Strangeland (1998)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

John Pieplow

Writer:

Dee Snider (writer)

Release Date:

2 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

So much flesh, so little time.

Plot:

The place is Helverton, Colorado, a town of about 350,000 people. 15-year-old Genevieve Gage and her...

Plot Keywords:

Chat Room | Torture | Revenge | Sadist | Mental Institution

Cast

Kevin Gage	...	Mike Gage
Elizabeth Peña	...	Toni Gage
Brett Harrelson	...	Steve Christian
Robert Englund	...	Jackson Roth
Linda Cardellini	...	Genevieve Gage
Tucker Smallwood	...	Captain Churchill Robbins
Ivonne Coll	...	Rose Stravelli
Amy Smart	...	Angela Stravelli
Dee Snider	...	Captain Howdy / Carleton Hendricks
Amal Rhoe	...	Tiana Moore
Robert LaSardo	...	Matt Myers
Andrew Cooper	...	Victim Bob (as Andy Cooper)
Archie Smith	...	Elderly Man
Lois Hicks	...	Mental Institution Nurse
Carey Westbrook	...	Sam the Orderly (as Carey Louis Westbrook)

Also Known As:

Dee Snider's StrangeLand (USA) (promotional title)
Rune (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic torture/violence, language, nudity and sexuality.

Runtime:

85 min | Argentina:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #36303) | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Denmark:15 | UK:18 | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO)

Filming Locations:

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Company:

Shooting Gallery

Trivia:

When the mob gathers around Carleton Hendricks' home, someone is holding a sign that says "We're not gonna take it." This is also the title of the biggest single from Dee Snider's band Twisted Sister.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gage is IMing with CaptHowdy from his car, his fingers are shown typing G A G E in one shot and K O I in another. These letter combinations do not appear in the IM he sends.

Quotes:

Captain Howdy: So much flesh...so little time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Killing Us Softly 3 (1999)

Soundtrack:

Marmalade

I'd rather clean the cat box

This gets my vote for "I'd rather clean the cat box" because it would be scarier and a more productive use of my time. The only redeeming feature is that the nasty- gory -torture bits are glossed over by the camera in comparison to more recent "cat box" worthy outings, which tend to dwell and dwell on the gore (e.g. Hostel).

I gave up at least 1/2 hour before the end since it was on TV and I could not fast forward through the boring bloody bits. The hunt by police detectives in the first half keeps the interest, particularly because the use of the internet is now so dated and yet so current in light of recent news. Finally, however, Strangeland is reminiscent of the most hackneyed and strained elements of old monster movies and appears to rely on solely on gory visuals to keep the viewer's interest. Strictly for those who enjoy human- on- human nastiness without much background.