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1.0 out of 5 stars
Hasn't The Style Necessary To Sustain Itself., May 22, 2006
This review is from: Cyberstalker [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Ill-considered plotting, as is the case here, is de rigueur for any film released beneath the banner of Troma Entertainment, the catalog of which for its greatest part consists of movies displaying various forms of excess, designed for the acceptance of a manifest audience of half-wits. Among Troma's less atrocious products is this affair, shot in Dallas, that concerns a serial killer, referred to as a "Cyberstalker" (the film's title for its original release, renamed THE DIGITAL PROPHET for video distribution), who fails to leave clues or a crime pattern other than that of crossing the arms of victims atop their chests, until eventually a team of police detectives determines, much later than most viewers will expect, that each of the slain regularly accessed an internet web site that has caught the fancy of a large number of cultish devotees. This site, Cyecom, specializes in outrageous fantasy and is linked with a fetishistic underground graphic comic book, "Cyberthoughts", brainchild of Andy Coberman (Jeffrey Combs) who, in spite of being a heroin addict, apparently manages to minimize the effects of the baleful narcotic enough to own and operate a retail comic book shop, while also writing the periodical Cyberthoughts that the detectives determine may somehow be connective with the exasperating frequency of the homicides. Into the picture appears "Newman" (Annie Biggs as Annie Haslett), a waifish acolyte of Cyecom and reader of Cyberthoughts who contacts Detective Meg Jordan (Schnele Wilson) and expresses dread of the unknown killer whose vicious acts have been given front page newspaper exposure. Newman reveals to the investigator that she had acquaintanceship with all of the victims by means of the Cyecom web site and, as a result, fears for her safety. The killer's prey were dispatched by gun, knife, strangulation, and electrocution, an olio of methods not discussed by the detectives, although viewers are treated to a surfeit of red herrings that are essentially irritants to those who will clearly see that not all of the murdered are actually related in any way with Cyecom and will begin to wonder if any specific purpose to all of this may be in the offing as the film plods along. Computer graphics become more striking as the scenario advances, and their use enhances the narrative more than does a weak screenplay hampered by the mentioned strained application of false leads that, in conjunction with capricious pacing, inhibits needed problem development that properly should be focussed upon a possible rationale for the killings rather than technologic devices. Members of the cast, along with the director, are also producers here, and although there is little merit for a viewer to extract from their efforts in this film, they are hopefully free from the questionable value of association with Thoma, and their subsequent work should be considered, as it is ever a pleasure to follow progress, in a daunting business, of independent filmmakers who demonstrate a sincerely creative bent. By overlooking the embarrassingly poor playing of Combs, one finds worthy performances in this item, with Biggs/Haslett earning acting honours for her crafted turn, despite substandard dialogue.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A Prophet Worth Turning, June 27, 2001
.... .... Jeffery Combs (The Frighteners, The Re-Animator, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer) stars as the writer of a comic book which attracts over a million readers online. But some readers are taking the comic to heart. It seems his creativly cult classic comic has some crazy customers taking it to heart! As more murders occur, two police workers are going to great lengths to capture who, or what, is causing all the bodies to pile up! Although some parts seem to drag on, this film is worth seeing if you are a fan of Christopher Romero, Troma, or Jeffrey Combs. ....
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