Alien parasites invade Herrington High School, Ohio, USA. First the Coach and other staff succumb to the body-snatchers, then the bulk of the students and their parents, until finally all that stands between us and an alien takeover of earth are an assortment of stereotypes – the bitchy prom queen, Delilah; the jock, Stan; the nerd, Casey; the cool kid, Zeke; the oddball, Stokely; and the new girl, Marybeth.
The Faculty can basically be summed up as Invasion of the Body Snatchers for the Scream generation. Screenwriter Kevin Williamson ( Scream , I Know What You Did Last Summer ) and director Robert Rodriguez ( From Dusk Till Dawn ) are keen students of the genre and knowingly acknowledge its conventions while giving everything the by-now familiar self-reflexive twist:
"Isn't this the scene where somebody says 'Let's get the fuck out of here'?"
"Let's get the fuck out of here!"
While the characters are tissue-thin stereotypes and every scene thoroughly predictable, it's all part of the fun. The special effects are cool, but are never allowed to dominate the film thanks to slick direction, snappy dialogue, and enthusiastic performances from the youngsters.
Minus a point for the intrusive banalities of the soundtrack, though, and for not giving the older members of the cast – Robert Patrick, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth, Salma Hayek – more to do.
The picture on this Region Two DVD is a nice 1.85:1 widescreen transfer and the Dolby Digital 5:1 audio should pack an effective punch on suitable equipment.
But there are absolutely no extras whatsoever, not even a talent bio or theatrical trailer. Though the film has interactive menus and scene access, Warner Bros. ought to realise that these don't count as "special features", rather being a standard part of a DVD package.
The lack of extras is a real shame, as one imagines the director and writer would have had a lot to say about the film. Maybe they were just too busy with Spy Kids and Dawson's Creek…
Overall, then, The Faculty is a disc that you'd buy for the film itself, not for the desultory extras.
Copyright © K H Brown 2002-2005
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