Marketing method aside, 'Megiddo? among worst ever

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"Megiddo"|ret||ret||tab|

Directed by: Brian Trenchard-Smith|ret||ret||tab|

Starring: Michael York, Michael Biehn, Udo Kier|ret||ret||tab|

Rated: PG-13|ret||ret||tab|

There are far too many sad times in the Hollywood year, and the bleakest is usually between Labor Day, when the summer blockbusters are just winding down, and Thanksgiving, when the holiday films and serious Oscar contenders are released. So, it was with much dread I got the movie schedule for my usual Friday excursion.|ret||ret||tab|

"Sexy Beast," a great independent film that is the second in Wehrenberg's Cine 16 experiment in bringing "art films" to Springfield, opened, but I'd already seen it. The only other new movie was "Megiddo," a title I still have trouble remembering. Too close to "mega ditto," I guess.|ret||ret||tab|

Besides watching movies for as long as I can remember and having the pleasure to write about them for the Spring-field Business Journal for the past 16 years, I also worked several years at mo-vie houses mostly the Gillioz and my wife was in the business for more than two decades.|ret||ret||tab|

During that time, I learned a bit about not only the artistic side of the business, but the business side of the business, as well.|ret||ret||tab|

Most films are made by production companies that are, more or less, connected with the Hollywood system. Even "little," or "independent" movies are tied up in the process. They get released and distributed, just like the big movies, by a small handful of companies.|ret||ret||tab|

Then there are what used to be called "rentals." We showed several when I worked at the Gillioz, things like "The Wilderness Family" and "Grizzly Ad-ams." These kinds of movies are made by marketing companies who buck the system and control every aspect of their films' lives. Rather than using the usual distribution network, the makers of these pictures rent a theater for a week or more at a given price, and bring in their own people to take tickets and keep track of the money. |ret||ret||tab|

This trend mostly disappeared in the early 1980s, but it recently returned with "The Omega Code," a film produced by Trinity Broadcasting Network and distributed through Christian churches and organizations. |ret||ret||tab|

It's a story about a supposed hidden code in the Bible dealing with the Apocalypse. Although it was in limited release, mostly in small towns rather than metropolitan centers, it managed to sneak its way into the top 10 grossing films for a number of weeks. This can certainly be attributed to the brilliant marketing strategy of TBN, which consisted of contacting churches and offering them group discounts, special showings and other perks.|ret||ret||tab|

This time around, with the sequel, "Megiddo," the company's Web site offers not only information about group ticket sales, it also has a page telling folks how they can "volunteer" to promote the film. What any Hollywood producer would do for that support ... |ret||ret||tab|

To say "Megiddo" is awful is to do a disservice to the word "awful." While "Battlefield Earth," written by Scientol-ogy founder L. Ron Hubbard and produced by follower John Travolta, is probably the worst big budget film made in recent memory, "Megiddo" is a very close second.|ret||ret||tab|

The plot bludgeons the viewer with hyperbole, the special effects are amateur nonsense and the dialogue is as bad as anything heard on-screen since "Plan 9 From Outer Space."|ret||ret||tab|

Michael York reprises his role as the antichrist from "The Omega Code" and spends a good deal of the film trying to kill his brother, played by Michael Biehn, who has become the vice president of the United States. York's character, now heading something called the United World Union, has ingratiated himself with the greater part of the planet's population and plans on bringing down the Battle of Armageddon in short order. |ret||ret||tab|

Helping him do this is veteran character actor and a member of Andy Warhol's troupe, Udo Kier. I must admit, his participation in this project really made me smile. He's gone from weird (remember "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein?") to even weirder.|ret||ret||tab|

After transforming into his true shape, that of a poorly animated gargoyle, York is finally overpowered by the forces of good, thus protecting the planet until these people decide to make a third film in "The Omega Code" series.|ret||ret||tab|

It's laughably bad but also fairly disturbing in light of recent political events. The film's view of us/them, good/bad and right/wrong gets disquieting after a while, but I'm sure this thing is bound to rake in the box-office bucks. |ret||ret||tab|

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)[[In-content Ad]]