Groom Lake (2002) User Reviews

Not Bill's best

[CrackerJack30 · 4/10 · 15 February 2006]

First of all, i must admit, I am a great Shater-Fan. I read his books ("The Ashes of Eden" was a great one) and listen to his CD "Has Been". But "Groom Lake", or "The Vistior" like it is called on the DVD i bought, is low average. On the DVD-Cover are Pictures of The Enterprise D - and this Movie has nothing to do with Star Trek! And the Photos on the Backside are from a other movie with Bill - "American Psycho 2"! This is kind of weird, and, well, a bit a shame for a great actor like Bill Shatner. He don't need such crappy tricks to sell DVDs!

The film itself is a B-movie, and if you like Sci-Fi-Movie, you maybe like this one. Yes, the story is a bit confusing and not really straight told. Yes, some of the effects show the low budget of "Groom Lake". But it has it's moments, and if you like Sci-Fi, you maybe like it. The only thing i really don't like are the shaky hand-camera-scenes.

Bad in every respect

[wvdput · 2/10 · 8 May 2005]

It is sad to see a potentially nice subject (dying girl tries to find alien life before she dies) wasted like this. The characters are wooden, there is hardly any logic in their actions. But there is a lot more in this film to complain about. The special effects could be charming as they are disarmingly clumsy and unconvincing, but they fail to be. The lighting and editing reminds one of the bold and the beautiful. The acting is terrible. No memorable one-liners whatsoever. In short, there are no redeeming qualities. William Shatner even succeeded in miscasting himself. Only a tiny amount of irony or self-parody would have made the film at least bearable, but unfortunately it all seems to be meant seriously. Avoid.

Way below Even Shatner's standards

[roger-161 · 2/10 · 6 February 2003]

William Shatner has been around the movie and tv business long enough that he ought to be able to do simple things like choose film stock, know when something looks cheesy, and know when acting is bad.

In Groom Lake, Shatner simply did not consider quality. One scene looks like a movie set and another looks like someone's bedroom, shot with a home 16mm film camera. Maybe he did put some love into the film, but that is not what moviegoers come to watch.

This is a horrible movie. Don't rent it unless you absolutely have to see how low Shatner can go. If you do rent it, be prepared to scratch your head in confusion, and groan with pain over the this turkey.

Gasp!!

[JOHNBATES-1 · 15 July 2003]

You know you have to wonder what's going on with Bill Shatner. He's a talented actor with a beautiful speaking voice, capable of superior performances.

But some of the stuff he is involved in makes you want to shake your head. And this stuff isn't off-the-wall good. It's off-the-wall poor. Poorly made, poorly paced, poorly edited, poorly written, etc. It's as if he is someone who is not quite in touch with himself; and it shows in the projects and people with which he gets associated.

And now we have 'Groom Lake'. It wouldn't make you winch so hard, if it hadn't also been written and directed by Shatner. The logicalness and continuity is uncomfortably close to what you'd expect from an Ed Wood-level production.

Here's this bonehead boyfriend risking life and limb roaring up a treacherous hillside with his dying girlfriend, all the time assuring her that it'll be all right. Well, it's not all right, Mr. Genius. Their vehicle overturns and rolls completely down the hill. And this is only one part of a heavily fragmented, unsupported story line. The negative comments could go on.

For the record this viewer would like to be a full-time fan of Shatner. But, Bill, somehow you just aren't getting the job done. You are capable of a much more brilliant body of work.

awful awful awful

[toni_valjus · 1/10 · 28 December 2005]

Must be the worst film i've seen this year. William Shatner... Somehow that name told me I was about to see some interesting Sci-fi. How wrong I was. This is not good sci-fi. It is awful sci-fi. The effects are bad, the hand-camera choice isn't a wise one, for starters.

This is nothing. It's so lame, so bad actors, so bad a script you just want to die while watching. It isn't even funny. Some flicks are bad so they become fun, but this isn't even that.

Somehow I had the bad taste to pick this one time I was to rent a movie. It was so boring I had to fast-forward the last two thirds of the film. Never see this!

Just a friendly warning.

Worst movie ever? Possibly.

[Allisonlj · 1/10 · 12 June 2006]

I live in the same town, where a lot of this film was made. Well, at least shot. And although I was not personally an extra a few of my friends were. They said in their opinion it was the most fun they had ever had because they were asked basically to act like morons on camera. When I asked if that was all they said yeah and they couldn't wait to see what a piece of junk this movie turned out to be. We were disappointed. The acting is sub-porno standards and many extras blatantly look right into the camera. We here in town basically refer to the movie as the worst movie ever to be caught on film and hope that in a thousand years it will NOT be what is used to show what our entertainment epitomized. Save your money, and your time. Do not rent, nor watch this film.

Please...no more

[captain-54 · 2/10 · 21 December 2003]

I love Bill Shatner. I have seen most anything he's done, and even went to Ssplat attack II to see him. Still, he shouldn't just take any damn movie. I mean, there is that stupid chef show, now this, this horrible, horrible movie. You may think 'how bad can it be?'. Well, I was dehydrated for two days from spitting on the DVD and cursing Bill Shatner's name.

My God this is awful

[seany37 · 1/10 · 1 April 2006]

This is definitely one of those movies that keeps you glued to the screen in the same sense as not being able to look away from a car wreck. Just when you thought it was bad it gets worse, a lot worse. You really have to see this movie to believe how bad it really is but if you have something better to do like pick your nose, I suggest you do that instead, it won't be time wasted. The acting is wooden, there is no story, there is no proper continuity, nothing makes any sense. There is so much ham in this movie it was probably filmed at a pig farm with the pigs in costumes doubling as aliens (and most of the other actors) Spoiler - this isn't a turkey, it's a frozen TV dinner without the taste.. Well done Mr Shatner, Well Done!

Just Bad...

[mac_awol · 1/10 · 15 February 2004]

This was some of the worst ever to be made for entertainment...

It was so bad, that I watched the whole movie on fast forward...

I know why watch the movie, if it was so bad, well I spend money renting this "thing", so better get my money's worth, and well I still feel cheated...

The most hideous piece of garbage since....sheesh I can't think!

[pbartholomew-2 · 1/10 · 29 August 2006]

I got the fright of my life when I saw that it was directed by Shatner. Someone who has been behind the camera all his life and still manages to turn out this "worse than film school" abomination. Everything about this movie stunk to high heaven and I am amazed that it could possibly have been made. Surely Shatner could have secured budget enough to at least shoot on film stock and not freakin handicam. And the lighting hahahaha I don't know what to say.

I guess it gives me hope that if I one day scrawl out a 7 word treatise of a plot about nothing I could have it made and sell it a network. Shatner you have boldly gone out of your freaking mind :) PS the only thing that kept me watching was in the hope of the cast turning around and telling me that it was all a joke.........

My God...

[dcgimpy · 1/10 · 1 October 2005]

When I saw this movie...I thought to myself that the reason that the camera was so crappy was the fact that it was made in the early 80s. Then I saw it was made in 2002 and I was shocked.

Then I was scared I accidentally rented a cheap porno because the plot sucked. Not only did the plot suck. The storyline made absolutely no sense.

For example, after the boyfriend is an idiot and flips the jeep...His dying girlfriend becomes extremely horny. No one was upset that the jeep was destroyed(but afterwards you see the jeep perfectly fine just upside down, no damage). But anyways, where in most movies everyone would be upset, they have sex after almost dying. Bravo.

Some UFO. A flying Jellyfish.

For Gods sake...

This movie makes Steven Segal movies look professional.

This movie was AWESOME!

[knight_red · 8/10 · 30 March 2013]

First, I must say, this film is pure comedy to me. I first saw this a long time ago flipping channels, and there was Shatner so I stayed on the channel. I couldn't stop laughing. Everything about it was beer out the nose hilarity. I was so enthralled by the nonsense terribleness I couldn't believe anybody could have made this movie even The Shat. I figure it was like this, while gazing out across the ocean from his cliff top estate sipping a fine brandy Shatner pondering a new song he wrote on a napkin:

"A guy and girl go on some find meaning to life trip. They meet aliens that make her feel good about life, you know, in general."

The writer took this "story" and was like alright let's find some room to add in a random alien watcher rape scene, a random jeep tumbles down the hill scene where obviously since they've just survived a terrifying roll down a ditch they must dry hump even though it's like just after the rape thing. Oh and remember to have "chase scenes" all the time and "men in black". And because the note mentioned aliens the writer was like Area 51 we all know that's where aliens are.

But it really does kick off with Area 51 itself... they don't have HUMMVs on base, (I mean you know they are researching aliens, so they are concerned with gas prices) NO! they have golf carts. And you can just gain entrance with a set of surplus fatigues and a black armband. And then they follow somebody in the security door.

Just thinking about it makes me laugh and consider pulling it off the shelf for a watch. OH YES! I searched it out and purchased the DVD, because I felt the need to enrich my friends and coworkers lives with this movie. They usually feel betrayed and confused after seeing it, but I can only blame that on government mind control.

It could have been worse

[spiletta42 · 4/10 · 2 December 2006]

To call this movie good would be an exaggeration, but it wasn't THAT bad. Amy Acker's character was likable, and I have a fairly high tolerance for William Shatner's acting, so I made it all the way through it. The plot could have been tightened up a lot, and some jokes would have helped. This movie is worth watching if you happen to be bored, and it's free. You should only purchase it (if it's available on DVD, which I honestly don't know) if you're a completionist fan of one of the leads. The special effects were dull at best, and the mechanics overall lacked dazzle, but they really weren't distractingly bad. Mostly. In short, the film met the standard formula for a sci-fi channel Saturday night feature: take a screenplay nobody bothered to edit, add a few actors who sci-fi fans will recognize, film it as quickly as possible, and release it with a minimum amount of post-production attention. This one's a masterpiece compared to Manticore, but not quite as good as, oh, say, Darklight.

I wish I was rich so I could make a cheesy movie. (Spoiler Warning!!)

[matthewdark · 6 August 2003]

You know, it's a shame. I bet there are plenty of talented film school students and really good screenplay writers out there that could've made ten times the movie Groom Lake was. But because William Shatner got cast as Capt. Kirk decades ago he's the one with the big bucks, and he's the one who gets to make movies. I'm sitting back, watching the sci-fi channel and hear there's going to be a movie about Groom Lake, which is a dry lake in Nevada at Area 51 and I get excited. I should've been preparing for serious disappointment. Let me get the flaws out of the way:

1. Late in the movie, Dietz and Andy break into Area 51 to get back Andy's girlfriend, Kate, and maybe even find a real live alien. This movie is only going to be watched by sci-fi fans, so those making it should pay a little bit of attention to accuracy. Since much isn't known about Area 51 the story could take plenty of exciting liberties with the plot as long as it's within reason. However, what -is- known about Area 51 is that two guys and a semi cannot break into Area 51 and sneak into facilities containing alien technology. You don't have to be a huge alien buff to know a plan like this just won't fly. I mean, I can't even drive to the gates of a PA Air National Guard base without being greeted by a soldier toting an M-16. Also, the fences surrounding Area 51 are not electrified. If anyone associated with the production of this film knew anything of Area 51 or even bothered to visit the damned place, they'd know this. And given that anyone would be able to penetrate the fenceline it's downright crazy to think that a suit of cammo with an MP armband would fool anyone or that, having entered the compound, they'd be able to get into any building without some sort of clearance. Oh, and apparently they use iMacs at Area 51. Alright, so the plot is juvenile and the details were ignored. If you're into sci-fi, you'll get that sometimes.

2. I'm no big time film guy who dissects every scene for the value of it's interior framing or the colors used in the shot, but I know what's bad, and, even from a purely technical aspect, this was bad. I've heard praise for a few isolated shots in the movie that are really beautiful on the digital medium the movie was shot with, and I agree, they're beautiful. However, most of the really great shots are that of the Arizona desert. Congratulations, Bill Shatner, you've made the desert look beautiful. For the most, I found the fact that this movie was digital overly distracting. The shots inside the vehicles looked like footage from a reality tv show and the shots inside the Area 51 base or in town reminded me of colors I'm more likely to find in an Andy Warhol gallery. When I see a sci-fi movie set in the desert I'm expecting to get that old weathered truck stop feel. I want to see lots of faded colors and a lot of brown. They did a good job with putting in plenty of crotchety locals who drive pick up trucks and harass visitors, but the bright colors in the camera work just ruin things for me. At the beginning of the movie, Andy and Kate (the main characters) are tearing around in a jeep. Andy, for no apparent reason than to be a show off, decides to go off road and climb a rocky hill. The editor must have fell asleep at the wheel on this one because the trek up the hill looked far from dangerous and the camera work looked like a cheesy dramatization from Unsolved Mysteries (as did all the action shots). But, of course, the jeep ends up rolling so we have to cut to really terrible stock footage. After that, we find the two lovers at the bottom of the hill, but they've thrown up a lot of dust. It must have been the combination of the light and the digital camera but I swear it looked like someone had thrown a bunch of Tang in the wind. Once the Tang cloud clears they start climbing all over one another. Just flat out lame. I'm not knocking digital movies. Maybe I'm just saying all of this because I'm not used to movies being shot like that, but I just didn't like it. The shots were mostly lame, and the editing sucked. All this, plus the special effects are lame too. Sci-fi movies are built on special effects! How could you mess that up?

3. As I sat at home watching this, I got the idea to write my own sci-fi screenplay and sell it to the sci-fi channel and make a whole lot of money on a cheesy screenplay written by an amatuer. I figured I couldn't do any worse. It was only until I realized that the story and the direction was by William Shatner did I really become annoyed. This movie simply wouldn't fly if it didn't have William Shatner behind it probably hemorrhaging money. Granted, the movie was low budget, but I can't imagine anyone who would put it on the air. The story is just plain bad and the screenplay writing not much better.

4. No movie should have a character named Captain Morgan unless he's in 18th century pirate attire and wields a cutlass and a cocky smile.

5. Shatner gives himself a juicy part in the ending because, after all, it's his movie. So, even though we've seen very little of him in the beginning, he gets to be the one to save the alien and, against the orders of the Pentagon and a typical sniveling policy nerd, he becomes the maverick and orders an alien ship that looks like a jellyfish to take off with the alien on board. Of course, no one in the control room has a problem with this. So the ship takes off and the big wigs are going nuts and as Shatner is leaving someone tells him that he's going to be fired and so on and he says, "You want all this [area 51]? You can have it." And he tosses him the keys ... to Area 51(keys!?). Apparently a nice zinger delivered with a Kirk-esque badboy smile can get you out of a court martial.

All in all, if you really want to be entertained by good film, don't watch this. But if you want to get a bunch of friends together a poke fun at cheesy camera work, bad acting, foolish plotline, and all the other typical aspects of a B-Movie, this is an absolute gem. Had a good time watching it, but it sure won't win any Academy Awards.

You've got to be kidding.

[michaelRokeefe · 2/10 · 18 August 2009]

How does veteran actor William Shatner keep a straight face? He writes, directs and stars in this bargain basement Sci-Fi flick. Just pretend this film is not that far-fetched. Kate(Amy Acker)is a young woman that knows she is dying and she wants some kind of proof that there is life somewhere in the Universe. She talks her Tom Cruise-wannabe boyfriend Andy(Dan Gauthier)into taking her to where the answer may be...the Nevada desert near the notorious Area-51 and the waterless Groom Lake site where now Commander Gossner(Shatner) conducts classified experiments with captured extraterrestrials. This is the same place that for years alien lights and spacecraft have been seen. A desert inhabited by bizarre communities of folks that are certain there is life beyond the stars. Yep...for sure. Also in the cast: Dick Van Patten, Brenda Bakke, Duane Whitaker, Tom Towles and John Prosky.

this is in guinness as worst movie ever made before

[EllenAndree · 1/10 · 2 August 2005]

I don't know why moderators didn't insert the cast zero vote, because one is just too much for this, i recommend for those who want to laugh endless about grossness. Notes: You can notice in the groom lake cafe on the decorated back mirror a big microphone when they're shooting. the alien is just ridiculous. The cars who are running on a straight street had to turn left lane during the shoot to avoid the knockdown of cameras-men. The plot is really bad funny especially when they wanna die suddenly after climbing and crashing their car tumbled down. Began with a love excursion, then go out of plans totally: the worst guinness for this too. The purple radiation light on the skin and the UFO spaceship jellyfish could be made with a win95 software by anyone. The award for worst special effects too. The characters are totally inexpressive, too awfully acting like script-less and improvised scenes, they killed the characters mistaking their roles, like they would not have own. The scene in the military base with the purple sky and the people walking is reiterated about 5 times, even ahead on the movie end. Every scene is worth of laugh, especially Andy and kate tumbled down from a high hill, they were completely unharmed, and then they continued quietly kissing... GooooofY The shooting quality way it's the same used on the DVD backstages, where it is used for interviews. The boyfriend didn't die galvanized across the wire netting like the other intruder did, Or HE must be SUPERMAN or it's Goofy. The girlfriend instead, has been raped from that unsuspected couple, LOL, what's within the rest of plot line??? she wanted to die, what she was waiting for then?

Don't waste your money, unless you want to laugh.

Shatner does Breen

[DanTheMan2150AD · 4/10 · 20 January 2024]

The ultimate culmination of accidentally revealing too much about yourself, Groom Lake is William Shatner outdoing Neil Breen at Breen's own game. It's a film that has made me fully re-evaluate my life, unlike most of Breen's filmography, stuff happens, people react and Shatner directs with such glorious low-budget sleaze it just might make people forgive him for Star Trek V. Honestly, seeing William Shatner dressed as an alien spaceman reciting poetry to a glowing blue man is an easy sell and about the least crazy thing that happens in this film.

There's also a moment near the very beginning where a character is revealed to have Lupis and I fully expected Dr House to show up for a split second...

Just plain wacky

[BoondockScholar · 1/10 · 6 April 2010]

Speaking to the craziness of this film, I think it is also important to note that a SEMI drives over some old, rattle-trap car. Both occupants somehow miraculously not only survive, they are thrown from the vehicle (on foot no less) and run after the semi.

Yea, a couple surviving a roll-over like that, falling out, and getting it on in the dirt and dust is a little off-base, but the semi scene. Really, Shatner?

This was so painful to watch.

I hope this was meant to be a spoof, but I have this lurking suspicion that it's not.

wonderful science - fiction fantasy movie !

[williamshatner · 10/10 · 20 January 2003]

It has been 9 years since William Shatner wrote, directed and starred in "Tek War" and even 14 years since he presented "Star Trek V" to the audience. Now Shatner is finally back with "Groom Lake", which he wrote, directed and stars in. The story centers around a young couple, Kate (Amy Acker) and Andy (Dan Gauthier), who go to Groom Lake in order to spend their last days together, because Kate is dying. Soon they become witnesses of alien activity around the area and have to cope with strangely obsessed people who have been influenced by the aliens. Meanwhile, John Gossner (William Shatner), the captain of a military base involved with the aliens has to cope with the administration, which wants to cancel his work. "Groom Lake" is a low - budget independent movie, which is unfortunately quite obvious in a couple of scenes. Especially the special effects (created by C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, a Canadian firm of which Shatner is the chief executive officer)are quite unrealistic and cheap. But still "Groom Lake" is much better than an average B - movie, it is clearly visible that Shatner has put all his energy and love into this project. A strong story, an unpredictable puzzle that keeps the audience excited from the beginning to the end and a wonderful performance by Amy Acker raise this movie high above average. The main message of the movie is also very touching and probably the most important aspect for William Shatner, who dedicated the film to his late wife Nerine and to Mike, his new wife's ex - husband who died of cancer. It is the message that there is a life after death, because the human essence is immortal. 8 out of 10 stars !

Groom Lake Is Supposed To Be Silly/Hokey/Cheesy

[C_Void · 8/10 · 7 August 2005]

That's part of the charm and the joke of it. It's supposed to partially make fun of science fiction movies, and it's supposed to be a bad science fiction movie in itself. That's William Shatner's style, and if you can look through trying to take it completely seriously, you can catch the inside joke of it.

But, it's not all just a joke. It includes some interesting special effects, camera angles/lighting, ideas, and has an "alien life form" that can exchange its essence into all sorts of receptacles. I liked it quite a lot, but then again, I like weirder, offbeat stuff. I still love things like Howard The Duck, and Killer Klowns From Outer Space, no matter what anyone says.