Movieline Online

STARCHASER – THE LEGEND OF ORIN: A curious relic of the ‘80s 3D fad which included new installments in the Jaws and Amityville franchises, at the very least Starchaser can claim bragging rights as the first animated 3D release. Everything else about the story of an escaped slave boy who hitches a ride with a smuggler to help the rebellion on his home planet with the help of an “invisible saber” is embarrassingly derivative. Still, it manages to more true to its pulp sci-fi inspirations than the self-important Star Wars prequels, and even comes with a Casio composed videogame soundtrack that will have you pulling out the Atari joystick from pure instinct. Trapped between the adult themes of Heavy Metal and the pure kid flicks from Disney, Starchaser manages to introduce some memorable images amidst the confusion – like a tribe of decomposing cyborgs hungry from human parts and a programmable “fembot” that really pushes the PG rating. No extras are included on MGM’s release but consider ...

THE FLICKS: Tonight two failing horror franchises go head to head (or horns to horns, as the case may be) in an attempt to resurrect themselves from a fate worse than death: direct-to-video obscurity! In this corner, The Prophecy: Uprising, the fourth chapter in the moderately successful franchise headlined by Christopher Walken...only Chris has left the building this time around. And in this corner, wearing the leather S & M outfit and headgear, we have Pinhead in his sixth outing, Hellraiser: Deader. Neither franchise is much of a pay-per-view event at this point, having been abandoned by their creators and bled dry in sequel after sequel. Particularly Hellraiser, whose originator Clive Barker invested the material with a uniquely twisted form of gothic necrophilia, only to see his demonic creation pimped out like a two-for-one-rental ‘ho. Such a waste of good suffering indeed! So it’s The Prophecy: Uprising that seems lightest on its feet, starting with a fresh set of characters...

THE SHOW: Sold to UPN as in attempt to win over young male viewers lost to the burgeoning video game phenomenon, the creative team behind Game Over obviously had more honorable ambitions. The six episodes presented here (one, Monkey Dearest, never made it on air) show a great deal of potential, most of which went unfulfilled when the expensive series wasn’t renewed. But the high-concept ideas, whip-smart humor and (mostly) endearing characters are memorialized for your enjoyment in Anchor Bay’s 2-disc set. Billed as a “behind-the-game” 3D animated sitcom, the series follows the Smashenburn family, led by Rip and Raquel, working parents who just happen to punch the clock for your favorite videogames. Rip is a perpetual loser on the Gran Turismo circuit while Raquel earns a living acquiring historical relics Tomb Raider-style. This lifestyle is hard on their kids, Alice and Billy, who, in between their own 64-bit adventures, desperately crave their parents’ attention. If you’re thinking ...