When I sat down to watch "The Prometheus Project" it was because of the synopsis. While it didn't sound overly interesting, I thought I would still give it a go, because it sounded like it might end up as a zombie movie. And the movie cover/poster was adequate, albeit it didn't really hint at anything zombiesque. And I Wonder how it ended up with the title "The Frankenstein Syndrome" on some releases.This movie turned out not to be that. Instead, I was treated to a low budget foray into a horror movie that is centered on stem cell research and the wonders (and also terrors) that advanced science can bring about. Now, you might think that it actually doesn't sound like a bad idea for a movie. And I am sure that you are right, except that whatever the script writers had planned just didn't really pan out all that great when projected on the screen."The Prometheus Project" is not the type of movie that you will watch a second time around, providing that you actually manage to sit through the entire movie the first time. I managed to do so, because I wanted to see where the movie would go, in what direction director Sean Tretta would take the movie. It wasn't to a particularly impressive place, let's just say that much.The acting in the movie was adequate enough, taking into consideration what kind of movie this is and the limitations of the budget. Don't expect to see any grandiose Shakespearian performances here though.This was indeed a movie that came and went without as much as leaving even a bump in the road. The storyline, the characters, well essentially everything in the movie, just turned out to be less than memorable. And chances are that you will completely have forgotten all about the movie a short time after you have seen it.If you enjoy a good horror movie, then there are far better and far more entertaining choices available.
... View MoreIn the intro we see some facility on lockdown, some girl runs, there's a decapitated body. The girls writes a note when someone grabs her.FBI agents interview a woman in a wheelchair wearing a mask. She tells us what happened. Now we're taken months back. A molecular biologist (played by Tiffany Shepis!?) gets a job at this facility, owned by some eccentric rich guy. There are armed guards everywhere. Marcus runs the facility and introduces Tiff to the rest of the team: a surgeon, a data information guy, some Indian researcher, and some lady scientist who immediately dislikes Tiff. This group is given free reign to work on a stem cell-based serum to regenerate cells/organs, etc.They make some progress. Tiff has some outlandish idea. They go ahead and inject Tiff's serum into some piece of rubber on a dish that we're told is supposed to be a heart. Nothing happens. Later they try the upgraded version of the serum. Suddenly the heart starts beating.There's something else going on at the facility. In a room in a basement they keep girls and the lady researcher extracts embryos from them. One of the girls had a relationship with one the guards. The procedure of extracting her embryo depresses her and she commits suicide. That gives the researchers the idea to try and revive the girl with the serum. And it works. Except that she starts spewing black bile and gets aggressive. So she has to be eliminated.Suddenly the guard who had a relationship with the girl shows up with a lawyer and demands money to stay silent about what goes on. Marcus shoots them both instead. Again the researchers give smaller amounts of serum to the dead guard, even though he has a huge hole in his head. But sure enough, the serum works. The hole closes up, the guard regains life and consciousness. The lady researcher treats him as her son and teaches him things. The guy, named David--what else, not only learns but does so very quickly. He starts devouring books and gains the skills of clairvoyance, telekinesis, and the ability to turn water into fruit punch. But eventually he flips out and we catch up with the scenes from the intro as he kills everyone he can.The Prometheus Project is a promising movie. It has a very good idea and an excellent script. Casting is iffy. Shepis in the lead role as a scientist? I don't know. Patti Tindall as the nasty researcher? Not crazy about that one. Some unknown as the David character? Not convincing. It's until we get to tertiary characters like Marcus that we get someone with acting chops in Louis Mandylor. The looks of this movie makes you think you're watching something above a B-movie but audio is problematic and it reminds you, if the casting didn't, that you are watching a B-movie after all. So budget is lacking to take this movie to a level the story deserves. It's also one of those horror movies that makes you wait more than an hour until we get to the horror and gore. Still, it gets you involved and you do care about the outcome.
... View MoreThis film is absolute, complete and utter garbage.I was feeling particularly suicidal today so suffered through it with 3 extended vodka shot breaks.1st - tripods exist for a reason.2nd - the sOuNd recording and mixing is all over the place. Dreadful.3rd - the story .. um .. what story? Oh and is there a music soundtrack? Not that I could hear between the aUdIo levels all over the place. How can you have mood without music? Perhaps the last 3 minutes of the film should have been the start.Avoid at all costs! A disgrace to the genre.
... View MorePerfect for the anti stem cell crowd--embryonic or not; it begins with the premise that all stem cell research is illegal, done in extreme secrecy, and by people, some of whom exhibit personalities worthy of a vampire costume. Lots of religious hokum is thrown in as things develop.A top mega-built guard is shot(dead), but is given some super-cell serum, can turn water into "fruit punch", read minds, and will equipment to turn on and off, doors to lock/unlock, etc.The film could be a real treat for some blood & guts tea-party yokels.As it is, it's a fun watch; the acting is just this side of silly, but never crosses the line, well sort of. The writers have done a tight job given what they're working with.
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