Below Utopia (1997)

People are voting emotionally.

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

I used to think "Sleepaway Camp" was bad, but that was a teen horror movie and they do okay no matter what. This movie, however, puts that one's shame to shame.The movie deviously draws the viewer in with a very sexy shot of Alyssa Milano making out with her fiancé in a car, and the movie goes downhill (rather, off the cliff) from there. Her fiancé is the "black sheep" of a wealthy family, and there's tension at the holiday gathering, but that becomes secondary when art thieves (led by Ice-T) invade the home and shoot the family (or most of it) dead, except for Milano and her fiancé, who were in the basement having sex during the episode.The movie is billed as "suspense" but appears more to be the punchline to the old joke "How do you keep an idiot in suspense?" The ending is predictable, as are the plot twists, and Ice-T's character's swipe against racism by reminding the viewers that he has a masters in art history was nothing more than lame grandstanding.Anyone who has ever wondered if they should try to write movies can watch this one for inspiration and come away with the feeling that no matter how bad they might be if they attempted to write a movie, it's doubtful they will ever sink to a low like this. If I were Milano, I'd buy the rights to this film and burn it.The music by Ice-T over the closing credits was the best part, but I'm not sure if I liked the music, or simply liked that the movie was over.It doesn't get much worse than this.

Insipid plot, exquisitely bad acting, and a climax that drags on long after one loses interest. The only redeeming feature of this movie is that it showcases Alyssa Milano's lovely face. In short, the 2 hours required to view this movie could easily be invested in more gainful and rewarding pursuits.

I like this flick it had suspence elements that were well thought out & executed, but had I know that the little girl in Commando would bloom into such a ripe woman, I would have followed her career, closely. I like the camera work, the acting, the actors, the plot, but Alyssa takes the cake in my sight.

I would not blame you if you did not want to see this movie based on its cast and its plot. Most of the elements just seem likely to add up to a bad movie. I was forced to see it because my boyfriend has an obsession with Alyssa. Should I be embarrassed to be involved with a 25 year old man who works for Congress who owns Alyssa's workout videos entitled "Teen Steam"?? Probably.At any rate, this movie, unlike Teen Steam, is surprisingly good. It seemed well thought out and equally well executed, with strong and believable performances by Alyssa, Ice T, and Justin Theroux. The film was successful in keeping up suspense, and you definitely wanted to watch until the end when you were most likely surprised by the unveiling of the true criminal.This film seems to be replayed late nights on cable with some frequency, so be sure to check it out there.