Screamers

I waited, and waited, and waited endlessly for something big to happen in "Screamers," a 1995 sci-fi mess that stars Peter Weller ("Robocop"). Shout Factory presents this new Blu-ray edition of the film, which is based on a short story - which most movie fans know doesn't bode well for a 108-minute running time.

"Screamers" at least starts out intriguingly enough: we learn it's the year 2078 and, as in most science fiction films, the future is unhappy. In this case, the Earth has been at war for the last ten years. At the Sirius 6B outpost, a band of soldiers keeps constant watch. But then there are those damn Screamers, a kind of metallic killing machine intent on eradicating the enemy.

But because this is the future, the Screamers are multiplying and have become out-of-control murdering weapons. So here comes Joseph Hendricksson (Weller) to save the day; he's the one who created the Screamers, and he knows how to stop them.

From here Hendricksson and company (which naturally includes a love interest, played here by Jennifer Rubin of "Nightmare on Elm Street 3") walk around infinitely in "Screamers" and end up in various low-budget locations. The film's highlight happens in the last 10 minutes or so, and Rubin's character becomes split in two, literally. Rubin also happens to bathe naked in front of Weller's character in her first scene, furthering cementing that "Screamers" is nonsensical.

Weller overacts and yells his way through "Screamers" and, for camp value alone, the film gets recommended for laughs. For those looking for a serious sci-fi tale, I'd advise skipping this one. There are, however, four separate interviews (with Jennifer Rubin and various others) on Scream Factory's Blu-ray, and they make up a generous special features section.

"Screamers"
Blu-ray
$29.99
www.shoutfactory.com