Contents

Six Students Are About To Find Out Their Teachers Really Are From Another Planet

1998




The Faculty (1998)  

Directed by 
Robert Rodriguez    
  
Writing credits (in credits order) 
David Wechter   (story) & 
Bruce Kimmel   (story) 

 
Kevin Williamson    
  
Cast (in credits order) 
Jordana Brewster ....  Delilah  
Clea DuVall ....  Stokely  
Laura Harris (II) ....  Marybeth  
Josh Hartnett ....  Zeke  
Shawn Hatosy ....  Stan  
Salma Hayek ....  Nurse Harper  
Famke Janssen ....  Miss Burke  
Piper Laurie ....  Mrs. Olson  
Christopher McDonald ....  Casey's Dad  
Bebe Neuwirth ....  Principal Drake  
Robert Patrick ....  Coach Willis  
Usher Raymond ....  Gabe  
Jon Stewart ....  Mr. Furlong  
Daniel von Bargen ....  Mr. Tate  
Elijah Wood ....  Casey  
Summer Phoenix ....  F'%# You Girl  
Jon Abrahams ....  F'%# You Boy  
Susan Willis ....  Mrs. Brummel  
Pete Janssen ....  Meat  
Christina Rodriguez ....  Tattoo Girl  
Danny Masterson ....  F'%# Up #1  
Wiley Wiggins ....  F'%# Up #2  
Harry Jay Knowles ....  Mr. Knowles (as Harry Knowles)  
Donna Casey ....  Tina  
Louis Black ....  Mr. Lewis  
Eric Jungmann ....  Freshman #1  
Chris Viteychuk ....  Freshman #2  
Jim Johnston (II) ....  P.E. Teacher  
Libby Villari ....  Casey's Mom  
Jonnetta Patton   
Duane Martin ....  Officer #1  
Katherine Willis ....  Officer #2  
Mike Lutz ....  Hornet Mascot  
Douglas Aarniokoski ....  Brun Coach  
Gary A. Hecker   
rest of cast listed alphabetically  
Gus Araiza ....  Student (uncredited)  
Joe Hatton ....  Biology Student  
Michael Hernandez (I) ....  Student  
Kidada Jones ....  Venus (scenes deleted)  
Dannie Helen Loraine Knowles ....  Tatooed Pierced Girl #2  
Jarrell Jay Knowles ....  Football Fan  
Jason D. May ....  Biology Student  
Ray Melendez ....  Student (uncredited)  
Danny Sasser ....  Student (uncredited)  
Eric Vespe ....  Geek  
Mark Edward Walters ....  Olive Vest Front Row Fan (uncredited)  
  
Produced by 
Elizabeth Avellan    
Bill Scott (IV)   (line)  
Tamee Smith-Zimmerman   (associate)  
Bob Weinstein   (executive)  
Harvey Weinstein   (executive)  
  
Original music by 
Marco Beltrami    
  
Cinematography by 
Enrique Chediak    
  
Film Editing by 
Robert Rodriguez    
  
Casting 
Anne McCarthy    
Mary Vernieu    
  
Production Design by 
Cary White   (as Cary C.W. White)  
  
Art Direction 
Ed Vega    
  
Set Decoration 
Jeanette Scott    
  
Costume Design by 
Michael T. Boyd    
  
Make-up Department 
Howard Berger ....  special make-up and creature effects  
Robert Kurtzman ....  special make-up and creature effects  
Gregory Nicotero ....  special make-up and creature effects  
Ermahn Ospina ....  key make-up artist  
  
Production Management 
Bill Scott (IV) ....  unit production manager  
  
Assistant Director 
Douglas Aarniokoski ....  first assistant director  
  
Sound Department 
Phil Benson ....  supervising sound editor  
Steve Boeddeker ....  sound designer  
Steve Nelson (I) ....  production sound mixer  
  
Special Effects 
Mike Edmonson ....  special effects foreman  
Vincent Filippone ....  visual effects editor  
David Heron ....  special effects shop foreman  
Matt Hullum ....  special effects co-ordinator
visual effects co-ordinator  
Taka Ikari ....  visual effects production assistant  
Brian Jennings ....  visual effects supervisor  
John McLeod (III) ....  special effects co-ordinator  
Mike Reedy ....  special effects man  
Frank W. Tarantino ....  special effects man  
  
Stunts 
Jon H. Epstein ....  stunts  
Shawn Robinson ....  stunts  
  
Other crew 
Mike Allred ....  production artist  
Pete Anthony ....  conductor
orchestrator  
Allison Baker ....  office production assistant  
Michael Brandt (II) ....  assistant editor  
David Brink ....  mechanical department: XFX Inc.  
Buzzy Burwell ....  rigging gaffer  
Carrie Campbell ....  casting associate  
Alan Joseph Ortanez ....  casting assistant  
John Joyce (IV) ....  lead model maker: Cinema Production Services  
Michael Joyce (I) ....  model shop supervisor: Cinema Production Services  
Paul Le Blanc (II) ....  mechanical department: XFX Inc.  
Freddy Luis ....  casting associate  
Peggy Mulloy ....  unit publicist  
Gregory Nicotero ....  puppeteer  
Rocco Passionino ....  digital artist  
Scott Patton ....  puppeteer  
Raymond Prado ....  storyboard artist  
Shawn Robinson ....  mechanical department: XFX Inc.  
Robert Rodriguez ....  mechanical department: XFX Inc.  
Rigney Sackley ....  mechanical department: XFX Inc.  
Shannon Shea ....  puppeteer  
Alex Steyermark ....  music supervisor  
Gay Studebaker ....  stand-by painter  
Steffen M. Wild ....  digital effects supervisor centropolis effects  
Yanick Wilisky ....  3-D character animator  
Mark Jan Wlodarkiewicz ....  temp music editor (uncredited) 
Berni Wrightson ....  creature design  
Henrik von Ryzin ....  puppeteer  
  
   

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THE FACULTY
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1998 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****):  **

You've always suspected that your teachers were aliens. THE FACULTY supplies the proof.

Mixing equal measures of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, ALIENS, and SCREAM, Kevin Williamson's script is smart enough to realize it is a parody. Never taking itself seriously, the film may not be much of a movie, but at least it's not a pretentious one.

One day, at a rundown high school staffed with hopeless wimps, an alien comes to visit. Making his way onto campus in someone else's body, he soon has infected the brains of the entire faculty and most of the students. As directed by Robert Rodriguez, the film layers gobs of horror film gore onto what is basically a science fiction plot.

Fighting against this evil unleashed upon the earth and spreading rapidly is a rag-tag group of 6 uninfected students. (That they will get it too becomes obvious so they devise a test using a caffeine-based, diuretic powder that they force themselves to inhale in order to discover any new alien converts. The aliens, you see, are a moisture-craving species.)

The students includes nerd-in-residence Casey (Elijah Wood), pseudo-lesbian Stokely (Clea DuVall), cocky cheerleader Delilah (Jordana Brewster), ex-football team captain and star quarterback Stan (Shawn Wayne Hatosy), drug dealer and self-trained scientist Zeke (Josh Hartnett), and squeaky clean blonde Marybeth (Laura Harris). Marybeth has just transferred to the school when the terror starts, so she is one of many suspects as the carrier for the alien.

The movie uses stereotypes to advance the comedy. Brainy Casey refuses to get into sports, telling the coach (Robert Patrick), "I don't think a person should run unless he's being chased."

When Casey and Delilah witness the possessed faculty engaging in their alien rituals to recruit new members, Casey tells his parents. After investigating and finding nothing, his parents figure he must be on drugs, so they give him a most modern punishment. They go to his room and remove his cell phone, his Internet connection, his boom box, and even his "porno," which he had carefully hidden under his mattress.

On the football field, accompanied by one of the tunes from PINK FLOYD THE WALL, the team of players with alien-charged bodies plays with a vengeance. Never have the cheers from the stands of "Kill!" been taken more literally.

THE FACULTY runs 1:40. It is rated R for horror movie violence, profanity, brief nudity, and drug usage and would be fine for most teenagers.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com


Have I Seen This Movie: Yes
And What Did I Think?: The Faculty is Invasion of the Body Snatchers for teens. It's nothing new, but it is good fun to watch. Teens should have a good time seeing their teachers and high school getting wasted here. The characters and acting are typical of the teen horror flicks, such as Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, just no slashing here. Its not really even a scary movie, more humorous then anything. I chuckled throughout most of it. One aspect that they could have toned down a bit, was the students each suspcting each other of being the alien, and proving to each other they're not. The one scene was just a bit too long, and too reminicent of "The Thing". Robert Patrick is the best baddie here along with a few good supporting roles by Piper Laurie, Jon Stewart, and Bebe Neuwirth. I saw this in the theaters and thought it was worth the 8 bucks, so if you are thinking of renting it, its definately worth picking up. Just don't go looking for a real believable story, its all in good fun. If you do want something with a little more substance however, then go rent Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.
I give the Faculty 3.5 out of 5 stars

Review written July 7, 1999

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