THE FACULTY
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1998 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
You've always suspected that your teachers were aliens. THE FACULTY
supplies the proof.
Mixing equal measures of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, ALIENS, and
SCREAM, Kevin Williamson's script is smart enough to realize it is a
parody. Never taking itself seriously, the film may not be much of a
movie, but at least it's not a pretentious one.
One day, at a rundown high school staffed with hopeless wimps, an alien
comes to visit. Making his way onto campus in someone else's body, he
soon has infected the brains of the entire faculty and most of the
students. As directed by Robert Rodriguez, the film layers gobs of
horror film gore onto what is basically a science fiction plot.
Fighting against this evil unleashed upon the earth and spreading
rapidly is a rag-tag group of 6 uninfected students. (That they will get
it too becomes obvious so they devise a test using a caffeine-based,
diuretic powder that they force themselves to inhale in order to
discover any new alien converts. The aliens, you see, are a
moisture-craving species.)
The students includes nerd-in-residence Casey (Elijah Wood),
pseudo-lesbian Stokely (Clea DuVall), cocky cheerleader Delilah (Jordana
Brewster), ex-football team captain and star quarterback Stan (Shawn
Wayne Hatosy), drug dealer and self-trained scientist Zeke (Josh
Hartnett), and squeaky clean blonde Marybeth (Laura Harris). Marybeth
has just transferred to the school when the terror starts, so she is one
of many suspects as the carrier for the alien.
The movie uses stereotypes to advance the comedy. Brainy Casey refuses
to get into sports, telling the coach (Robert Patrick), "I don't think a
person should run unless he's being chased."
When Casey and Delilah witness the possessed faculty engaging in their
alien rituals to recruit new members, Casey tells his parents. After
investigating and finding nothing, his parents figure he must be on
drugs, so they give him a most modern punishment. They go to his room
and remove his cell phone, his Internet connection, his boom box, and
even his "porno," which he had carefully hidden under his mattress.
On the football field, accompanied by one of the tunes from PINK FLOYD
THE WALL, the team of players with alien-charged bodies plays with a
vengeance. Never have the cheers from the stands of "Kill!" been taken
more literally.
THE FACULTY runs 1:40. It is rated R for horror movie violence,
profanity, brief nudity, and drug usage and would be fine for most
teenagers.
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.InternetReviews.com
Have I Seen This Movie: Yes
And What Did I Think?: The Faculty is Invasion of the Body Snatchers for teens. It's nothing new, but it is good fun to watch. Teens should have a good time seeing their teachers and high school getting wasted here. The characters and acting are typical of the teen horror flicks, such as Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, just no slashing here. Its not really even a scary movie, more humorous then anything. I chuckled throughout most of it. One aspect that they could have toned down a bit, was the students each suspcting each other of being the alien, and proving to each other they're not. The one scene was just a bit too long, and too reminicent of "The Thing". Robert Patrick is the best baddie here along with a few good supporting roles by Piper Laurie, Jon Stewart, and Bebe Neuwirth. I saw this in the theaters and thought it was worth the 8 bucks, so if you are thinking of renting it, its definately worth picking up. Just don't go looking for a real believable story, its all in good fun. If you do want something with a little more substance however, then go rent Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.
I give the Faculty 3.5 out of 5 stars
Review written July 7, 1999
