Blyss's Movie Review for:

Main Cast of Characters:

Kevin Gage...........Mike Gage

Elizabeth Peña........Toni Gage

Brett Harrelson..........Steve Christian

Robert Englund.........Jackson Roth

Linda Cardellini..........Genevieve Gage

Dee Snider...............Captain Howdy/Carleton Hendricks

Amal Rhoe...............Tiana Moore

Leslie Wing...............Madeline Roth

Xanthe Cook...............Kelly Roth

1998. Rated: R Genre: Horror/Thriller 85 minutes

Never trust anyone in a chat room!

Genevieve, a police detective's daughter, and her friend Tiana are just like every other teenage girl. They love to go online! Genevieve and Tiana's favorite place on the web is Teen Chat and they have been talking to Captain Howdy for a while. They check his online profile and it says he is about the same age as them. He says he is having a party while his parents are gone and invites Genevieve. He tells her she can bring a friend if she likes. The next morning Genevieve never came home. It shows the audience what happened. He hit Tiana and Genevieve tried to get away but he got her too. He then stripped her and sewed her mouth shut with needle and thread before bounding her. Mike, Genevieve's father, asks his partner to help him with the case on his daughter. Christian says he will and tells Mike to go home and rest. Mike's mother in law and one of their nieces come over to support them through this trying time. The niece tells Mike how Genevieve went online to meet boys and even went out with some of them that she met. Mike is called away to a scene by a river in which tire tracks were seen going into the water. They drag a car out and Tiana is in the trunk. Mike is running out of time and starts messing with the computer. When he gets nowhere, he calls his niece Angela who had told him about it before and asks her to help. With her help, they are able to locate Howdy and he is able to find his daughter who has been tortured the whole time. Then to everyone's shock, Howdy, also known as Carleton Hendricks, is found not guilty by reason on insanity and is sent to a mental institution. Four years later, he is released and told he will be okay as long as he takes his medicine. That same night, vengeful townspeople surround his house and kidnap him. Mike sees them and refuses to stop as Hendricks drops his medication and is sent off to be executed by the mob. But he survives. Captain Howdy is back and all hell is about to break loose. He wants Gen first and then others. Can Mike stop him and fix the horrendous mistake he made?

Let me warn you up front that this is one of the most disturbing movies you will ever watch. I guess it disturbs me because I was as stupid as those girls when I first got on the internet. I remember watching this movie when I was in college and my dad totally freaking out because I would talk so much online. What is most scary is that this type of thing could really happen if someone happens to be a Genevieve or Tiana. Also I left out of my description alot of the graphic scenes shown in this movie. Believe me, they are very graphic. I think this movie should have had worse than an "R" rating because it was pretty bad!

The best part of this whole movie is when Mike and the psycho finally have a chance to face off. I won't give away the ending but that is definitely the best part of the movie! One thing i would have liked to have known is what brought Carleton Hendricks to become Captain Howdy. For instance, Freddy became what he was in the Nightmare on Elm Street series and we got to see that. How did Captain Howdy emerge?

I have to say that I totally understand why Mike turned away when they were taking Carleton off to be killed. He tortured his daughter and he got away with it. Four years in a mental ward was it. He should have gotten much worse. And I know that is why he could not bring himself to stop what was happening. I can't say that I would not do the same thing if I was in his position. The only problem was that his daughter had to pay for it again later when she was kidnapped once again.

It's scary to think about all the crazy people and perverts in the world. This movie reminds you of that. Definitely not for the weak of heart.

I rate this movie: 9

Blyss