Review of Strangeland (1998) by Andy S — 14 Apr 2008

I have to give StrangeLand credit for providing a more realistic depiction of the internet than "The Net" did, but that's about it. The acting in general leaves much to be desired, and Dee Snider's character would have been far scarier if he had never opened his mouth at all. Between the "modern primitive" angle and the "internet stalker" angle it feels a little bit too much like two made-for-TV movies crammed together (this isn't helped by the natural break at the middle of the film, which would have made it easy to make this a two-part mini-series). The narrow stereotypes of alternative culture in the film are sure to make any goth club regular or body art aficionado groan, but it might be worth it just to hear the incredibly dated exposition used to help the characters explain to the 1998 audience what the internet, chat rooms, and instant messaging are.

The soundtrack is a conglomeration of aging hard rock and once-edgy industrial rock, featuring unremarkable tracks from the likes of Marilyn Manson, Megadeth, System of a Down, and Dee Snider himself. Keep an ear open for the horrible, horrible Bile song featured in the club scene. You will hate your ears for what they have done to you.