Thanks to a recent Blu-Ray release by IFC, this film is finally available to the general public. This is Larry Fessenden's feature debut, and it's surprisingly good. Fessenden's work is hit or miss nowadays, and he's mostly known as an indie producer under his "Glass Eye Pix" banner. But this film showed tremendous potential for a man that would become one of the most instrumental voices in independent filmmaking over the next few years.

While it certainly functions as a horror film, it can feel a lot more like a drama. And it wears it's political statements on it's sleeve, taking a very bold, but not overbearing ecological stance. It's one that will be uncomfortable for environmentalists and vegans to watch at times, but a film that carries their statements well in the end. The unknown actors are unexpectedly fantastic in their roles as well, and really help sell the drama and create relatable characters. And while the budget can hold the film back, it never becomes boring or amateurish. If you dig Fessenden's work or independent films in general, and you can track this one down without paying an insane amount for it, then it's worth a watch.

I'm a huge fan of sci-fi/thriller/horror films, and I think this film is definitely worth a watch. The pace is not as fast as some might like, but the storyline is definitely there and it's worth following to the end if you can give it time to unfold. The end was a little predictable, but that didn't make it any less impactful or horrifying for me. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who's interested in the early government conspiracy films of the early 70s (think Andromeda Strain, for example) or in the ongoing debate of making technological advances at whatever cost (i.e., stem cell research and animal experimentation).

A good film. Worth seeing if you can find it (not currently on Netflix).

This is part of what is apparently Fessenden's "Trilogy of Horror," though the horror to be found in this one is minimal. It looks like it was created on zero budget compared to Wendigo, but it is much more watchable due to its original take on a classic concept. Basic plot: Geoffrey, a scientist trying to get a grant for some top-secret work, moves to the country for the summer with his artist wife, Lillian. They grow apart because he spends to much time in the lab. She meets an environmentalist who is the antithesis of Geoffrey, and she starts questioning what exactly it is her hubby is doing in the lab all day. She makes it her mission to find out. Overall, it is a pretty uneven film. The acting is great at times and really inexcusably bad at other times. This, combined with poorly written dialogue, nearly ruins the few sequences that are supposed to be scary. One scene, which presents the viewer with some horrific imagery, has our protagonists responding somewhat lethargically, making it difficult for the viewer to be properly creeped-out by it. Some of the camera work is really creative, but some of it seems pointless. One stellar aspect throughout was the effectively creepy soundtrack. I didn't find this movie to be preachy. The story is really Lillian's, and it is rare to see a healthy splash of feminism thrown into a movie like this. Not recommended for people who cannot watch depictions of animal cruelty. The DVD includes a "making of" doc that is worth seeing.