MovieChat Forums > Strangeland (1998) Discussion > Two Main Issues with the Movie...

Two Main Issues with the Movie...

posted 15 years ago by Marsbert
7 replies | jump to latest

Make that three...

1) The father/detective and his partner were so incredibly, annoying DUMB! From not having backup when he rescued his daughter, to saying some pretty dumbass sh!te (granted the dialogue isn't the actor's fault, but their terrible acting didn't help the situation one bit), they were two incompetant & ignorant SOB's. The dad didn't even know how to turn on the dayum computer! I mean, I know plenty of people are computer illiterate, but if a dad buys his daughter a computer, he should atleast know how it works!

2) why the hell, after such a long span of time in a mental institution (please note sarcasm), did the effing doctors send him back to the same house where he committed all his atrocities beforehand? I mean, wouldn't the place have been cleaned up & sold? It's not like, once you're deemed criminally insane, you keep all that you own, and even if he did, to send him back here without any kind of supervision (and I don't mean police supervision...)?

3) no reporter, who's on live TV, and wants to keep their job, would say something to a victim's father (whether he's a cop or not) like, "this is the man who violated your daughter."

...and really, after 4 years, would he really be able to get all those piercings back in so easily?

We are all graveyards, we squat amongst the tombs of the people we once were

[–] ofumalow 15 years ago

Am I missing something? He killed at least one person (Tiana) that we know of, in addition to torturing myriad others...and he gets released from a mental hospital after four years? That was ridiculous. And don't give me "Yes our courts punish the victims not the perpetrators" crap. There's no way a highly publicized murderer/torturer/etc. would be out before at least a couple decades had passed, if then.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Marsbert 15 years ago

Not only is Gage an idiot, but the guy can't use a computer...AT ALL. He can't even use a VENDING MACHINE properly!

And the city of Helverton allows this guy to carry a gun.

Oh, and he also kills an unarmed perp...by impaling him on a hook and burning him alive. By the way, in real life CaptHowdy would have walked due to unnecessary use of force (Gage shot Howdy in his basement).

What a great cop.

LOL too bad this movie wasn't a comedy, with Leslie Nielson....would've been awesome....;)

We are all graveyards, we squat amongst the tombs of the people we once were

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] PenalColony 13 years ago

Yeah, the plot to this movie was definitely not well thought-out.

Gage breaks into Howdy's house without even calling it in, no warrant, no backup, nothing. Based solely on that, Howdy would have walked.

I will say the only redeeming thing about Howdy's death at the end was Gage's comment to his partner to "tell Internal Affairs I'll be at the hospital." At least it was acknowledged in the dialogue that Gage knew there was no way he was going to get off scott-free for how he had murdered Howdy.

Whatever, it's just a movie... not a particularly great one, but I found it entertaining.

[–] gljbradley 13 years ago

Agreed. They should've resolved some of those things concerning the justice system in the movie and the character of Gage.

[–] raulfaust 10 years ago

Also, would you be able to beat a cop up after four years of mental treatment in a reclusive hospital?