One of the problems of coming up with a story is coming up with an original story . In fact there's no such thing as an original story since long before my lifetime so the problem is trying to bring an unoriginal story to the table and developing in an entirely new way . What about a new spin on INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS ? How about setting it in an American high school and doing everything in a post modernist manner where the characters refer to all these alien infiltration movies ? If that isn't bad enough get Robert Rodriguez to direct it and you'll have a recipe for disaster
I'm happy to report that years after THE FACULTY was produced it's far from a disaster but it suffers from two slight problems that it can't overcome . First of all the story is too overly familiar to be entirely successful . The 1978 remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS really surpassed the original and the terrifying premise was developed to its full potential and isn't a film you'll forget in a hurray . Compared to that masterpiece anything else is going to be lacking in comparison . Secondly there was a whole slew of movies in the 1990s either written by or inspired by screenwriter Kevin Williamson like SCREAM where smart ass teenagers find themselves in the same situation as other cinematic teenagers have been and feel the need to reference this . This fad died out as quickly as it appeared which means there's a very dated quality in watching these type of films almost twenty years later
Not to be totally negative it is one of Rodriguez better films and he resists the temptation to bring stupid humour and unneeded gore to the movie . In fact the lack of gore makes it a strangely likable film in an era where horror films revolve around torture porn . The likability extends to the characters where even the rebellious drug dealing bad kid is a good kid at heart and seizes the opportunity to save the day . Compare this to the anti-heroes of ATTACK THE BLOCK who are total and absolute scum throughout the entire narrative and you notice the world of difference . . One thing Rodriguez could have done a bit better is bring a sense of crushing fear that seems to be missing here . That said as a sci-fi horror movie there's been a lot worse before or since this one
I'm happy to report that years after THE FACULTY was produced it's far from a disaster but it suffers from two slight problems that it can't overcome . First of all the story is too overly familiar to be entirely successful . The 1978 remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS really surpassed the original and the terrifying premise was developed to its full potential and isn't a film you'll forget in a hurray . Compared to that masterpiece anything else is going to be lacking in comparison . Secondly there was a whole slew of movies in the 1990s either written by or inspired by screenwriter Kevin Williamson like SCREAM where smart ass teenagers find themselves in the same situation as other cinematic teenagers have been and feel the need to reference this . This fad died out as quickly as it appeared which means there's a very dated quality in watching these type of films almost twenty years later
Not to be totally negative it is one of Rodriguez better films and he resists the temptation to bring stupid humour and unneeded gore to the movie . In fact the lack of gore makes it a strangely likable film in an era where horror films revolve around torture porn . The likability extends to the characters where even the rebellious drug dealing bad kid is a good kid at heart and seizes the opportunity to save the day . Compare this to the anti-heroes of ATTACK THE BLOCK who are total and absolute scum throughout the entire narrative and you notice the world of difference . . One thing Rodriguez could have done a bit better is bring a sense of crushing fear that seems to be missing here . That said as a sci-fi horror movie there's been a lot worse before or since this one