Josh Hartnett

Elijah Wood

Jordana Brewster

Clea DuVall

Shawn Hatosy

Laura Harris

Salma Hayek Pinault

Famke Janssen

Piper Laurie

Christopher McDonald

Jon Stewart

Bebe Neuwirth

Robert Patrick

Usher

Daniel von Bargen

Summer Phoenix

Jon Abrahams

Danny Masterson

Wiley Wiggins

Susan Willis

Pete Janssen

Tina Rodriguez

Libby Villari

Harry Jay Knowles

Donna Casey

Louis Black

Eric Jungmann

Chris Viteychuk

Jim Johnston

Duane Martin

Katherine Willis

Mike Lutz

Douglas Aarniokoski

Michelle Fairbanks

Kidada Jones

Heath Young

Michael Bliss

R.C. Keene

Eric Vespe

Brad Schreiber

Tony Tamayo

Cassandra L. Small

Rick Olmos

Dannie Helen Loraine Knowles

Jason May

Bob Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein

Robert Rodriguez

Tamara Smith

Enrique Chediak

Kevin Williamson

Elizabeth Avellan

Marco Beltrami

Michael T. Boyd

Anne McCarthy

Mary Vernieu

Joe Bucaro III

Jana Vance

Steve Boeddeker

Dennie Thorpe

Richard Hymns

Daniel Leduc

Cary White

Ermahn Ospina

Justin Ditter

Lora Hirschberg

David Wilt

Phil Benson

Molly Murray

Melissa Forney

Kelly Nelson

Bob Brown

Rico Torres

Jeanette Scott

Bridget Cook

Chris Hanson

John McLeod

Bill Abbott

Cecil D. Evans

Alan Tuskes

David C. Hughes

Michael Semanick

Kosta Saric

Steffen M. Wild

Jay B. Richardson

Don Malot

Brian Jennings

David McGill

Ed Vega

John Frick

Kelley A. Hankins

Teresa Eckton

Peggy Mulloy

Daniel Sperry

Yvonne Wilburn

Lou Ann Quast

Dawn M. Baker

Stanley Moore

Jon H. Lewis

Sandy Berumen

Kyrsten Mate

Bill Scott

Nicolas Cotta

Jack Colmenero

Randy Huke

Randy Severs

Bruce Kimmel

David Wechter

Jennifer Caputo

Jon H. Epstein

Eileen Weisinger

Claire Sanfilippo

Dianna Stirpe

Sue Fox

Larry Schalit

Steve Joyner

Tabby Hanson

Horror

Science Fiction

Mystery

The Faculty

Los Hooligans Productions

United States of America

English

drug dealer

high school

homophobia

paranoia

alien

teacher

alien invasion

drugs

alien infection

social status

parasite

creature feature

school nurse

body snatchers

alien parasites

parasites

body horror

teenager

teen scream

Gimly

Totally underrated, prime late 90s Sci-Fi/Horror/Comedy with an incredible cast that has somehow managed to stay under the radar even now, twenty years later on. _The Faculty_ is one of those movies I make everybody watch.

_Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

Body Snatchers was just a made up story...

Herrington High School, just your everyday place of learning. That is until the teachers start behaving strangely. It seems there is an alien plot to take over the world and only a rag-tag group of students can save us!

When you pair Robert Rodriguez (director) and Kevin Williamson (writer) what sort of movie do you really think you are going to get? Well the answer is The Faculty, which in all honesty holds absolutely no surprises for anyone familiar with the guys who gave us From Dusk Till Dawn & Scream respectively. That's not to say that The Faculty isn't a fun horror/sci-fi film, because it absolutely is, it's just should be noted that The Faculty is all that it can be as regards the makers and the nature of the genre beast.

The film has rightly been tagged as a cross between Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and any teen led Highschool movie (you can add Invaders From Mars in the mix too), this is intentional, something that's apparent since our intrepid students discuss "Snatchers" amongst other movie references, and one of them, Stokely (Clea Duval), is a sci-fi aficionado . As things progress it's also evident that the makers here are movie fans making a movie for movie fans, all be it one aimed solely at the teenage demographic. There's much satire around and cliché's are widely embraced, but again it works because there is no hidden agenda. There's gore and hugely effective scenes involving blood, slugs, heads and an eyeball, whilst slasher fans are catered for in a couple of - if seemingly pointless as regards the alien's intentions - memorable scenes.

The youngsters in the cast, all purposely playing total stereotypes, all do what is required, with Josh Hartnett, Duval & Elijah Wood particularly shining. Yet it's with the adult actors that The Faculty really gains its tongue in cheek momentum. Robert Patrick, Famke Jansen, Salma Hayek, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth and even Jon Stewart all file in for a bit of alien parasitical fun. Come the end of the mania, with the staple alien queen reveal and showdown, there's the overriding feeling that the film could have been so much more. Certainly it's guilty of being a touch too derivative, where a little focus has been lost in the self referential and knowing in-jokery genre winks. But ultimately it's a groovy ride is this one, not in the least bit serious, but one to clip open a tin of beer with and embrace it for what it certainly is. Entertaining sci-fi alien invasion hokum. 7/10

_**Wannabe edgy high school horror satire with a notable cast**_

Several students at a high school in Ohio suspect that the faculty has been taken over by some… thing(s). 

"The Faculty" (1998) was directed by Robert Rodriguez, who knows how to make slick, ‘cool’ horror flicks, as witnessed in “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996) and “Planet Terror” (2007). “The Faculty” is cut from the same cloth except it goes too far over-the-top in its wannabe edgy depiction of high school life in Middle America, to the point that it can only be viewed as a satire or black comedy. This turned me off the first time I watched it but, if you roll with it, you can enjoy the movie to some degree.

The story doesn’t become compelling until the second half when a group of students team-up to tackle the unbelievable situation. It’s basically “The Hidden” (1987) set in a high school environment.

Laura Harris is the top female, although the overrated Jordana Brewster is also on hand, as well as Clea DuVall. Bebe Neuwirth looks great as the principal while Salma Hayek plays a nurse, but not enough is done with her (don’t expect the dance sequence of “From Dusk Till Dawn”). Meanwhile Famke Janssen appears as an intimidated teacher that has an entertaining metamorphosis.

On the other side of the gender spectrum, Shawn Hatosy is notable as the main protagonist; Josh Hartnett too as a chemical-obsessed older student. Robert Patrick from “Terminator 2” plays the vein-popping coach while Jon Stewart has a small role.	

The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes, and was shot in East Texas as follows: Austin (Herrington High School), Lockhart (high school parking lot, football field & town exteriors) and San Marcos.

GRADE: C+

The Faculty( 1998)

Take me to your teacher.

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A review by Gimly

Written by Gimly on Fri Jun 01 2018

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