The Film: Adrenaline: Fear The Rush, 1996
The Principals:
Director: Albert Pyun. Stars: Christopher Lambert,
Natasha Henstridge
The
Premise: In the year 2017, there is a quarantine of Boston due to a virus that has migrated to American shores from out of Russia. The virus is 100% lethal and as a result, the only way to get in or out of Boston into the safe zone is with special passports. When a group of hooligans are killed by a creature who seems to have superhuman strength and durability, the Boston cops are called in to apprehend it, including Delon (Henstridge) and Lemieux (Lambert). Delon, is desperate to get herself and her son out of the city, and she was planning to smuggle her son out via a black market passport when she got the call. When the creature literally goes underground, the cops follow him and are wiped out one by one.
You got no one but yourself to blame here, Chris.
Delon eventually comes across some scientists that are in the hot zone and after the creature as well. The “creature” actually turns out to be someone infected by the virus, which has turned him into a strong, cannibalistic psychopath. What’s worse, he is threatening to explode and spread the virus over a large area. What’s even worse is that Pyun seems to love getting tight close-ups of the creature’s frothing mouth and other parts. Eventually, the psycho captures Delon and Lemieux and makes them watch as he eats another officer. Delon escapes, gets the drop on him and kills him with the gold ole GSWs. For her efforts, she’s awarded two passes out of Boston.
Is it
Good:
I noticed that the Movie of the Day scale was way leaning toward the positive, so I had to get a stinker up to even things out a bit. Adrenaline: Fear The Rush could tilt it all the way back over to the other side by itself. It is, in all possible honesty, one of the worst films you or I will probably ever see. Or not if you’re lucky. I haven’t seen the film in over 10 years, but I remember it’s shittiness quite well. How bad is it? A 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is a good indication. I’m sure the denizens of Boston who saw this film were wondering why their fair city looked so damned Eastern European. Probably because that’s where it was shot.
You’ll be begging her to use that on you five minutes into this thing.
Personally, I was wondering if Natasha Henstridge did this before her breakout role in Species the year before and the film sat. Otherwise, what could have possibly led her to choosing this turd when she had just hit the mainstream? As for Christopher Lambert, this was one of the first steps on his painful road to straight-to-DVD obscurity. Even for a guy who’s spent his share of time slumming in that market, this is his worst movie by far. Then there’s Albert Pyun, who’s done some classic and at least decent lower-budget films. He wrote and directed this, so he’s to blame twice over.
Is it
Worth
a Look:
If you haven’t, don’t. You will rue the 77 minutes or so of your life you give over to this thing. I’ve never seen this movie rerun and almost never in any bargain bin of any store I’ve been in. There’s a very good reason for that. This isn’t even good in the treasured “so bad it’s good” way. It’s a shit sandwich without the mustard.Random
Anecdotes: I got the DVD for free. I still wanted my money back.
Cinematic Soulmates: Highlander: The Source. In cinematic quality, not necessarily plot.
The
Tally
So Far