The air disaster is one of the most popular scenarios in the disaster movie genre. There was a time when these movies had some of the biggest movie stars. Now the genre is almost exclusive to DVD and television and relies on ever more absurd hooks.
The most outrageous and high profile was Snakes on a Plane (2006), but that was only one of a series of films that saw everything from killer bees to zombies causing airborne chaos. Tail Sting has no recognisable actors and practically no budget, but it does set giant scorpions loose on an airliner in a fairly amusing and vaguely satisfactory manner.
The makers were clearly inspired by Aliens (1986), allusions are obvious throughout. Despite their size, the scorpions move covertly through the aircraft, emerging from ceilings and floors. There's a human villain prepared to accept the human death toll in order to ensure these biological weapons survive. At the finale, the plucky young heroine puts on a wetsuit with a defibrillator strapped to the back to battle with the scorpion queen.
Another interesting element is the subversion of fears about terrorism. Tail Sting was released just before September 11th when xenophobia was to run high and here there are two suspicious Middle-Eastern characters who turn out to be chasing the American dream and play a vital role in helping the all-American heroes save the day.
Tail Sting is not a spoof but it does have tongue planted firmly in cheek and it's a shame the makers didn't have the kind of budget later lavished on the more bombastic but less amusing Snakes on a Plane.
The most outrageous and high profile was Snakes on a Plane (2006), but that was only one of a series of films that saw everything from killer bees to zombies causing airborne chaos. Tail Sting has no recognisable actors and practically no budget, but it does set giant scorpions loose on an airliner in a fairly amusing and vaguely satisfactory manner.
The makers were clearly inspired by Aliens (1986), allusions are obvious throughout. Despite their size, the scorpions move covertly through the aircraft, emerging from ceilings and floors. There's a human villain prepared to accept the human death toll in order to ensure these biological weapons survive. At the finale, the plucky young heroine puts on a wetsuit with a defibrillator strapped to the back to battle with the scorpion queen.
Another interesting element is the subversion of fears about terrorism. Tail Sting was released just before September 11th when xenophobia was to run high and here there are two suspicious Middle-Eastern characters who turn out to be chasing the American dream and play a vital role in helping the all-American heroes save the day.
Tail Sting is not a spoof but it does have tongue planted firmly in cheek and it's a shame the makers didn't have the kind of budget later lavished on the more bombastic but less amusing Snakes on a Plane.