Watchers

Summary

“How smart’s a crazy person?”

Toy Robot Video is a new specialty film distribution label from established powerhouse Arrow Video. This label has already garnered a lot of excitement with their 4K release of Masters of the Universe, showing that they are ready to step up to the plate in terms of nostalgia for unheralded pictures from the Eighties. Looking through that lens, it makes great sense that this month they released the 1988 Dean R. Koontz adaptation Watchers. Starring Corey Haim and Michael Ironside, this science fiction/horror/thriller hybrid was panned by critics at the time. Readers of the Koontz novel were confused and disappointed by the picture because of the numerous changes made in the adaptation – for example, the lead character Travis in the novel is in his thirties. Despite the very poor critical reception, this is a title that collectors have wanted to add to their Eighties and horror libraries for a long time. I was happy to sit down and watch the picture the other night.

As the film begins, an explosion rocks a scientific research center. As the research center burns, a golden retriever runs into the forest. It is being chased by a mutant experiment called an OXCOM (Outside Experimental Combat Mammal.) The OXCOM has developed a true hatred for the golden retriever counterpart, and it will kill anything it comes in contact with. At a nearby home, teenager Tracey (Lala Sloatman) hears some noise in the barn. Investigating, she is startled by her boyfriend Travis (Corey Haim.) They make out, but when they hear some noise – possibly her dad – Travis sneaks out to his mom’s truck to head back home. Tracey and her father are attacked by the OXCOM. The dad is killed, but Tracey survives. The OXCOM attacks the eyes of the victims it kills. Meanwhile, the golden retriever hops into the back of Travis’s car. Travis quickly learns that the dog, which he calls Fur-face, is incredibly smart and can communicate with him through barks (or later in the film by typing on a computer.) Travis takes Fur-face home but tries to hide the dog from his mom Nora (Barbara Williams.) Two men show up at the crime scene from the mysterious organization NSO. Their names are Lem (Michael Ironside) and Cliff (Blu Mankuma) and they are tracking down the escaped dog and the escaped mutant. Lem is sociopathic and willing to harm anyone that stands in the way of finding the lab’s property. They take Tracey to a facility and refuse to give Travis and Nora any information. As the OXCOM attacks people around town that have come into contact with furface, Travis and Nora try to locate and rescue Tracey.

Watchers was definitely a disappointment for the fans of Dean R. Koontz’s novel due to the numerous changes the script made to the story and characters. Reviewers were very hard on the film, and it is easy to see why. The creature design, once finally revealed, is definitely not going to blow anyone’s mind. The dialogue is at times ridiculously bad, and acting is certainly hit or miss (aside from the dog, who is an exceptional performer.) The plot is admittedly pretty silly as well. So…. Why did I like it?

Films like Watchers honestly make me question my taste, because on paper this film is definitely bad, yet I found myself entertained for the duration. This picture is only going to be enjoyed by people that enjoy bad movies that also have a strong feeling of nostalgia. Watching Corey Haim act causes me nostalgia personally for an unusual reason. When I was nine years old, my father took me to Toys-R-Us to purchase the SEGA CD add-on system for my Genesis. Corey Haim acted in a Full Motion Video game called Double Switch, which I tried to beat numerous times (and failed to beat – it was really difficult.) Corey Haim as an actor was a casualty of the Hollywood system, soaring to popularity before grunge music and hip young filmmakers like Tarantino washed away the hair bands and excess of the Eighties. Haim could not find a footing in the Nineties, alongside his best friend Corey Feldman who had a similar career trajectory, and he tragically ended up dead at the age of thirty eight from pneumonia in 2010.  There is a wide eyed optimism to Corey Haim’s acting which became uncool as soon as Gen X put on their plaid. Corey Haim was not some uniquely gifted actor, and that is evident in this film. In the special features, Lala Sloatman describes that Corey was using cocaine frequently and it probably came across in his acting choices at the time. She didn’t fully understand why Corey would even choose to take on this picture which would undoubtedly hurt his career, but the reasoning is pretty simple – it was a paycheck. Michael Ironside discussed in the special features that he had read the Koontz book and signed on to do the movie prior to numerous script changes that he said were all to the detriment of the picture. Director Jon Hess had proven himself with a low budget picture for Roger Corman, who also produced Watchers. The script went through numerous changes from the hands of everyone who touched it – Corman, Hess, and others – and the final result is almost hilariously clunky. The dialogue is largely dead on arrival, and the horror scenes with the OXCOM are not frightening. That said, the film is at times surprisingly gory for a teen led picture featuring a hyper intelligent dog. The whole premise is ridiculous and when you watch the dog use a pencil to type on a computer, you will either decide you like this movie or hate it. I chose to like it.

Video

Watchers has been granted a pretty solid transfer of the film from Toy Robot Video using an MPEG-4 AVC encode. An art card in the release states, ”The HD master was supplied by Quiver Distribution. Additional restoration and color work done by Duplitech.” The source seemed to be in pretty good shape. One of the best aspects of the picture is the attention paid to the Vancouver surroundings. The picture has several scenes where lighting from cinematographer Richard Leiterman is striking. While this picture quality is not going to blow you away like a true 4K remaster might, I think fans are going to be very pleased to finally have a solid Blu-ray release.

Audio

Toy Robot Video has provided an English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track that capably replicates the original sound design. While a surround track would be preferable, I thought the track sounded pretty good. Like the video transfer, this is not mindblowing, but it should be fan pleasing.

Supplements:

• New Interview with director Jon Hess – Jon Hess looks back fondly on how Corman gave him his break with The Lawless Land, and then gave him a $10 million budget to make Watchers. 
• New Interview with actor Michael Ironside – the character actor known for Scanners, Starship Troopers, and Total Recall, discusses the many failings of the picture while also discussing his memories of working with Corey Haim. His concern over Haim’s partying at the time comes through.
• New Interview with actress Barbara Williams – the actress who played Nora discusses working on the film.
• New Interview with actress Lala Sloatman – Lala discusses her romance with Corey Haim which led to her receiving a role in this picture. Lala is very open about the relationship struggles caused by the cocaine use that Corey was engrossed in during the filming of Watchers. 
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Stills Gallery 
• The packaging includes an Obi-strip and a couple art cards.

Overall Scores:

Video – 4/5

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 3.5/5

On paper, Watchers is a pretty bad film. The acting is hit-or-miss. The writing is pretty poor with clunky dialogue, a silly premise, and numerous scenes that can cause unintentional laughter (the dog typing on a computer has to be seen to be believed.) The creature is not well designed, which is why it is largely kept offscreen. Yet, I found myself enjoying this trainwreck anyways. This is pure junk food and if you are not deeply nostalgic, it may not hit for you. That said, Toy Robot Video’s Blu-ray release is commendable. The interviews are well appointed with lots of information about the numerous difficulties the film faced from cocaine use by Corey Haim and lots of script changes. The transfer of the picture is pretty solid. Overall, if you are a fan who has waited years to see Fur-face make his Blu-ray debut, this release is going to bring you joy. I would definitely recommend a rental prior to a purchase if you are on the fence.