Strangeland (1998)

A detective pursues a sadist specializing in body modification rituals who lures teenagers through the internet.

Director:

John Pieplow

Writer:

Dee Snider

Stars:

Kevin Gage, Elizabeth Peña, Dee Snider

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Gage	...	Mike Gage
Elizabeth Peña	...	Toni Gage
Brett Harrelson	...	Steve Christian
Robert Englund	...	Jackson Roth
Linda Cardellini	...	Genevieve Gage
Tucker Smallwood	...	Capt. Churchill Robbins
Ivonne Coll	...	Rose Stravelli
Amy Smart	...	Angela Stravelli
Dee Snider	...	Capt. 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)

Storyline

A schizophrenic sadist by the name of Captain Howdy lures teens through the internet into his painful traps. A detective starts pursuing him after he captures his daughter. Eventually they catch up with him and send him to a mental hospital. But upon his release, the townspeople don't accept the new, peaceful former Captain Howdy, and attack him. Howdy goes nuts again and in revenge starts everything all over, only worse. Can the detective stop him?...

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Plot Keywords:

sadomasochism | bondage | detective | internet | torture | 

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Taglines:

So much flesh, so little time.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Strangeland

Filming Locations:

12th and Lincoln, Denver, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$373,288, 4 October 1998

Gross USA:

$713,239

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$713,239

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shooting Gallery, Snider Than Thou Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the DVD commentary, Dee Snider mentioned that filming the scenes with Carleton Hendricks rehabilitated, and wearing a cardigan, were the hardest parts of the movie to shoot. Snider hated wearing the cardigan.

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Goofs

When Captain Howdy is swinging on the hook (when Mike throws the oil on him) you can see Howdy's flying harness that goes around his waist each time he swings past Mike.

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Quotes

Captain Howdy: We must all go through a rite of passage, and it must be physical, it must be painful, and it must leave a mark.

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Alternate Versions

The DVD version is unrated while the VHS version is the edited R-rated version.

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Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

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Soundtracks

A Secret Place
Written by Dave Mustaine
Performed by Megadeth
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI Music Special Markets and SCREEN GEMS-EMI Music, Inc. and Mustaine Music (BMI)

User Reviews

Snyder must be kidding with this garbage....

This movie looked pretty good a first. A somewhat original idea for a horror movie, I was looking forward to this movie to come out. I rented it on DVD, and I just had to laugh. Dee Snyder needs to stay out of the horror movie business! Probably the movie business altogether. The movie starts out promising, but goes downhill from there. The "bad guy," Captain Howdy is laughable, and the piercings and tattoos make you laugh, instead of making you scared! The actors in this movie are horrible, and I'm shocked they ever landed parts in their lives. I just found out the girl from Freaks and Geeks is the young girl who is tormented by Howdy, and I think she was awesome in Freaks and Geeks, but here, she's just like the rest of them. When it comes down to it, she doesn't even have any lines in the entire film, and her part is just a tiny piece of the puzzle. The detectives in this movie are fake, and both of them can't act for nothing. Like I said, the start of the film is ok with an internet stalker/murderer played by Snyder, but his character just isn't scary. Not much in the movie is scary, and most of it is just a way for Snyder to try to freak you out with horrible scenes of girls tied up naked with hooks going into their bodies, etc. I wouldn't waste my time on this movie. It's a bad movie, and an even worse horror movie.