Shepherd (1999)

User Rating:

3.1/10   

Director:

Peter Hayman

Writer:

Nelu Ghiran (writer)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

In a post-apocalyptic underground society ruled by rival religious cults, Dakota is working as an assassin...

Plot Keywords:

Cult | Assassin | Religious Cult | Post Apocalypse | Independent Film

Cast

C. Thomas Howell	...	Boris Dakota
Roddy Piper	...	Miles
David Carradine	...	Ventriloquist
Heidi von Palleske	...	Lilith
Mackenzie Gray	...	Lyndon
Raymond Serra	...	Father Rizzo
Marina Anderson	...	Sophia
Fraser Reilly	...	Abe
Daniel Lévesque	...	Creep
Jules Delorme	...	Peter
Tony Curtis Blondell	...	Al
Elisa Schwarz	...	Anne
Cory Stevens	...	Charlie
Sean T. Krishnan	...	Desk Clerk (as Sean Tagore)
Doug Bagot	...	Sickly Cultist

Also Known As:

Cybercity (USA) (cable TV title)

Runtime:

90 min | Germany:88 min (cut version) | Germany:91 min | USA:86 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 | UK:18

Company:

Danforth Studios

Quotes:

Boris Dakota: You should tell your mother not to pick up hitchhikers.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Cybermaster (1999)

Howell should be ashamed of himself for this one.

First of all, let me start by saying that I have been a devoted follower of C Thomas Howell's career ever since "The Outsiders" and "The Hitcher". He was an up and coming star in the 1980s - with hits such as "Soul Man" also. The future was bright for this young actor and he had the potential to go on from there and really assert himself in Hollywood. Put it this way - Tom Cruise had a bit part in "The Outsiders" while Howell had the lead. Look at Cruise today !!! But picking material like this drivel will only denegrate Howell's career even more - if that was possible. Why does he pick stuff like this? A small part in a major movie would be of more benefit to him than this rubbish. Essentially the story here takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where everybody lives underground where chaos reigns. Howell is a Shepherd - protecting the flock of various religious leaders by killing off any undesirables. He's a hitman in other words. The sets are so bad, they wouldn't look out of place on a Thunderbirds episode. The use of slow-motion needlessly repeats itself throughout the movie but is well backed up by bad acting (and bad is a kind word here), no continuity, scenes that are thrown in for no reason whatsoever, vehicles that looked like they were made from a Corn Flakes box and a directorial style that bordered on stupidity. Oh yeah, and the storyline was pathetic too. I hate writing bad reviews about films - especially those in which I really like the star - but this film is so bad I don't believe for one second that anyone could have been proud of it. I am not a filmmaker nor am I a director but I would hide my head in the sand if I'd spent whatever amount of money and time on this movie. In short - this was a monumental waste of time and energy and I would not recommend anyone to EVER see this film. It came free with a DVD player I bought but I still turned the thing off halfway through because I was embarrassed for Howell. Come on C - give yourself some credit and wrestle yourself away from these non-hit wonders and try to knuckle down and get a good part - however small.