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Strangeland (1998)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
1/24
1/24:
Dee Snider the actor?
He hadn't been relevant since his band Twisted Sister broke up during the mid 80's. So, to resurface in
public, Dee Snider decided to produce Strangeland that claimed to follow the tradition of
Seven and
The Silence of the Lambs when
Hellraiser was more like it.
Well, I don't know whether I want to laugh or slap my forehead. Strangeland is your standard
torture-porn horror film. At one point in his past, Dee Snider may have seen
A Man Called Horse and was inspired by the scene of Richard Harris
held high in the air with metal hooks. This time, he takes the concept really, really far but fails to make me
care for the victims.
The only part that consistently bothered me during the second half is the early release of Carlton "Captain
Howdy" Hendricks. So, he was found not guilty of serial killer behavior and spent roughly four years in
confinement? Uh, right...they usually serve at least two decades if that ever happens. But there are plenty of
evidence against Hendricks because he was caught red-handed at his home where the crimes were committed.
The cast is interesting because Dee Snider managed to get Waingro, Freddy Krueger, Woody Harrelson's brother, and
a Steven Seagal baddie with tattoos on his neck. Although the script is banal, it's tough to listen to the rubbish
Hendricks spouts to explain his motives. It turns out they're either the original or paraphrased lines that were
uttered by the founder of "modern primitive" movement. Oddly, he talks about wanting to die, so why doesn't he
get it over with already?
All in all, Dee Snider got two things right in Strangeland: the dangers of the internet and what
washed-up Nicolas Cage would look like in the future.