The Shepherd (1999)

4/10

It’s the future. The earth’s surface has been destroyed by war. The survivors live in underground cities, where anarchy thrives, and violent neo-religious cults compete for power. Dakota, an ex-cop assassin, must fight to survive in this terrible world with his new friends. 

This trash sci-fi thriller is a lot of fun – martial arts, stripper tits, and futuristic boxcar shootouts. Virtually every scene is drenched in melancholic lighting and nearly everyone is wearing some kind of bizarre leather outfit. More interesting (and never really explored) is the dismal face of humanity in the underworld. With law and order gone, freaks are left to run amok, leaving a general sense of despondency, which is the perfect atmosphere for this story. 

Roddy Piper is another bonus, who plays his part well as a mad religious despot. Sadly though, he’s probably the only actor in the film who can actually act. Howell does such an obscene job of playing Dakota that he almost destroys the film before it starts. A mad henchman plays a doable job, but that’s about it. Everyone else is barely tolerable. If only they casted Ruter Hauer instead.

Rating: 4/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159752/

Drainiac! (1999)

5/10

I’m kicking off this project with the lovable Drainiac made somewhere in America around 2000 on a shoestring budget. Drainiac tells the story of a house possessed by an evil demon, or something along those lines, and a bunch of teens that happen to come across it.

Although pretty much everything in the film is poor quality, from props to story, and especially the awful special effects, Drainiac isn’t a complete failure. Characters aren’t handled too badly, the small-town american setting has a little charm, and the soundtrack also does a decent job, supporting the general mood and keeping the movie afloat. Given how hilarious some of the effects are, it’s great how the movie freely admits that it doesn’t take itself seriously. 

I’ve always thought this is a great example of a good bad film – no money, questionable talent (at best), and an atrocious storyline, but with the spirit and determination behind to simply be made. Drainiac! may have been forgotten by time but not by me.

Rating: 5/10