UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Coventry Don Coscarelli is quite a popular writer/director among horror and cult fanatics, but the vast majority of his fans always only refer to his classic works "Phantasm", "Bubba-Ho-Tep" and – occasionally – "The Beastmaster". Almost nobody ever mentions the obscure piece of backwoods/survival thriller called "Survival Quest" even though it benefited from decent production values and a very appealing cast featuring names like Lance Henriksen, Mark Rolston and (in their earliest roles) Dermot Mulroney and Catherine Keener. From a more substantive point of view, on the other hand, I can definitely understand that "Survival Quest" quickly got somewhat forgotten in the plenitude of 80s action movies, as the script is surprisingly (and disappointingly) tame and polished instead of raw and shocking. In spite of all the great potential and similar role-model classics that set a great example (like "Southern Comfort", "Rituals" and even "Deliverance"), Coscarelli doesn't have the courage to break through any taboos and serves a dull politically correct thriller with a pitiably low body-count. Survival Quest is the name of an adventurous wilderness program intended for city folks who are only used to luxurious accommodation and expensive fancy food. Wildlife expert Hank (Lance Henriksen) welcomes a new and very diverse group, including an arrogant young man, a recently divorced woman, a young girl about to get married against her will, an elderly man and a young convict forced to participate by his parole officer. Nearby, however, military drill instructor Jake (Mark Rolston) is running a boot camp to harden a platoon of soldiers. When he pushes his men over their mental boundaries, Private Raider goes bonkers. He attacks both Hank and Jake accuses the convict of being the culprit and mobilizes the rest of the squad to violently hunt down the rest of the group. For a backwoods action/thriller flick, "Survival Quest" is intolerably clean and civilized. There aren't any perverted characters, attempted rapes or nasty booby-traps, and even the sequences with the grizzly bear seem to belong more in a Walt Disney movie. The filming locations are astonishing and the survival tests during the first half of the movie are entertaining to look at, but as soon as the film is supposed to turn into a harsh and suspenseful thriller, the whole thing becomes one giant disappointment. Forgettable and not recommended.

lost-in-limbo Cult filmmaker Don Coscarelli has brought us such films as the "Phantasm" Tetralogy, "The Beastmaster" and "Bubba Ho-Tep" but a film he did in the last 80s seemed to go by mostly unnoticed… and maybe it was thought to be the usual routine woodland survival outing. In some regards this survival adventurer is, but what makes this one work is the fighting character dynamics, a thoughtful script and the always dependable Lance Henriksen. "Survival Quest" follows a group of strangers (one just happening to be an ex-convict played by Dermont Mulroney) from the city battling the wilderness in the North Rockies Survival Quest School led by their resourceful instructor Frank (Henriksen). However nearby is another group (paramilitary), lead by an aggressively hard-nose and demanding instructor (played by Mark Rolston with cynically great ticker). These two schools / groups are at total opposites (extremely so -- one relying on trust while the other sees fit to only look after one's own self) to each other in what they teach (one to embrace your surrounding while the other to dominate in its forceful actions) and from that an encounter occurs where it becomes a struggle to stay alive for Frank's group against an armed, unstable squad (Steve Antin is good as the instigator). The plot slowly hangs off its characters --- building up relationships, developing mindsets (cementing self-confidence) so when it gradually builds up to its explosive confrontations and then the trek becomes a bloody survival course it really pulls you in as you put some much time into the characters that you want to see them get through it. What starts of as a battle against mother nature (what looks beautiful can just be as dangerous), becomes something much more. As their training comes into play, as their team morale to not leave anybody behind which drives them home. Its good to have strength and stamina, but it's nothing without spirit… and that's the difference between the two groups. "… it's a matter of heart. Not hardware." To use and respect the power of your surroundings/the wilderness to adapt. Writer / director Coscarelli's resiliently tight direction commendably balances out the character developing staples and the excitingly tension-fuelled cat and mouse exchanges. Some witty scenes are a nice cover too. Another striking attraction would be that of the rugged, but eye-catching locations which is always scenically shot. The performances can feel a little awkward, but it's a likable bunch with Catherine Keener, Traci Lind, Dominic Hoffman, Paul Provenza and a special guest appearance by Reggie Bannister. A fine, under-seen terrain adventure caper.

Krush_Burner Well, it's not "Phantasm", but it's still a good 1980's movie from Don Coscarelli, who is a very interesting author. Although the basic idea is looks like a remake of "First Blood" in which one John Rambo is replaced by a group of regular people and sheriff with his officers is replaced by a bunch of military, the story itself is quite good. We see how these two groups are moving from indifference to confrontation and then whole conflict becomes a run for survival for ones and hide-and-seek game for others. Lance Henricksen is good here - nothing special, but just a good actor in adequate role. Also, there's a lot of action, some shooting and fighting, but keep in mind it's a thriller first, not an action or horror, and I hope you'll not be disappointed.

Woodyanders A motley assortment of six city folks -- sullen, moody convict Gray (Dermot Mulroney), bitter divorcée Cheryl (an incredibly cute Catherine Keener), amiable old guy Hal (the wonderful Ben Hammer), insensitive macho jerk Jeff (Dominic Hoffman), smartaleck Joey (the hilarious Paul Prevenza), and feisty babe Olivia (the gorgeous Traci Lin) -- embark on an arduous and demanding wilderness adventure. They are whipped into shape by rugged, but compassionate instructor Hank (the always great Lance Henrikson). Things go well for a spell until the group runs afoul of a rival squad of brutish paramilitary goons led by hard-nosed ramrod fanatic Jake (a frighteningly intense Mark Rolston). Our intrepid bunch find themselves in considerable jeopardy after an altercation with the squad and wind up running through the woods for their lives. Writer/director Don Coscarelli, who also gave us the terrific cult horror comedy treat "Bubba Ho-Tep" and the fantastic "Phantasm" pictures, does an expert job of creating characters who are both exceptionally well-drawn and genuinely likable. He also deftly maintains a steady pace and stages several thrilling action scenes with rip-snorting aplomb. The bang-up cast all deliver top-notch performances, with especially stand-out work by Henrikson, Mulroney, Keener, Hammer, Provenza and Rolston. Daryn O'Kada's lovely, golden-hued cinematography, the breathtaking forest scenery, a nice bit by Reggie Bannister (Reggie in the "Phantasm" films) as a charter plane pilot, and the rousing harmonic score by Fred Myrow and Christopher Stone are all likewise fine and impressive. But what makes this movie so special and touching is the engaging chemistry and heartwarming camaraderie that develops amongst the main group of delightfully vivid and appealing protagonists. A real sleeper.