Tail Sting (2001)

A pack of massive genetically altered Scorpions escape containment on an airplane, turning passengers into victims and forcing one ordinary woman to confront her worst fears.

Director:

Paul Wynne

Writers:

Timothy Griffin, Peter Soby Jr.

Stars:

Laura Putney, Robert Merrill, Shirly Brener

Cast

Credited cast:
Laura Putney	...	Dr. Jennifer Ryan
Robert Merrill	...	Captain Jack Russell (Pilot) (as Christian Scott)
Shirly Brener	...	Shannon
Gulshan Grover	...	Yaffi
Tara Price	...	Courtney
Jean Carol	...	Flight Attendant Patti
Elizabeth Perry	...	Jodie Shawback
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Boony	...	Security Fred
Guy Bracca	...	Sudan
Conroe Brooks	...	Omar
Jager Dan	...	Biker #1
Ray Davis	...	Curtis Burnham
Tony Dimond	...	Air Traffic Controller Bob Campbell
Sean P. Donahue	...	Airport Security (as Sean Donahue)
Jamie Douglass	...	Brad

Storyline

Prepared for a routine flight across the Pacific, lonely widower and pilot Jack Russell maneuvers his jet into the sky and unknowingly tightens the gap between his passengers and doom. Lying dormant in the craft's hull is a secret shipment of genetically engineered Scorpion fetuses, the creation of Dr. Jennifer Ryan and her team of biochemists for the purpose of discovering a vaccine. At the same time, Yaffi and his brother Sudan sneak onto the airplane speaking in hushed tones about a conspiracy of their own; to smuggle themselves into America. One of Jennifer's most trusted colleagues uses this opportunity to break into the cargo hold and steal the Scorpions. Each fetus sleeps submerged in a jell liquid inside its own glass container. While transferring the fetuses from their secure metal unit the scientist is discovered by security. A desperate fight ensues, containers break, and the Scorpions open their ugly black eyes.

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Plot Keywords:

scorpion | airplane | scientist | giant insect | tail spin | 

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Taglines:

Don't Fasten Your Seatbelt!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and brief sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Tail Spin

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shoreline Entertainment, Stinger Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Dr. Milhouse retrieves Fred's gun and tries to calm himself, a crew person is clearly visible behind the luggage area. He is wearing white shorts and white tennis shoes.

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Connections

Followed by Stinger (2005)

User Reviews

On A Whole Different Plane . . .

Let's get something straight before properly beginning: If you rent a film about giant scorpions from your local video store, you had better not expect roundly excellent, Altmanesque ensemble acting; Malickian cinematography; or Wellsian direction. You probably shouldn't even expect special effects that are any good. (The most you can reasonably do is cross your fingers that the puppetry is better than that of a four-year-old with his hand up a stuffed Cookie Monster's bum, or that the CGI looks little like a first-generation Nintendo 64 title.)

On the other hand, if you possess any powers whatever of a little thing called deduction, you're likely not to be disappointed by TAIL STING. In fact, I have no reservations at all in proclaiming TS as some sort of masterpiece of its kind. The budget probably couldn't have covered the waiter's tip at a upscale restaurant, and yet somehow these film-makers made a movie about mutant scorpions on a airplane. MUTANT SCORPIONS ON A AIRPLANE. No simple feat!

What puts the movie over the top is the absence of the cynical indifference that is to be found in most recent pictures of this type. It's almost as if some people actually put some _care_ into this tiny little picture, where they could have relied soley on the MUTANT SCORPIONS ON AN AIRPLANE hook--which, incidentally, makes a great box cover and plot synopsis--and called it a day.

So, if you're a connoisseur of straight-to-video nonsense and/or have some beer left in the fridge and a night free of responsibilities, drop a 3.97 on TAIL STING and have some fun, and console yourself that you at least did not rent neither HOUSE OF THE DEAD nor KANGAROO JACK.