How to Make a Monster

A pleasant surprise, Programmed For Damage!
While not fresh in originality, How To Make A Monster is a nice diversion from the crop of films out there recently that seem to depend on star power and rock tunes to carry them. This entry in the Creature Features series seems to be what Full Moon was trying to attempt in its hey day if it only had the slightly bigger budget.

Basically, several computer game programmers with clashing egos are hired to expedite the release of a new game called Evilution. In the process, a power surge and system overload bring a motion suit to life and the computer then is literally playing the game out with the programmers and office staff, and it's kill or be killed with everyone trapped inside the building.

There's a fair amount of suspense, a few twists, and a lot to say about greed, arrogance, and the lessening value of being just plain nice. The special effects mainly consist of the creature, and all else is done rather modestly which helps keep the story on track instead of being bogged...

JUST WHO'S THE MONSTER HERE?
George Hueng's remake of the classics 50's film is a stunning exercise in virtual reality. Although it starts off a little slow, once it kicks in, it is bristling with suspense and great effects. The cast is key in keeping the movie together:
Steven Culp as the handsome owner of the company evolves in a way that's not too flattering;
stalwart Clea Duvall continues her reign as the esoteric teen queen as the selfless, innocent intern, who also undergoes a metamorphosis;
Tyler Mane, the hulking actor, who has spent most of his time hidden behind make-up (Planet of the Apes, X-Men) is an engaging screen presence, very good in a somewhat stereotypical role, and Jason Marsden as acne-infected nerd is also effective.
The movie is its own allegorical spin on monsters, and by the end of the movie, you'll ask yourself---who was the worst monster?

"Scary is as scary does."
Not so long ago someone got the bright idea to take a handful of old American International films released back in the 1950s and redo them for cable television...notice I didn't say remake...among them were Earth vs. the Spider (2001), She-Creature (2001), The Day the World Ended (2001), Teenage Caveman (2002), and this one, titled How to Make a Monster (2001). Written and directed by George Huang (Swimming with Sharks), the film features Steven Culp (Thirteen Days, "Desperate Housewives"), Clea DuVall (Ghosts of Mars, Identity), Jason Marsden (The Boy Who Cried Alien), Karim Prince ("Malcolm in the Middle"), and Tyler `Sabretooth' Mane (X-Men, Troy). Also appearing is Colleen Camp (D.A.R.Y.L., Clue), who was also one of the producers on this film, and horror queen of the plasticine Julie Strain (Psycho Cop Returns, Lingerie Kickboxer).

As the film begins we see a group of snotty children involved in a test market evaluation on a violent new video game called Evil-ution,...

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