Customer Reviews

Habitat

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

 

 

Yep! It's me again. You must think all I do is sit around and watch movies. You're right. In a stressful job this is the best therapy. At work I earn every penny of my salary. At play (home) I indulge in my love for film.

So what did I think of the Science Fiction thriller "Habitat"? It's definitely for Sci Fi folks...only. It is a bizzarre tale of what happens when the ozone layer is destroyed and mankind must shield itself from the microwave effect of sunlight.

So why is it called "Habitat"? An obsessed scientist and his beautiful and sexy wife, create their own environment inside the confines of their home...a vegetation filled fantasyland of plants and flowers that literally ooze with life.

This one plays out like an expanded episode of "The Outer Limits"...but it is definitely "R" rated for the seductive passions of mom and girlfriend. Quite bizzarre. A definite 8 on my 10-scale for Sci Fi. Many people did not like this flick. I was intrigued and thoroughly entertained. A great Friday Night flick...in early November...alone in my own HABITAT. Paul

Okay, here's my theory of why so many people don't like this movie: Perhaps someone hears about the three nude scenes (don't forget the science lady who's clothes get ripped up just right)plus some nice see-through outfits. So they're thinking, Hey! there's no good T&A flicks on Cinemax tonight, so let's go get that movie! They go rent it, and lo and behold, it actually has this really deep story that lays on the science pretty heavily, where you have to be very alert and somewhat intelligent to understand everything the characters are talking about. Well, if you're just watching it for a few nude scenes, then you're going to be really upset and disappointed with the rest of it!
This movie is very well thought out, the special effects are convincing (the house really does give you the creeps), the script is beautifully written,and the actors pull it off splendidly. I love some of the lines in this movie, such as when Clarissa (Alice Krige) tells the bully that comes into the plant-infested house, "Young man, you don't go barging into the animal den. You may end up on the wrong side of the food chain." Another favorite line is "Through the bonds of matrimony, copulation is no longer fornification. It's procreation." These aren't direct quotes-I'm going from memory. Anyway, this is indeed one of those forgotten gems in which a small budget was used to make a great piece of work, much like The Wraith or Sleepwalkers (another with Alice Klige at her best). Give this movie a try when you're in the mood for some serious, yet highly entertaining sci-fi that really makes you think.

I had a pleasant surprise after seeing the video Habitat. The surprise was that it was quite well done (no pun intended) and rather uplifting. I have since had to add the DVD to my collection.

The Earth's ozone layer has been completely destroyed. People stay indoors and only dare to venture out at night. But one scientist is looking to bring back the greenery, but indoors. Combining fungi and various plants, the scientist hopes to create a new ecosystem. Runaway failures have forced him and his family to be on the run. At his latest location an underground pocket of water causes a disaster in the basement lab and the organisms mutate and spread through the house. The scientist becomes infected with the new organisms and dies (or so it seems).

As the new ecosystem gains more control of the house, it is learned that the scientist is not dead, but has been transformed into an energy-like state. In this state he is able to attack people and make them immune to the sun's burning rays. But eventually the authorities catch up and try to stop the ecosystem. While they manage to destroy quite a bit, they are unsuccessful at stopping this new hope for the world. Man will no longer have to huddle in the dark and rely on artificial foods.

I really enjoyed this one. I was expecting some fun schlock but found higher quality lurking in the cheesy box. The necessity of camera angles and visibility make the sun shades look rather inefficient but all in all quite well done.

Yup, Alice Krige and Laura Harris showing their gorgeous bods is the "best" thing about this film.
There's really not a whole lot to say about a film that seems like it was probably originally an exciting-sounding concept to its creators, but ended up being somewhat....blah. I'm not sure how they could have pulled off a film in which a family's house turns into a living jungle, and the Dad turns into some sort of weird creature which can break down into little green molecules and fly around because of his science experiments. The neighbors who dislike them get killed trying to put a stop to the house's growth. Okay. BUT...
Laura goes for a nice skinny-dip, which makes this essential viewing for any Celeb skin collector.

I love the premise of the movie, that the earth is changing s mankind must change too. There will always be those that are scared of change, and what they don't understand they want to destroy. The acting is quite cheesy, the scenery is nicely put together, but overall the effects are well made.

The sound was awful, the music was too loud to hear what the actors were saying, the menu was complicated, unlike anything I have ever seen, there was no control for audio or for subtitles, there was only a main screen and scene selections. I gave this movie a 3 for the terrible audio, but the color and scenery were outstanding.

Habitat was a really bizarre movie indeed but there were some moments that are worth a look for some people: the film's CGI effects were interesting, you also got two attractive women showing off their bodies, Alice Krige and Laura Harris (check out the pond scene in the movie, pretty exotic). The insides of the house when it becomes infested with plants was by the far the special effects of the movie itself, and it was really cool and bizarre. Overall, this movie is fantastic and is worth a look indeed. The only gripe I have is the DVD release. The film's special effects would look fantastic on Blu-Ray. IMDb claims that the movie was shot in HD quality and it partly shows on DVD. Blu-Ray would do this movie justice.

Yes, it's finally happened. We've wiped out the ozone layer, causing the earth to become a scorched, blasted wasteland. Thankfully, mankind has adjusted by wearing funny hats and carrying umbrellas around. Meanwhile, a scientist named Hank Symes (Tcheky karyo) is working on a solution through strange botanical experiments. He is developing plants and fungi that could replenish the planet. One such experiment has already led to death and destruction, forcing Symes, his wife (Alice Krige from Ghost Story, Star Trek: First Contact, and Sleepwalkers), and their teenage son (Balthazar Getty from Feast) to relocate to the small town of Pleasanton, USA. They've barely settled in before dad starts his wild experiments again, leading to an accident. Symes is turned into a cloud of flying, sentient spores, and the new homestead mutates into a jungle full of unheard of plant species'! This all sounds fascinating, but the execution is a bit clunky and the cheeze is quite pungeant at times, especially when we are introduced to young Symes' highschool, and the movie takes a turn toward KARATE KID-land. Teen-Symes is surrounded by homicidal jock types in his gym class. His coach is a sadistic, brain-free neanderthal. All of these idiots conspire to make this kid's life miserable (and shorter). Back at home, the house's interior is now a tropical paradise for mum to wander through. Of course, the town fascists can't just leave well enough alone, and soon plot the annihilation of all things green. This leads to a finalé that isn't very breathtaking. HABITAT has it's moments, but not many. Alice Krige is as eerily alluring as ever, and even sheds her clothing! Laura Harris follows suit! Still, there's something missing from this story. Tension? Mystery? Suspense?? Perhaps all three...

Very interesting, well written, sensual, and very well directed.
Gives a take on the environment and how nature can take control of humans.

Very enjoyable in very weird sort of way!

Enjoy!

John

Habitat, the story, isn't the worst idea in the world and the actor's did the best they could. But, I was so aggrivated by the time the film closed that I immediately took it back and rented another on refund!

Description: A house, an experiment, it turns to a forest with flowers, the mother is strangely attatched, the son can't bring friend's home. The End.

It amazes me that so many reviewers rate a movie on how much T&A and/or nudity there is. If it's not relevant to the plot, it's merely padding for a usually dull movie. Alice Krige is a beautiful woman, and a mesmerizing actress. However, Alice is lost in this ludicrously staged movie. Also, why do they constantly get actors with thick accents (like Tcheky Karyo) to reveal important plot points. You need to turn on your subtitles just to see what they're saying.
Balthazar Getty is very ineffective in his leading role, not much better than a high school thespian in their first role; Laura Harris (The Calling) is okay in her first role, but she's not really given that much to do; Kenneth Welsh tries to act like Vincent Price in his role as the coach, but can't achieve the flashy overacting he so obviously intended; Brad Austin as the somewhat studly Blaine comes on like a young Travolta, but can't match the intensity; the special effects which basically consist of a bunch of flashing dots is mundane. The plot about the ultimate evolution is so incoherent, it doesn't truly make sense, and the ending is flat.
Not the classic some people suggest; merely a waste of time.