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 lowly
but surely, the Sci-Fi Channel is starting to become a terrific
reservoir for original science fiction movies. While we're not
talking about Hollywood just yet, considering what the cable network
has bankrolled in recent years, from the "Dune"
mini-series to its sequel, "Children
of Dune", there's no doubt that the Sci-Fi Channel is really
making a name for itself. Their strides at the moment remind me of
HBO in its early days, which, considering HBO's present state as a
purveyor of quality movies, should bode well for the fledgling
network.
"Deathlands", based on
the popular post-apocalyptic books of the '80s, is the latest
original offering from the network. It's set 100 years after the
world has been devastated by nuclear war. Ryan Cawdor (Vincent
Spano) leads a small band of scavengers through the wastelands,
surviving on what they can find or kill for. Among Cawdor's troupe
is Krysty (Jenya Lano), a half-mutant, half-human and Cawdor's
lover. There's Dix (Cliff Saunders), another human, and Jak (Nathan
Carter), a mutant with rage issues. After many years in the
deathlands, Cawdor decides to return home to a human sanctuary ruled
by his stepmother (Traci Lords) and his brother, both of whom had,
20 years earlier, murdered Cawdor's father.
The first thing you'll notice about
"Deathlands" is that it doesn't have a very high budget, and
director Joshua Butler ("Saint
Sinner") does his best to hide the inadequacies of this
post-apocalyptic world. Butler and cinematographer Bruce Worrall
uses a lot of red tinting to represent the radiation poisoning in
the atmosphere, although this just makes the movie look really dull
and lifeless. There isn't really a lot about "Deathlands" that is
impressive despite Butler's chaotic camerawork and flashy editing
work that uses up pretty much every trick in the book.
I'm not entirely sure if the movie works better
as a book, because it is definitely not very believable as a movie.
And no, I'm not even talking about the human race surviving 100
years of nuclear radiation with only the presence of rampaging
mutants to show for it. I'm talking about the movie's premise that
the survivors would go back to living a lifestyle that represents
medieval Europe, complete with Barons and heirs to the throne and
whatnot. Such is the case with Cawdor's past, whose father, the
original Baron, once ruled the sanctuary with kindness, before the
evil Traci Lords and the insane Alan Peterson overthrew him.
If, as the movie posits, it's been 100 years
since the end of civilization, and the survivors were raised without
the ability to read, write, or understand history, would they
actually return to serfdom? I think not. A more realistic
post-apocalyptic world would be one filled with survivalists looking
out for themselves at all costs, and not willingly subject
themselves to the dictatorial rule of an insane Baron and his
equally insane Baroness. Think about it: why would primitive
survivors who grew up in a world devoid of civilization bend to the
will of two crazies that are as intimidating as day old bread? What
exactly is keeping them loyal? It just doesn't make a lick of sense.
Its main premise revealed to be a sham, there's
not much of "Deathlands" to really hold onto. There's not enough
action to keep one interested, and the characters are drawn with
broad strokes. The tough Cawdor, the loyal Krysty, the untrusting
Dix, and the needy Jak. Even for a post-apocalyptic movie,
"Deathlands" is a bit of a letdown. And how is it that 100 years
after a nuclear war people are still running around using M16s and
shotguns? Who exactly is still making the ammo for these weapons?
Vincent Spano ("Texas
Rangers") does fine as Cawdor, although on more than one
occasion he seems just as stumped by the movie's many absurd plot
turns as we are. Traci Lords, post-porn, still can't act her way out
of a wet paper bag. The rest don't fare any better, but then again
the screenplay doesn't exactly give them much to work with. Even if
you could swallow the film's many twists and turns with a straight
face (which is quite a challenge in itself), "Deathlands" is pretty
much death on arrival. (Gee, I'm so clever.)
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