The Faculty
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” has been remade so many times that another entry into the genre seems redundant, yet director Robert Rodriguez, abetted by Kevin Williamson’s screenplay, tackles the material with a renewed gusto and wins.
Rodriguez, who directed the kinetic “Desperado” and “From Dusk Till Dawn,” does a superior job of making everything old new again. Williamson, the scribe who reinvigorated the horror genre with his scripts for “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” is the perfect choice to update the material, giving it a hip, modern edge while paying homage to all that came before. The original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” directed by Don Siegel and released in 1956, was a parable to the McCarthy hearings that plagued the era.
Unknown forces were taking over the populace, and once man, played by Kevin McCarthy, knew the truth. In the latest version (there were also versions by Philip Kauffman and Abel Ferrara), the setting is a small town high school where some of the students suspect that the faculty has been taken over by alien creatures. High school is the perfect setting for the story, which addresses such issues as individuality and conformity. Herrington High is your typical contemporary high school.
It has the usual cliques, lives and breathes football, and is facing budget cuts. The filmmaker’s instantly kick-start the film by introducing the characters (with their names conveniently splashed across the screen), and then toss them into the lion’s pit when a small group of students suspect that all is not well in the teacher’s lounge. They’re right. A parasite from another planet has found its way to the small high school, where it immediately begins taking over the faculty of the school. The first person infected is football coach Dick Willis (Robert Patrick, completely aware of the fact that his character, a hard-nosed coach, is named Dick).
It doesn’t take long before Willis spreads the parasite to other teachers, or for a small group of students to understand that their teachers are really monsters. Williamson plays off of everyday paranoias, especially the notion that students feel alienated from their teachers and surroundings. Williamson tweaks the formula just enough to give the film its own identity, which director Rodriguez puts his stamp of approval on with energetic camera work. The film never slows down long enough to expose the man standing behind the curtain. Instead, once it kicks into high gear, the film is one generous thrill after another.
What I especially liked about “The Faculty” is the filmmaker’s insistence on not stocking the high school with pretty people (like “Scream” and its ilk). I’m not saying that the stars are ugly, far from it. What I am saying is that the characters in “The Faculty” feel real because the actors involved weren’t chosen for their looks but their talent. Their ability to read each situation with just the right amount of honesty and believability goes a long way.
Even better, the filmmaker’s have chosen some genuine veterans to flesh out the faculty, and each and every one does a smash up job. I mean, on staff you have Piper Laurie (“Carrie“), Robert Patrick (“Terminator 2“), Salma Hayek (“From Dusk Till Dawn”), Bebe Neuwirth (“Cheers“), and Jon Stewart (“Big Daddy“). They make great antagonists, especially Patrick.
The kids are equally engaging, including Elijah Wood as the runt who gets picked on by everyone, and Shawn Hatosy and Josh Harnett as popular students who rise to the occasion. With excellent special effects, gorgeous cinematography and sturdy production values, “The Faculty” didn’t set the big screen on fire last December when it was released, but on DVD, it’s an inferno.
COMPLETE CHECK-UP
VISION: [ X ] 20/20 [ ] Good [ ] Cataracts [ ] Blind
Exceptional 1.85:1 widescreen transfer. Outstanding definition and attention to detail are just the tip of the iceberg here. The colors are honest and their saturation is perfect. Flesh tones are absolutely stunning, while the blacks are so strong they hold up under the strictest situations. The original negative is clean, allowing for pure whites and shadows. Depth of field is strong, while I didn’t notice on iota of compression artifacts or pixelation. The overall effort is simply superb. It’s not enhanced at 16:9, but then, you don’t see me crying over this.
HEARING: [ X ] Excellent [ ] Minor Hearing Loss [ ] Needs Hearing Aid [ ] Deaf
Extremely vivid 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround soundtrack grabs you by the nape of the neck and drops you right in the middle of the action. Powerful basses vibrate the windows, while the middle and high ends are so clean they sing. Dialogue mix is superior, while the stereo and surround effects will blow you away. The left-to-right separation is definitive, while the front to rear spatial separation sounds honest. Surround effects and ambient noise are especially effective, catching you off guard on several occasions. Honestly creepy blend of music and sound effects pour from the speakers with authority. Outstanding effort.
ORAL: [ ] Excellent [ X ] Good [ ] Poor
Closed captions in English for the hard of hearing.
COORDINATION: [ ] Excellent [ ] Good [ X ] Clumsy [ ] Weak
Not much here except the film’s original theatrical trailer (which has been transferred in full-frame), some Reel Recommendations, and standard issue main and scene access menus.
PROGNOSIS: [ X ] Excellent [ ] Fit [ ] Will Live [ ] Resuscitate [ ] Terminal
“The Faculty” proves what I have suspected all along: that most teachers are aliens trying to take over our individuality for the good of the whole. The DVD makes that case clear.
VITALS: $29.99/Rated R/104 Minutes/Color/31 Chapter Stops/Keepcase/#17224
ATTENDING RESIDENT: John Larsen
PATIENT: THE FACULTY
BIRTH DATE: 1998
HMO: Dimension Home Video
