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Natural Selection

  • 19991999
  • RR
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
473
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
104,114
4,090
David Carradine in Natural Selection (1999)
ComedyThrillerHorror
Residents of an East Texas town react strangely when a serial killer invades their small town world.Residents of an East Texas town react strangely when a serial killer invades their small town world.Residents of an East Texas town react strangely when a serial killer invades their small town world.
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
473
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
104,114
4,090
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Mark Lambert Bristol
    • Writers
      • B.J. Burrow
      • Allen Odom
    • Stars
      • Michael Bowen
      • David Carradine
      • Darren E. Burrows
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Mark Lambert Bristol
    • Writers
      • B.J. Burrow
      • Allen Odom
    • Stars
      • Michael Bowen
      • David Carradine
      • Darren E. Burrows
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 19User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos

    David Carradine in Natural Selection (1999)
    Natural Selection Production Shot
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    Top cast

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    Michael Bowen
    Michael Bowen
    • Willie Dickenson
    David Carradine
    David Carradine
    • Louis Dehoven
    Darren E. Burrows
    Darren E. Burrows
    • Glenn Royce
    • (as Darren Burrows)
    Elizabeth Barondes
    Elizabeth Barondes
    • Sally Dickensen
    Missy Atwood
    • Marie Franklin
    Marina Anderson
    Marina Anderson
    • Martha Graham
    • (as Marina Carradine)
    Joe Unger
    Joe Unger
    • Detective Harry Richards
    Bob Balaban
    Bob Balaban
    • Dr. William Powell
    Stephen Root
    Stephen Root
    • Mr. Crenshaw
    Bill Wise
    • Ferrel Dickenson
    Johnny Hardwick
    • Documentary Director
    • (voice)
    Todd Lowe
    Todd Lowe
    • Jimmie Dickenson
    Guilford Adams
    Guilford Adams
    • Colin Dickenson
    Mark Miks
    • Jamie Crenshaw
    Bob Richardson
    • Coach Al Sand
    Alex Morris
    Alex Morris
    • Alex
    Gabriel Folse
    Gabriel Folse
    • Earle
    Fritz Beer
    • Mover #1
    • Director
      • Mark Lambert Bristol
    • Writers
      • B.J. Burrow
      • Allen Odom
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Coach Al Sand: Billy, quit covering your titties and play ball!

    • Connections
      Referenced in Christmas Cruelty! (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      How Very Inconvenient
      Written by Michael Fracasso

      From WHEN I LIVED IN THE WILD on Bohemia Beat Records

      Episode Sixteen Music/Bug Music (BMI)

    User reviews19

    Review
    Top review
    Unconventional, well-crafted film that takes us on a wild ride.
    WARNING - CERTAIN PLOT LINES MAY BE REVEALED IN THESE COMMENTS.

    A few weeks ago, I attended an advance screening of NATURAL SELECTION. As key grip on the picture, my comments may seem rather slanted, but I feel compelled to share a few thoughts. I shall make every attempt to be objective.

    With a quirky, provocative script by BJ Burrow and Allen Odom as his foundation, Bristol has built a crafty film. Even though I was on the crew and watched the scenes as they were being shot, I shall have to watch the final cut several times before I catch all of the surprises that the film offers. It moves along at a brisk pace, and takes us on a wild ride.

    In a nutshell, NATURAL SELECTION is a story of boy meets serial killer, boy copies serial killer, cop stalks serial killer, and all hell breaks loose in every conceivable direction.

    NATURAL SELECTION wrung from me many different reactions as I watched the story unfold before me. A moment after laughing hysterically at one of the film's many moments of curious comedy, I would find myself jumping involuntarily at one of its startling little twists.

    The story revolves around a faux TV documentary which follows a series of killings by Bowen's character, "Willie," and its impact on a small town.

    The body of the film chronicles the changes that are inflicted upon the town and its people under the focus of the media.

    One of the most compelling moments is a pivotal scene between Bowen and Carradine, in the seedy little motel where Carradine's character, an FBI agent gone over the edge, eventually meets his end. The dichotomy between these two actors - half brothers, incidentally - is palpable.

    After the chilling scene in which Carradine's "Dehoven" character is brutally killed, actress Laura House whips us right back into laughter mode. As the motel's housekeeper, she basks in second-hand fame before the camera of the "documentary" crew and leaves the audience with the guilty pleasure of another good howl.

    As Dehoven, Carradine demonstrates his skills as one of the great Hollywood journeymen. Throughout the film, I was torn between pity for Dehoven's delusional existence, and biting myself in the lip to keep from laughing at the poor guy's Oliver Hardy-like awkwardness as he shadows Willie. One moment the stammering nebbish, the obsessed predator the next, Dehoven is a joy to watch.

    Known for years as "Ed," the young Indian filmmaker in "Northern Exposure," Darren Burrows turns in a riveting portrayal as a small-town guy, transformed by the media attention that the killings have brought to his little berg. He explodes from one emotion to another with chilling fluidity and, with Bowen, emotes both rail-gripping terror and side-busting laughter during their final confrontation.

    The lynch pin of the cast is Detective Richards, played by Joe Unger. Richards is the gruff, jaded cop, numbed by a career full of murder investigations, and a downright snarling contempt of the media. With a matter-of-fact take on the situation, punctuated by several well-chosen expletives, we follow this tough-ass cop through the "documentary" and the body of the film as he pulls the story together.

    The "TV documentary" is where cameos by such talent as Root, Balaban and Laura House really shine. These performances are beyond excellent as they lead us through the maze and deliver us to its unexpected exit. Root, in particular, is captivating as the father of one of Willie's victims. His turn before the camera is, at the same time, poignant and riotously funny.

    The "MVP" of the NATURAL SELECTION production crew has to be Rhet W. Bear, the director of photography. This young cinematographer and his minimalist style gave director Bristol the ideal paint with which to create his witty picture of the Burrow/Odom screenplay.

    Again, as one of the film's department heads, it is difficult to be as objective as I would like. Still, I have to say that the film has a bright future ahead of it. NATURAL SELECTION is haunting and hilarious at the same time. It is a complex film which provides a stimulating counterpart to many contemporary works.

    I gauge a film by the number of times it would have been okay to skip out to the lobby for a nine-dollar hot dog. When you go see NATURAL SELECTION, I suggest that you eat first.

    One thing's for sure. You'll never look at your mailbox the same way again!
    helpful•4
    3
    • Paul-312
    • Sep 8, 1999

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 7, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Monster Hunter
    • Filming locations
      • Texas, USA
    • Production companies
      • 24/36 Productions
      • Broad Reach Properties
      • Rio Bravo Entertainment LLC
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $450,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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