TotalTelly.co.uk

Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV

The Faculty [1999]


RRP: £15.99
Our Price: £2.98 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Okay, you knew everyone in high school was just a little different: everyone looked at you strangely, the teachers were freaky, and you never could find the right groove to fit into. What if it turned out that it was all because your school was inhabited by creepy aliens from outer space? That's the enjoyably cheesy B-premise for this fun and scary flick from the pen of Scream's Kevin Williamson, the master of the post-modern teen horror film. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi), it's The Breakfast Club meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers, as six disparate students from Herrington High School band together when they discover that an alien life form is invading both the student and faculty bodies, with plans to take over the world.

Each of the heroes represents a different high school type: popular babe (Jordana Brewster), picked-on geek (Elijah Wood), goth girl (Clea DuVall), sensitive jock (Shawn Hatosy), new kid in town (Laura Harris), and bad-boy rebel (Josh Hartnett). The plot isn't much--a basic kill-or-be-killed premise spiked with a healthy shot of paranoia--but Willliamson and Rodriguez do a great job of building the tension slowly but surely. The suspense set pieces are genuinely frightening, and the film pokes fun at itself without deflating its scares; Williamson is a master at shifting gears from comedy to horror quickly and adroitly. The young cast doesn't have a weak link among them (with special kudos to Wood, DuVall and heartthrob-in-the-making Hartnett), and Rodriguez gets maximum mileage from the titular faculty, which includes Jon Stewart, Piper Laurie, Salma Hayek, Bebe Neuwirth, and Robert Patrick of Terminator 2. Go to the head of the class, Mr. Williamson. --Mark Englehart


Really Good Sci-Fi Thriller
Review date: 2008-09-10 Rating: 8 out of 10

The Faculty is a really good sci-fi thriller that you can watch with your mates on a Friday evening. The film focuses on Herrington High, a school where the students and staff appear to have been taken over by an alien creature. Its up to the few remaining students, Zeke (Josh Harnett), Casey (Elijah Wood), Stokely (Clea DuVall), Delihla (Jordana Brewster), Mary-Beth (Laura Harris) and Stan (Shawn Hatosy) to figure out whats going on, how they can stop it and how they can save their friends. A really great film at an excellent price tag. Buy it now.

Similar Products

Reviews


nearly 10 years
Review date: 2008-05-01 Rating: 10 out of 10

After nearly ten years since I went to see this at the cinema it still stands up well amongst the many imitations of Body Snatchers or The Puppet masters. Neatly grinded script, actors and action topped with still awesome yet not OTT special FX and a cool soundtrack The Faculty deserves its place in the vein of teen sci/fi.

EDGY SCI-FI FLICK...
Review date: 2008-03-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is a terrific sci-fi flick with an excellent cast. It is sort of an "Invasion of the Body-Snatchers" or "Puppet Masters" gone MTV. Set in a small town high school in the Midwest, all hell breaks loose when some of the teens notice that something is not quite right with some of the faculty. They engage in a bit of amateur sleuthing, and what they discover causes them to band together to fight a force that is not of this world.

Well-directed by Robert Rodriguez, this film will keep the viewer riveted to the screen. With a good, edgy story line laced with humor and with solid performances given by the stellar cast, the film will hit its mark with those who enjoy well made sci-fi films.

A LOT BETTER THAN YOU WOULD THINK
Review date: 2007-11-03 Rating: 8 out of 10


The small town of Hamilton is having a problem. There is very little money for anything, but all the teachers complain about is the way the football team is getting their every wish granted. The students don't seem to care, and they continue on, not knowing of what's going on with the staff. It doesn't help the fact that no of them really get along outside of their social cliques. Casey Conner, (Elijah Wood) discovers a strange specimen on the football at lunch one day, and the science teacher, Prof. Furlong (Jon Stewart) is convinced that it is a new species, especially after it splits in two and attacks him. Searching for answers in the faculty lounge, Casey and Delilah, (Jordana Brewster) the head of the school paper, watch Coach Willis (Robert Patrick) and Mrs. Olson (Piper Laurie) attack and kill Nurse Harper (Selma Hayek). When they tell the authorities, no one believes them, as the stories have been carefully altered so they seem like crazy people. As more strange events happen in the school, the number of students still alive is dwindled so that only a select group is unaffected: Delilah, Casey, Stokely, (Clea Duvall) Stan, (Shawn Hatosy) Marybeth, (Laura Harris) and Zeke (Josh Hartnett). As they discover more about the strange events, it becomes evident that aliens are taking over the town, and that they have to stop them.

The Good News: I think it's weird that not too many people like this movie. I guess because this isn't a typical slasher film that many people automatically write it off. That is a shame, as this is a good suspense movie. This isn't suspense in the traditional "there's a man who wants to kill you with a large object" kind of suspense, but a Steven King kind where there's just something a little off that gradually becomes apparent over the course of time and it just keeps building up until it all fits together in the perfect jigsaw puzzle. That is just as effective as the first type, and for this film, it works perfectly. It gives the film a small bit of realism, as the characters say that the best way for an alien invasion to succeed would be to slowly infiltrate society instead of just blasting through. This also sets up a great flow for the film: a slow first half setting up the story and characters, then an action-packed second half. The film really does pick up in the second part of the movie, as now we know that there's something wrong and they have to do something, and the suspense comes from how to deal with the invasion. The alien(s) themselves, in their brief amount of time on-screen, were incredibly real looking and impressive. They did look truly alien, like nothing else on Earth and yet believable enough that they could exist. The fact that they rarely use CGI makes them look scarier. The small amount of gore is also very well done and is completely realistic. The meltdowns look cool, and the mix of white and red is a clever way to get more gore in past the censors, but keep in mind that there is a large amount cut out.

The Bad News: About the only thing I don't like about this film is the small amount of gore. This film should be way bloodier. There is some good gore in here, but what they do to the aliens was just screaming out for gore, and only occasionally did it deliver. What is there looks good and it's fine as it is, but it was screaming for more.

The Final Verdict: If it had a bit more gore, this would be a more well-known film, but it is still a creepy film with lots of surprises and cool scenes. It is well worth a look for those interested in late 90's horror films, as well as those that like a bit more thought-out horror films. All horror fans should at least check it out.


Faculty
Review date: 2007-11-01 Rating: 10 out of 10

Im not sure what genre this was, think it was horror but it wans't v scary.
Loved the ending.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Shawn Hatosy
Josh Hartnett
Clea DuVall
Jordana Brewster
Laura Harris (II)

Creators:
Jordana Brewster (Primary Contributor)
Clea DuVall (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Hollywood Pictures Home Video
Manufacturer: Hollywood Pictures Home Video
EAN: 5017188881951
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2007-05-01
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 100 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1998-12-25
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Unknown)
Language: English (Subtitled)

Add to Cart

© 2006 Darren Hester, DesignsByDarren.com, Some Rights Reserved.
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional