FLASHBACK FRIDAY: The Faculty (1998)

Hey everyone! I know it's been a few weeks since I lasted posted one of these, but it is time to get back on the horse. That's right, it's Friday and that means another Flashback Friday! This weekend there are a number of films having their opening, and most of them look pretty great. Johnny Depp looks to return to his former acting self with Black Mass, Jake Gyllenhaal aims to survive in the IMAX experience film Everest, and the sequel to last years Maze Runner all hit theaters this weekend. As great as most of these movies look, there is one in particular that I cannot wait to check out, and I'm not even going to have to leave my house to do so. 

As of today you can now rent the new horror-comedy Cooties, which stars Elija Wood and Rainn Wilson, on all major VOD platforms. The film centers on a group of middle aged elementary school teachers who end up having to fight for their lives as a mysterious virus begins sweeping through the school's children. The unknown ailment turns the kids into wild savages and when they begin to turn on the teachers they must do whatever they can to survive the day. It looks like a ridiculous amount of fun and I cannot wait to rent it after work tonight. This isn't the first time Elija Wood has fought off impending doom while attending school however. If you can recall back to 1998 he was in a little film directed by Robert Rodriguez called The Faculty, and this is where our focus lays for this weeks Flashback Friday. 

The Faculty (1998)

Horror, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Directed By: Robert Rodriguez

Back in the mid to late 90's Robert Rodriguez was heading a new indie film revolution alongside big time filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith. His directorial debut, El Mariachi, was a surprise hit even though he never intended it to be seen by American audiences and he was soon working on a sequel with bigger names and a much larger budget called Desperado. The success of that film led him to direct From Dusk Til Dawn with Quentin Tarantino  and would ultimately lead him into commercial success. Before making the leap into big studio, big budget pictures though he went out and made a film with the guy who wrote the biggest horror film of the 90's, Kevin Williamson (Scream). What Scream did for the slasher movie, The Faculty did to sci-fi horror by bringing into the realm of meta enchantment and creating a film that embodies the audiences modern sensibilities. 

After finding a new mysterious species on school grounds, a group of unlikely students begin to suspect that their town is under siege from an alien race. The geek (Elija Wood), the jock (Shawn Hatosy), the head cheerleader (Jordana Brewster), the freak (Clea Duvall), and the punk (Josh Hartnett) have never coexisted in their school peacefully but when they realize they are the only ones suspicious of the changes occurring they must work together to ensure their survival. After witnessing a violent attack on one of their teachers that can't be explained away to the police they are opened to the fact that they are going to have to physically fight back to save their town. 

Kevin Williamson incorporates much of the same ideas that he did in Wes Craven's Scream by having the characters be fully aware of the similarities of their situation with so many other films. It doesn't take long before the geek and the freak make the comparison of their predicament to Invasion of the Body snatchers and from there out they use classic alien invasion films as they frame of reference. He roots the film in our reality so when things start getting crazy they can always make it relatable again by making a simple reference or call back to something the audience loves. 

What keeps this film from feeling like a Scream rip off or retread is the masterful directing of Robert Rodriguez. He makes to sure add his own flavor any chance he gets and because of it this film feels completely fresh and separate from Williamson's other work. The Faculty also boasts a stacked cast of huge 90's actors and some major up and comers like Elija Wood and Josh Hartnett. Well known faces like Salma Hayek, Jon Stewart, Famke Janssen, and Usher populate the supporting cast, making this film a small time capsule of the late 90's and early 2000's.  

This film tends to get lost in the shuffle of all the big budget blockbuster films released around it at that time but I feel it is one of the better genre films to come from that decade. It features Rodrigues in his prime and with another intelligent script from Kevin Williamson this film sits as a truly 90's film that still holds up today. Despite a few bad CG shots the effects look great, even with today's standards. With Cooties out today Elija Wood now goes full circle, starting as the wimpy kid who has to fight his teachers in The Faculty to save his school to now becoming the teacher himself in Cooties and having to save his school from the kids. Unfortunately this film isn't currently streaming on Netflix but it can be found for under $1o on bluray at most retailers. Check this one out if you haven't seen it before, I'm sure you'll have a ton of fun with it.

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!