Skeeter (1993)

One of my all time favorites.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

SKEETER on the one hand is clearly influenced by typical mutant monster movies of the 50s like THEM or TARANTULA, on the other hand it owes its existence certainly to successful movies of the 90s that tell similar stories, such as TREMORS or TICKS. To come straight to the point: The biggest drawback of the film is its running time of 91 minutes. There is not enough substance to the story for this. In this respect director Clark Brandon should have been guided more by movies from the 50s, which rarely exceeded the 80 minute mark. This could have been a thrilling movie. As it is, we have to deal with a long exposure and a rather dreary love story between a pretty boy Deputy and the red haired village beauty. Even the subplot about a vicious building tycoon seems very much out of place. Regarding the build up of tension, SKEETER works along the line of classic monster movies. But Brandon tries to do something different with the scenes between the mosquito attacks and to not just stretch the running time (well, mostly). Brandon's style deviates significantly from what is common in most contemporary B-monster-movies. He more often than not works with clear, almost static shots, frequently taken slightly from below. Thus, the protagonist are standing around like lost in somewhat unreal and inhospitable landscapes as if they don't belong there. This impression is reinforced by the special light of the desert which is used very effectively by the director. With these scenes, the film, which was almost entirely shot on location, describes man as an intruder into a world, seemingly motionless for ages, a world whose balance is destroyed by man, thus evoking his own destruction. In this sense, quite apart from the rather simplistic presented toxic waste problem, SKEETER is, albeit on a modest level, a warning against home-made environmental disasters. In this regard, the film stands also in the tradition of classic monster movies, who frequently point to the dangers of nuclear disaster. The mostly unknown cast of the film, aside from Napier and Sanderson, are doing an acceptable job, albeit Jim Youngs comes off as a rather pale hero. The incomparable Charles Napier has, in fact, the best scene of the movie, as he, already dying, grabs one of the mosquitoes, crushing it with his bare hands, shouting: "I got one! I got one!" The special effects are mostly acceptable for a low budget movie like this, albeit not entirely convincing. Especially the "mosquito-point-of-view" shots, done with a special camera, are undoubtedly an asset to the film. SKEETER is certainly not more than an average B-monster movie with a few lengths, but due to its effective and sympathetic style it stands out positively from the usual direct-to-video stuff.

A small town in the desert is terrorized by over-sized mosquitoes (hence the rather cutesy title). Ecology-minded thriller is fairly pallid, even by the standards of low-rent B-flicks and monster-genre schlock, with laughable special effects and poor dialogue. Former teen idol Clark Brandon co-wrote the script and also directed--and may have been in over his head. Brandon was lucky to get ever-surly Charles Napier cast as sheriff Ernie Buckle, yet Napier has played this kind of character far too many times by now and can't bring anything fresh to the scenario (it doesn't help that Napier also looks a little sheepish about the whole mess). Michael J. Pollard gets some laughs as a local weirdo, but the rest of the players are at a complete loss. * from ****

'Skeeter' is one of the better killer insect movies made in the mid-90's.**SPOILERS**Dozens of barrels of toxic waste are removed from an underground facility. The waste attacks a large number of mosquito's to the site. A small town not far from the site is experiencing an unusually large number of cattle murders, so police deputy Roy Boone (Jim Youngs) is assigned by police chief Ernie Buckle (Charles Napier) to investigate. He finds that dozens of cows have been killed, who are lying in a field. He calls in agent Gordon Perry, (William Sanderson) who believes that the town's water supply has been poisoned, which isn't a popular theory around town. The mosquito's attack one of the local townspeople, which sends the community into an uproar. Boone and Deputy Hank Tucker (Eloy Casados) begin a long investigation into the mysterious occurrences that makes them decide to call in a big city coroner, Dr. Jill Wyle, (Saxon Trainor) against Ernie's authority or knowledge, who wants to get the bodies opened up as soon as possible. Because of the attacks, Boone wanders upon on old girlfriend, Sarah Crosby, (Tracy Griffith) the older sister of the second victim. The mosquito's attack more townspeople, finally making them realize what is going on. A crooked land developer (Jay Robinson) kidnaps Boone for interfering with his plans, but the mosquito's kills the goons. This leads him to the facts that the mosquito's were created by toxic sewage created by the land developer's run off program and that the land developer and Ernie were working together. The mosquito's are driving the towns-people away, allowing the developer to buy their land dirt cheap so he can build a wealthy new town on the land. He and Sarah band together with Tucker and Gordon to stop the now out-of-control mosquito's.The Good News: Despite being very similar to a movie called 'Mosquito's,' 'Skeeter' is the better. The mosquito's are actually pretty cleverly designed and looked and moved realistically, compared to other giant insects movies. It was also a nice change of pace to introduce the monsters early in the film instead of giving them an appearance later in the film after several attacks. That first attack is also a highlight of the film, as the large number of mosquito props covering the actor and is seen to realistically bite into him is a nice sight. It is also a pretty long sequence, so that adds to the scene's creepiness. The ending, too, is pretty creepy. It takes place inside an abandoned mineshaft, so it is full of dark passageways and hidden traps. Justice is served by the killing of the corrupt figures in the town, and we also get to see a flame-thrower brought into action against the mosquito's. The destruction of the mine was nicely done, as fires burn everywhere, capped by the gigantic explosion. It is the best part of the film.The Bad News: It takes a long period of time in the middle of the movie before anything happens. There was at least a thirty-minute stretch between an attack. This is just too long of a period to not have any action in the movie. Fill it with something: attacks, non-killing screen time for the mosquito's, a sex scene, anything to get and keep the attention of the viewer. The mosquito's' cry was a little annoying, as it never made them seem all that threatening. It almost destroyed their presence. I am an action fan, but the gunfight at Boone's place was so unnecessary that it stuck out like a sore thumb and could've been cut.The Final Verdict: It's not that bad of a killer insect movie, but it is pretty entertaining for a film with such a low budget, but it could be an entertaining film if given an appropriate amount of time to like. It is recommended for those who like to seek out a good low-budget film or to those who want to see every horror film ever made.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language

"Skeeter" is a passing fair critter-condundrum movie. I like it. It is merely another basic entry in the long-lived monster genre originating in the 1950's; and I'm a fan. You cannot go into one of these films with expectations of high drama, magnificent special effects, and flawless plot lines. You go to see the monsters run amok and the films' characters, in more ways than one, attempt to stem the tide of nature on a rampage. As to the special effects, if you are a fan, after the initial shock and laughter, your brain accommodates; and the mosquitoes, or squids, or bats, or whatever, take on a surrealistic and entertaining quality.One improvement we do get with these newer entries is generally better acting than in the past. The directing hasn't changed much over the years; it is still marginal at best. But more good actors are available now. They are eager for work and generally do an excellent job with marginal scripts, formula plots, and overwhelmed directors. The cast of "Skeeter" is quite compelling and the characters are believable for the most part. The plot drags a little as the director attempts to create some reason to watch the film other than to see giant mosquitoes run rampant. These new directors have forgotten that there is no other reason. But I think "Skeeter" is fun and, worth some good escapism time. Be sure, in the early part of the film, to try and figure out what the "dead cow" really is. I personally think it's an army surplus blanket. My recommendation is to see "Skeeter" with a friend, have a crossword handy, and then you'll have three interesting things to do. One of them should work out. It just might be "Skeeter"!