a middle aged rocker behind it all. That being said, it’s funny to listen to the horrible dialogue and all the “piercing is like a little taste of death” rhetoric, because it’s so bad it’s good. This movie is serious in nature, but if you want to enjoy it, see it for what it is, an unintentional comedy of errors. I recommend a rental for sure, and if you dig the movie, pick up the disc, it’s a good one.
As I mentioned above, with source material like this, you can’t expect the actors, no matter how good they are, to do much with their lines. Dee Snider (who also appeared in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure as himself) seems to have chosen to play the lead for no real reason. He looks like a glam rock singer no matter what he wears, not like the techno-stalker he tries to be here. His delivery is wooden and his movements rigid, all in all, he sucks. But this miserable performance is easy to laugh at, so it’s not all bad. Kevin Gage (Heat, Point Blank) gives a nice turn, but the poorly written dialogue doesn’t allow him to display much. Also giving decent performances are Elizabeth Pena (Jacob’s Ladder, Down and Out in Beverly Hills) and Woody Harrelson’s brother.
Video: How does it look?
Strangeland is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a very impressive transfer, one of Artisan’s best efforts to date. The film has a dark visual style, so the contrast levels would have to work double time to make the movie look good. Thankfully, the contrast is perfect, with excellent shadow layering and very high visible detail levels. Colors are bright and vivid, but never enter into problems with bleeding or blooming. There is some minor shimmering, but no other compression errors emerge.
Audio: How does it sound?
The 2.0 surround track manages to capture a nice, full sound for the audio, especially when the soundtrack kicks in. The subtle surround use is quite good, and adds to the overall enjoyment of the movie. Dialogue is the main focus, and it comes across with reasonable volume and no serious issues.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc houses a few features, but is missing the theatrical trailer promised on the case, which sucks. Extensive production notes and talent files are included, as well as two promotional shorts for the soundtrack, one of which contains a few music videos. The main supplement is a running commentary by Dee Snider, which is filled with tidbits about the movie as well as some snide(r) remarks about some of the movie’s lesser points. A fun track to listen to, if you like Snider or the movie, give it a chance.
