Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

An action-packed slog

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The Strangeness (1985) * 1/2 (out of 4)A group of people hear various legends about a certain cave they are about to enter. They decide to go ahead with their journey and it doesn't take long for them to get trapped in the cave with a giant monster who wants to kill them.If you're read Stephen Thrower's NIGHTMARE USA book then you'll recognize this title and the various stories that went along with it. This film was shot for $25,000.00, which was an incredibly low amount for the 1950s let along when this movie was made. One should keep that in mind when they're watching THE STRANGENESS because the film doesn't have too much in it. It's one of those films that you can tell didn't have much money to spend and obviously there's not too much to see.I give the filmmakers a lot of credit for trying to pull the film off but sadly it didn't work. I thought the story was actually something that could have worked, although parts of it did remind me of THE BOOGINS. The cave location should have been put to much better use but sadly the cinematography is just so dark that many times it's hard to see what is going on. Another problem is that the budget didn't allow for a monster so we get a really awful looking bit of stop-motion that is more laughable than anything else.Trying to pass off a stop-motion monster just didn't work and it's too bad that there wasn't some sort of physical monster here. The performances range from bad to decent but there's not one that would hard or damage the film. You don't have many other special effects in terms of the violence or gore. The majority of the running time has the characters walking and talking and then walking and talking some more. There's no question that the film just doesn't have much happening because they couldn't afford it.THE STRANGENESS certainly isn't going to win any major awards over its final product but considering what the filmmakers had to work with, buying them a beer if you ever meet them would be a nice gesture.

Another no-budget offering, full of actors you've never heard of. The thin plot stretches credulity to the breaking point as a group of no-hopers descend into a mine, looking for riches, but find a mysterious alien creature which picks them off one by one in the dim tunnels. So basically it's an excuse for lots of people running about in the dark (that's one of the problems with this film - it's so darned dark!) and a little murky gore.Most of the time you can't actually hear what the actors are saying, the filming was so handicapped. It's hardly original and offers absolutely nothing new, except perhaps the creation of one of the worst monsters I have ever seen in a film (and that's saying something). The alien creature looks like an octopus and is animated by a crude stop-motion type of technology. It also looks incredibly fake. This can be taken as a good point of the film, but the monster is only actually seen for 2 minutes or so at the end of the film, so again doesn't save it.Let's face it, BBC TV made better stuff than this ten years earlier with the John Pertwee Dr Who stories. THE LAMENESS would be a better title for this moronic outing. Everyone involved with the AVR VHS releasing film company ought to be chastised for unleashing rubbish like this and THE THIRSTY DEAD on an unsuspecting Britain.

There are tales about these mountains. These tales surround both the existence of a "gold spike" that lies on ancient sacred lands belonging to the Native Americans, and the white-man hating God that protects it from fairer skinned prospectors.We find ourselves following a rag-tag group of these very-white prospectors- including a foreman, some miners, a geologist, a writer and his assistant, and their local guide- who plan on finding and cashing in on this mythological treasure. It was once sought after decades earlier, but the miners refused to continue working there.Eventually the team finds an exposed cavern, setting into it to investigate.The "golden spike" they've been searching for seems not to be ore, rather ingots; while the vengeful God that's watching over it seems to be some sort of tentacled stop-motion beast, with an a**hole for a head.While searching for an alternate exit after a cave-in, the remaining members of the crew happen upon a room filled with hanging pieces of mirror. The author mentions how the old miners used to put them up to see what was approaching them from behind- before refusing to work altogether.As the group continues on, they are accosted by an eerie wind, prior to finding the dead and dismembered body of their geologist.Still rationalizing everything, the writer sets off on his own to look for what he thinks may be an exit, because he "doesn't want to get anyone's hopes up", by telling them about it first. (moron) After he disappears- and having lost all hope of finding an exit- the crew moves down into the third layer of the cavern- a realm where the beast is said to reside and have it's nest.It's clear that something is really down there when they find human bones; carcasses writhing with maggots; and the writer plastered to the ceiling with some sort of slime.Now fearing the worst, the group takes some defensive measure before putting their final escape plan into action. But is it too late? Have they gone too far already? Is there even a way out? Surely not, if that monstrous "God" has it's way.The Strangeness is a pretty straight forward little horror with an imaginative monster that I wish we got to see more of. It's not terribly complex, overwhelmingly scary or very cinematic, but it's interesting enough to hold your attention. I've seen better...but I've also seen worse.5 out 10.

I'll give "The Strangeness" credit. For an ultra low budget, almost student film, at times it captures the total darkness cave experience pretty well. Sure it's dark, and at times headlamps moving in the blackness is all you see, but I would rather have that than some bogus source of light. The acting is not good. The dialog is not good. The first hour is boring and not good. Character development is not good, but at least you can tell the characters apart. Finally, the ending is a complete sell out, where believability flies out the window. So what is there to like about this film? For one thing, Terri Berland wearing a skin tight tank top and button busting jeans will hold your attention, and the stop motion, rarely seen monster, is so bizarre you will be anxiously awaiting your next brief glimpse. - MERK