Not So Subliminal Warning.....

Ok, the movie is called SUBLIMINAL SEDUCTION (1995). Warning number 1. It was shown on the cable network Showtime under the "Roger Corman Presents" banner. Now I like Corman. He was an independent maverick who made great low budget films in the '50's and '60's and he probably influenced a whole generation of movie-makers but recently all he does is release direct to video and cable nonsense, each more derivative than the last. See? That wasn't so bad was it?

Warning 2: This movie was produced and directed by actor Andrew Stevens whose other efforts include THE TERROR WITHIN 2, NIGHT EYES 3 and THE SKATEBOARD KID-2. Doesn anyone notice a pattern here? He did also direct a Don "The Dragon" Wilson martial arts thingy called VIRTUAL COMBAT.

Warning 3: It was released on VHS under the title THE CORPORATION.

The interactive hijinx story has a young couple (Ian Ziering and Katherine Kelly Lang) going to work for a Las Vegas video designer company run by the aforementioned Mr. Stevens, who yes has the unmitigated gall to also co-star in this (and limp and walk with a cane to boot) and his band of flunkies (Kin Shriner, Larry Manetti and Kim Morgan Greene). Dee Wallace Stone plays a talkative neighbor. The company is using cd-roms and video games to control people's emotions. "This stuff is like messin' with the inside of your head" says one character. They are also using subliminal messages to sell video games with names like "Mouse Maze" and "Radical Rat Trap".

Fred Olen Ray regular Hoke Howell and Juilan Kresner (from FIRECRACKER) co-star and to prove nepotism is not dead. Stevens' mom Stella also makes an apperance. It's not very good....



And speaking of not very good. A lot of TV shows are on dvd now. A good one to avoid is FLASH GORDON, a syndicated show made in 1954. It starred Steve Holland in the title role which sadly seems to be his only claim to fame. Looking somewhat like an All American '50's football player, he was bigger on talk than action but occasionally points an over sized "stun gun" at the bad guys. Irene Champlin plays Dale Arlen, in a dress that looks more like "IceCapades" than outer space. She doesn't do much but listen to Flash pontificate though in one episode she does try to fight. Much like her co-star Holland, this series seems to be her only claim to fame. Joe Nash is Dr. Zarkoff, who doesn't do much either. In fact, he hardly ever leaves his lab. Seems he didn't do much before or after either!

If you happen to get your courage up and decide to view an episode you might be suprised to hear most of the supporting cast speaking with German accents. Don't be! For some reason this no-budget mess was filmed in Berlin, Germany!

FLASH GORDON's credited director is American Wallace Worsley Jr. A second generation filmmaker (his dad directed several Lon Chaney Sr. silent films including THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME) he was mainly an assistant director and production manager on many US films. Guess how many other TV series he directed.....

I've seen Guther Van Fritsch's name sometimes mentioned as a director too. At least he did direct a number of TV shows in the '50's!!

This TV show should be forgotten in a flash.....

Thanks for reading!