The Eden Formula

You ever get that itch to just kill an hour or two doing chores and watching a movie so bad it defies reason? Well, out renting movies one weekend i see the box art for this one and see the T-Rex. Knowing full well that the dinosaur on the package was the T-Rex from Jurassic Park, I KNEW I had to rent this just cause I was in the mood for a bad movie.

I was not disappointed in the least.

Mad scientists, secret formulas, a company more concerned about its fortune and shareholders than lives, and of course, a big, poorly animated, sock-puppet T-Rex. Is it me our through out the movie was there scenes clearly spliced from other movies? Not to mention the Rex's hungry is never satisfied...ever. How he has hungry is beyond me because he actually doesn't have an throat (Really if you look down his mouth when he roars, it's solid...like a toy or something). Now, I like watching incredibly bad B-Movies from time to time because it reminds me how much better a blockbuster movie is. This one was hilarious. I'm not even sure if this was supposed to be a thriller or a comedy, because there are scenes where, make no mistake, you will laugh.

Do I blame the movie's budget...yes, but the acting didn't help either. OK, Tony Todd was actually pretty good, as for some of the female roles...when you cry shouldn't "tears" come out? Meh, I am not going to be angry at this movie, i knew what i was getting into and if you're looking for a bad movie to watch with friends, here's what I recommend: Watch this movie, then immediately watch Jurassic Park and then Lost World back to back. You will be writing Mr. Spielberg thank you letters the next day.

I remember many years ago seeing the original "Jurassic Park" at the cinema! Never before had I seen such spectacle, with state of the art special effects, incredible thrills and a narrative to die for! After seeing this movie I can finally say that JP has been out done! the Tyrannosaurus in this movie for all intents and purposes, looks living and breathing! If you didn't know better, you would swear that you were watching actual footage of the dinosaur age because that is how realistic it is! When it goes on the attack, I was on the edge of my seat! The performances in this movie are incredible! Jeff Fahey comes across as a solid combination of Steven Seagal, Van Damme and Stallone at their prime, and he easily matches the ferocious T-Rex in terms of a gigantic performance! The narrative is a thrill a minute, with twists and turns and unexpected narrative arcs! It is like Pulp Fiction times ten! The writers should be proud of themselves! Every ten years or so a movie comes along that changes the face of cinema! in 2006 that movie was "The Eden Formula"!

If you want to watch a real 'quality' movie get hold of The Eden Formula. This wondrous film must have cost all of $50 to make. It features a wafer thin script, pathetically bad sets, lighting and camera work, and a stop motion, paper-mache monster that is utterly laughable (it looks like they sometimes used a guy in a rubber suit and/or a glove puppet for the monster - but all were equally dreadful).

The actors all speak their lines as though they've never seen them before and are reading off a teleprompter. The special effects are way beyond lousy. And the only sad thing is that they dropped the really nifty original title 'Tyranasaurus Wrecks' which sums up exactly what you get for the full 90 minutes.

This is what happens when you scrape the bottom of the barrel so hard you break through to the crud that lies underneath.

I loved every minute of it.

Bad, terrible, but ultimately enjoyable. How can anyone not love this? I'd rather see bad puppets and recycled footage, than another lame-ass CG romp. I prefer the alternative title to this "Tyrannosaurus Wrecks". A bit of martial arts, a few moments of comedy, bizarrely placed car chases. This film makes the most of its budget, which is pretty much nothing. At least it has genuine talent such as Fahey, Todd and Wallace Stone, to push and pull the "plot" along. I'll never forget the wonderfully placed film- set satire scene. I do question whether these people are trying to make money, a good film, or just an enjoyable film. Well, this certainly ends up being infinitely enjoyable, but I guess the love of cheese is required.

This little movie is a blast. It's a perfect parody of the the action dinosaur genre. To be sure, it's a low budget film, but the filmmakers seem to have embraced the whole action/cheese-ball/creature-on-the-loose on a zero-budget concept. From the recycled Carnosaur footage to the new stuff with the great rubbery reptile chowing down on people's heads,this thing is entertaining! Tony Todd and Jeff Fahey are classic. They're in on the joke and provide the suitable arch-types, as does Dee Wallace Stone, looking fantastic as she always does. Plus there's a great little cameo featuring "Hatchet" director's ADAM GREEN! The scene is downright hilarious. The film is full of bluster and over the top situations and comedy/horror genre joy! Highly recommended!