Customer Reviews

Future Shock [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sure, there are no academy awards to be handed out, and the film quality leaves a little to be desired, but this movie has a strong concept, and was delivered pretty well with what they had available. The behind the scenes making of really made tied this film together, and gave it a special feel. It looked really like it was just a fun film for Bill Paxton and the rest of the crew to make, irreguardless of box office sales, and you can tell it by the way the actors appear in this film. It is a B level film, and it shows, but with a few tweaks, this could have been a big box office smash. Worth checking out. I bought a copy for 3 bucks, well worth it, cheaper than renting!!!!!

Are you the type of Bill Paxton fan (like myself) who admires the actor so much that you are driven to see movies like "Thunderbirds" and "Spy Kids 2" simply because he is in them? If so, then you will definitely want to check out this amateurish anthology flick, which features Paxton as a nutjob who preys on weak college students to find a place to live. It's not exactly Paxton at his finest, but then, he's got fairly terrible material to work with, so you can't fault him too much.

The premise is that customers at a Virtual Reality psychology clinic have nightmares while they are undergoing whatever procedure they are undergoing. Possibly this is based on a comic book, as someone is holding a comic named "Future Shock" during a short behind-the-scenes in the special features. Does it matter? No. This is a bad movie no matter where its sources lie.

Paxton fanatics, check it out. Everyone else, donate the money you were going to spend to charity.

I rented this thinking it might somehow be related to the ALVIN TOFFLER book of the same title. Naturally, I was disappointed to discover that this film is an entirely different matter. However, within minutes I found my attention so drawn into this clever little thriller that I soon forgot Mr. Toffler and his dark predictions. While I have definitely seen better, scarier thrillers, I don't think I've ever been so engaged by one actress on screen, pretty much by herself, for so long. Vivian Shilling plays a typical Malibu neurotic housewife sort who slowly drives herself into a panic about a pack of neighborhood wolves (not the Hollywood type of wolf, but the literal sort). Bill Paxton sort of hams up his role as an insane roommate... but keeps the pace moving. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this flick... and enjoyed it enough to take the time to tell you!

Sometimes Bill Paxton accepts suckie-movie roles obviously for the big-studio paycheck (such as Disney's dreadful "MIGHTY JOE YOUNG" or the painfully bad "MORNING STAR"). But occassionally Paxton appears in really cutting edge entertainment just for the craft (i.e. "NEAR DARK") and is this case "FUTURE SHOCK." Granted, some viewers might not like the three-part structure of this independent thriller. But for pure entertainment, you can't find better than Paxton's super-dark and hilarious turn as the demented ROOMMATE. This is really classic stuff.

This movie is an example of how a superb screenplay, terrific acting and smart dialogue are enough to make a great movie. This is what would tipically be referred to as a "B movie", yet you won't care about production costs here. The movie is basically three funny morality tales with serious undertones, and still, they will elicit hilarious laughs. To exemplify its power: James Karen has a non-speaking role, yet he impersonates such an extraordinary character that left me astonished and kept me thinking about just all the faces he made in his scenes for long afterwards. This movie borders on the artistic because of the talent of all the staff put into it, so it's definitely great entertainment. You don't see much like this, for sure.

The packaging caught my eye, and the reviews from notable critics sparked my curiousity... so I decided to give "Future Shock" a try. Although it took about 10 minutes to really get going, once it hit a stride, I found myself truly engaged, genuinely scared and repeatedly jolted by the most unexpected of frights occurring in the most normal of circumstances. I made it through the first hour before I realized that this video is actually a cleverly constructed anthology of sci-fi / scary films (three, plus a fourth "overall" sequence). The segment starring Bill Paxton is humorous, and the last segment from director Matt Reeves is imaginative and shows promise. But for pure entertainment value and riveting suspense, you probably will be hard pressed to find ANYTHING on video that comes close to the skillful balance that writer and star Vivian Schilling brings to the first 60 minutes of this film. Given a bigger budget, and a film of her own, I suspect that Ms. Schilling could give Stephen King, John Carpenter, even James Cameron a run for the money as a storyteller and filmmaker. Check this out... even if you just watch the first hour.

There is more suspense and thrills in the first 45-minutes of this film than in almost anything Hollywood has made since "ALIENS." Writer / star Vivian Schilling skillfully melds three stories into a cohesive exploration of terror... which ranges from nail-biting suspense to sardonic humor. Recommend this to anyone who likes their thrills spiced with intelligence and style.

Okay, so I'm biased. I worked on the film and we all had a lot of FUN. Even when our location burnt to a crisp in the Malibu fires, we had fun. Lots of amazing stuff on the DVD bonus feature that is likely to appeal to most viewers. Hey, this item has sold over 100,000 DVD's, so somebody other than me must be liking it!! Check it out!