The Mind's Eye

Imagine if David Cronenberg had just a 100 IQ. This then is what Scanners would've looked like. It doesn't suck, but it's not all that impressive either.

Unlike Scanners, there is no cerebral subtext. What you see is what you get and nothing more. One thing that drove me sorta nuts watching it is that the characters will announce that some course of action is not a good idea and then proceed to do just that. They also engage in fights to the death, where they get the upper hand, but then do not finish off their opponents. Guess what happens.

The lead actress and the score are pretty good. Plus, the general storyline is interesting, the foreboding atmosphere is well maintained, and the practical gore effects are impactful. All in all, I'd probably rather just rewatch Scanners, but that said, you could do a lot worse than watching this homage/ knockoff/ what-have-you.

Too often I make the mistake of being captivated by a film's poster. The amount of movies I've seen based purely on their poster is higher than I'd care to admit. And alas, once again I've made the mistake. 'The Mind's Eye' has a clever, eye-catching poster indeed, but the film can in no way live up to it. In fact it doesn't even come close. It's a snoozefest. Evidentally psychokinesis does not make for a very good film subject.

The entire plot revolves around an insane doctor who wants psychokinetic powers for himself. Though the audience can't help but wonder, why? What exactly is this going to add to your life? What about having these powers could possibly be worth the effort and sacrifice you are clearly going through to get them? It just doesn't make any sense. Then add in the fact that the two protagonists are about as unlikable and dull as film characters come and you're left with a pretty unwatchable product. Director Joe Begos seems aware he doesn't have the strongest script (dispite having written it himself) and seemingly tries to make up for in the final third with excess gore, but even that falls flat with a lack of originality. There's really not a whole lot to see here.

As a child of the 80's, I grew up with these kinds of films; films about people with special powers and government cover-ups. This film does a great job of evoking that same feeling, with a decent script and a pretty decent SFX budget. The acting, however, was beyond hacky, and really marred the integrity of the film. Almost everyone involved in this movie was just awful, with overacting and poor delivery abundant in every scene. It was like watching a student film at times, with people who have no business being in front of a camera. With a more talented cast, this would have been a worthy addition to 80's horror films. As it stands, it is a decent film with some really bad talent attached to it. Watch it for the carnage and gore, but be advised, you will be rolling your eyes every time someone attempts to deliver their lines with a straight face.

Fantastic, fun, low budget, daft horror film made for peanuts. Just the sorta thing we here at Plop Towers love watching.

Written and directed by Joe Begos who also done the cracking Almost Human.

If you ask me, the horror genre, and films in general, need chaps like young Begos. People who won't let the lack of budget get in the way of telling a story, and doing so well.

Same goes for anyone who reads this, if you want the world to hear your voice, do it now. Don't wait for external endorsement, sponsorship or someone to hold your hand, it won't happen. You'll probably fail, but what do you wan't to say when your ticket's punched? You tried your best, or you thought about it a lot?

Good luck.

(Originally at www.filmplop.blogspot.com)

If this feature stood on it's own, it might have made a weak 4 on my list, but as a rip off of the 1981 classic it barely gets a 2. So let's settle then on 3.

Though the story line deviates from David Cronenberg's Scanners, this feature is a clear rip off from Scanners with very obvious parallels – even a classic reference to the forced veins on the face of Michael Slovak, the deranged scientist.

Someone clearly forgot to tell this movie maker though that if you are going to try and emulate the style of a legendary director like Cronenberg, one should probably at least try and come up with an original idea or study the thematic content of that particular director before putting out a half-bred attempt to cash in on a new generation that would not know the classic.

But with a very weak story line, a complete lack of thematic content, an over obvious choice to emulate Cronenberg's style and an insulting lack of innovation and originality, the best thing about this film is the B-grade special effects that is slightly nostalgic of early Rob Zombie films.