Reviews

I've seen all the Dean Koontz adaptations except for one, the oh-so-elusive THE FACE OF FEAR. And I've got to tell everyone that this was by far the best of 'em all. I don't know what the budget for this movie was, but it LOOKED pretty damn expensive. The director of photography is immensely talented-this film looked a lot better than most theatrical releases I've seen. Teleplay writer Stephen Tolkin is a very talented writer in his own respect... he created some really awesome dialogue here and changed the character of Drew Oslett. I'm not at all mad about this-the change worked VERY well. He made Drew a more sympathetic character than Koontz created...and he did so well. My only complaint about the movie is the ending... I was hoping the movie makers would use the book's ending, which was very exciting. But alas, they settled for a shoot out which wasn't nearly as kinetic as what Koontz created. All in all, I give this flick ***.5/****

Well, I just watched part 1 of this flick last night. An excellent start. Teleplay writer Stephen Tolkin is quite talented... the first hour of part 1 he created almost entirely by himself...the material he used was only mentioned in Koontz's novel AFTER the action took place to explain things to the reader. And Tolkin took that info. and turned it into the beginning ot the movie. Brilliant! Thus far, I've also been impressed w/ Stephen Baldwin in 2 the main roles. But most impressive to me in part 1 was Thomas Haden Church as Drew Oslett. I've always liked Church, but never thought he was so talented as he reveals himself to be here. Well, after I watch part 2 on Thurs. night, I'll be back to talk more!

This is what an action-thriller was meant to be. Smart, exciting, extremely well acted, and just plain gripping from beginning to end. Watch for the scene where Samuel L. Jackson completely frazzles a relatively inept negotiator (Farley)-it's a very funny/entertaining scene and the intelligence and confidence Jackson exudes during it is wonderful. And Kevin Spacey is definitely his equal in the acting department. Altogether wonderful casting on the part of the director F. Gary Gray-I read an interview with where he said that Jackson and Spacey were his "dream cast" for this film-Praise the Lord that he was able to get it!:) This was probably the most enjoyable thriller of the summer of '98. And as for the plot...it's compelling, with plot twists that don't baffle you at the end like, say, Mission: Impossible.

This movie, like any I've ever seen by director Peter Hyams, isn't an always-to-be-remembered classic, but the ride is fun for the time you stay on it. It does what it sets out to do-it is slick and scary. And the creature FX (when you finally get to see the creature) are undoubtedly the work of Stan Winston's fertile imagination. He did a damn good job with the creature-even if it's facial feauures were a hell of a lot like the Predator's. As for Hyams's directing, he takes advantage of the fact that the creature is a genetic composite. The scene where the creature climbs onto the walls and ceiling of a room like a spider was really cool-I've gotta give Hyams's credit for putting that on screen-it was pretty scary. anyway, if you're looking for a well manufactured piece of moviemaking, I definitely recommend the Relic.

AWESOME MOVIE! My best friend owns this, and I watch it frequently. I love movies that take chances, and this one is completely outrageous-it's a BLAST! If you like this flick, may I recommend Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD II? It has the same exciting, off-kilter feel as this one does. I highly recommend THE FRIGHTENERS!