Instant Favorite.

A Brilliant Conflict

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This very underrated film happens to be one of my favorite thriller/horror films of the 80's. This film is so stylish that even the blood spatter that follows is done tastefully and not gory. A virus turns biologists into zombie-like humans, but they don't want to eat your brains and you don't turn into a zombie when bitten. They do, however, want to kill the living, hence the zombie referral, although it is by no means a zombie film. The cast is incredibly good and convincing, and the make-up effects are equally good. Interesting fact about director Hall Barwood is that this was his only film project as director. After this, he ventured into video games.

This movie has a facility that manufactures chemical agents and such in it. Well there is a problem at said facility and there is the movie. Well not quite, seems a deadly virus or something to that effect has been accidentally released. The lady working security and such locks the place down which is what she is supposed to do under the circumstances. Well people inside the place want out insisting they are fine and the family members on the out want in worried about their loved ones. Then the movie takes a twist and those infected become increasingly violent adding to the horror aspect of the film. If this movie had a bit more of the violent killer psychopaths I admit I would have enjoyed it more, still it made for an entertaining thriller. You keep hoping they will find a way to get rid of this infection, that they will be able to keep the relatives from totally going nuts and breaking in, and you hope those trapped inside stay inside because if not the world will become exposed. Interesting movie that would have been more of a film I liked had they moved a little faster to infection starting to really make the people go crazy.

I remember seeing this 20 yrs ago and having a very favorable impression, but the recent copy I bought and viewed this week showed both better and worse aspects, different from what I recalled. Anyway, the story is quite catching and most of the acting is above average, thanks to a good ensemble cast of quality folks. Very well done art/set design makes up for rather standard plot direction, with some nicely eerie moments. There's well written, believable dialog interspersed with silly, and well developed characters interspersed with stereotypes. So it's a mishmash but a good one. Would have been nice to see a more believable military response to the viral outbreak, but the budget must have only been enough for a small crew of national guard type soldiers rather than a more believable crack platoon outfit that would have been all over the locals, and sent them packing. Definitely a good half of a double feature with Endangered Species, or Andromeda Strain.

Unlike many horror movies where you need to check your credulity at the door, what you see in this film is actually believable. The idea of military scientists finding a catalyst which induces rage in the human mind, then mating it with a virus as a delivery device, is a very scary idea! Imagine you could catch homicidal mania as easily as you could catch the flu.The acting in this movie is good if somewhat uneven. Joanie (played wonderfully by Kathleen Quinlan) is a very intense character. Sam Waterston is good as her lover and the local sheriff.The film is not slick, but has some intense moments that many "slicker" films can only dream of achieving. Overall a very suspenseful film.