Clive Barker’s The Plague
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Film: C
Clive
Barker is always being celebrated as a great figure in Horror storytelling, but
I have never been overly impressed by his work despite his ability to hang in
there and make his name a brand name in the genre. It is almost like the formula expectations of
a Hardy Boys or Saint/Simon Templar book that is safer than it should be, even
if you find the characters interesting.
I did not find anyone remotely interesting in The Plague, Barker’s delving into George Romero territory about
viruses turning children into zombies.
James Van
Der Beek continues the downward spiral that was once a potential career as the
man who returns home to the town where the unknown infection struck a decade
before. Slowly but surely, the children
begin to rise as zombie-like groups, but without the point, suspense, horror or
intrigue that made Romero a legend.
Barker should stick with what he does best, because when he walks into
the area of other’s horror genius, he just trips us all up. Director Hal Masonberg has no idea what to do
with the script he co-wrote. The result
is one big yawn.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is better than the lame 1.33 X 1 version
in color and detail, but it has muted color and detail issues itself and I
believe Bill Butler, A.S.C., shot it in a stylized way that this disc may be
missing. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is
not bad when surrounds kick in, but the sound is towards the front speakers
otherwise and this sounds like a low-budget production. Extras include deleted scenes and a
cast/editor audio commentary that is on the flat side.
- Nicholas Sheffo
