Shatter Dead (1994)
The Resurrected Dead
A film that deserves a cult reputation, this is possibly the most unique and original take on the zombie film I have ever come across
Films of 1994
Shrunken Heads (1994)
Disembodied Heads Take Revenge
Another film from Charles Band’s Full Moon Production centred around dolls – in this case, three murdered youths who are resurrected as flying shrunken heads. A film that never quite lives up to the outlandishness of its premise
The Silence of the Hams (1994)
Psycho-Thriller Parody
An Airplane/Naked Gun styled parody of The Silence of the Lambs
Silent Tongue (1994)
Western/American Indian Ghost
A directorial outing from actor/playwright Sam Shepard set in the West as Richard Harris buys an Indian daughter for his son River Phoenix
Stalked (1994)
Psycho Stalker
Pierre David produced psycho-thriller where Maryam d’Abo is befriended by Jay Underwood who proves to be a stalker in a creepily effective performance
The Stand (1994)
Showdown Between the Forces of Good and Evil After the Collapse of Civilisation/Stephen King Adaptation
The Stand is regarded as Stephen King’s best novel, an epic that depicts the final showdown between good and evil in the aftermath of civilisation. The mini-series adaptation was alas placed into the ham fists of one of King’s worst adapters. Mick Garris
Star Trek: Generations (1994)
Intergalactic Adventures
The first of the Star Trek: The Next Generation films is an odd affair that seems like a routine episode of the series that accidentally gained a big-screen budget. This crosses over with Classic Trek where William Shatner mugs his way through a grand old airing of Captain Kirk
Stargate (1994)
Intergalactic Portal/Planetary Adventure
The first of Roland Emmerich’s special effects epics. Emmerich rehashes Erich von Daniken’s Ancient Astronauts theories but casts it as a planetary adventure on an epic canvas with surprisingly entertaining results
Street Fighter (1994)
Videogame Adaptation/Action Team
Based on the popular videogame, you cannot complain that this is exactly what you expect – wall-to-wall action, comic-book heroes and villains. The complaint might be that the action is never particularly enervated and the film lacks anything beyond that
Surviving the Game (1994)
Human Hunting for Sport
Blatant copy of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Hard Target and both in turn from The Most Dangerous Game. Here Ice-T is a homeless man forced to flee hunters and survive with his bare hands.
The Swan Princess (1994)
Animated Fairy-Tale
Nicely animated film from Richard Rich that tells the story of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake in which a princess is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer
Tammy and the T-Rex (1994)
Teen Transplanted Into a Robot Dinosaur Body
One of the films that came out in the aftermath of Jurassic Park, notable only for the absurdity of its premise wherein teen Paul Walker’s brain is transplanted into an animatronic dinosaur body and he struggles to reconnect with girlfriend Denise Richards
Taxandria (1994)
Fabulism/Surreal Fantasy Dystopia
Extraordinary Belgian fabulist film, part-animated, part live-action, that takes place in a surreal alternate world
Test Tube Teens from the Year 2000 (1994)
Time Travellers from a Future Where Sex is Banned
Charles Band film directed by David DeCoteau, a lame softcore comedy where two guys travel back from a future where sex is outlawed and end up in a girl’s boarding school
That Eye, The Sky (1994)
Ambiguous Miraculous Visitor
Strange Australian film set in the Outback with Peter Coyote as an ambiguous stranger who claims to have been sent from God
The Thief and the Cobbler (1994)
Gonzo Arabian Nights Adventure/Animation
Legendary animated masterpiece from Richard Williams that was butchered in release. Williams’ animation is visually extraordinary
Thumbelina (1994)
Animated Fairy-Tale
Animated film from Don Bluth, an insipid adaptation of the fairytale that eventually bogs down as a comic picaresque (*)
Timecop (1994)
Time Police
Film featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a temporal police officer. While you expect another time travel action film, this has quite a deal more sophistication in the scripting department than you expect
Treasure Hunt (1994)
Hong Kong Comedy-Romance/Magical Girl
Rather silly and plotless Hong Kong comedy with Chow Yun Fat as a CIA agent encountering a magical girl at a monastery in China
A Troll in Central Park (1994)
Animation/Troll's Adventures in Human Civilisation
Incredibly insipid animated film from Don Bluth about a kind-hearted troll that relocates to Central Park. This feels like a wannabe Disney film that is merely going through the moves.
Tunnel Vision (1994)
Psycho-Sexual Thriller
A poorly made Australian copy of Basic Instinct where a detective and his partner are investigated a serial killer. All the heated sexuality comes out tamely
Twisted Tales (1994)
Horror Anthology
For a time Kevin J. Lindemuth had a reasonable place making direct-to-video films and anthologies. This is a solidly effective video-released anthology of horror tales
Vampires and Other Stereotypes (1994)
Gateway to Hell
Low-budget independently made film that manages to effectively use a singe warehouse location to suggest a gateway to Hell
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Meta-Fictional A Nightmare on Elm Street Sequel
Seventh of the A Nightmare on Elm Street films where Wes Craven returns to direct the most remarkable of all the sequels, an extraordinary meta-fiction that takes place in the real world
Without Warning (1994)
Live TV Broadcast/Possible Alien Arrival
Made for the anniversary of the Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast, a tv movie that simulates a a live newscast as alien craft arrive around the world
Wolf (1994)
Werewolf Film
Reasonable box-office hit that offers a stripped-back werewolf film with minimalist effects as milquetoast Jack Nicholson suddenly discovers the beast within