Polymorph (1996)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

POLYMORPH is another example of cheap and cheesy Z-grade film-making from director J.R. Bookwalkter, the man who made THE DEAD NEXT DOOR back in the 1980s and has who has been shooting fun, zero budget productions ever since. POLYMORPH is a typically high energy production in which a bunch of characters in the woods are assailed by a body-swapping alien parasite.The film openly references THE EVIL DEAD and feels a little like it, although much less inferior. The alien is much like the one in THE HIDDEN although the effects aren't quite up to the job. The stilted dialogue is occasionally excruciating, but the comic book-style info boxes and the cheesy computer FX are mildly amusing as is the film as a whole.

The acting is amateurish, the special effects are sub-par, and the editing is inconsistent, but (surprisingly) the overall movie is actually watchable. This is one of the few Bookwalter movies that has a genuine story and plot. Plus, it has a couple plot twists that you don't see coming.I'm not saying that you want to run out and rent this movie, but it is definitely superior to Galaxy of the Dinosaurs, The Dead Next Door, The Sandman, and Humanoids From Atlantis. In fact, if you feel somehow compelled to watch a Bookwalter film (for example, you lose a bar bet) then this is the one to watch.And it's true...Ted does look like "a young Grandpa Munster with long black hair." Two extra stars were awarded to this movie simply for having a semi-interesting plot.

I don't know what the reviewer above was thinking with "solid performances", the acting for the most part is garbage, the cinematography isn't great (but not terrible), music is sort of crap most of the time, but it's obvious there was barely a budget for this movie so you can't blame them for that.Now that being said, this is actually an entertaining movie, as stated previously, not much is done well mostly I'm sure due to lack of budget. So if you are used to these types of movies, grab this movie and give it one view, you most likely will not be disappointed if you're used to the low/no budget films.I really hope this doesn't violate spoiler policy 'cause I want everyone to read this that is interested in this movie and I don't consider this a spoiler, but this movie unlike many may suspect doesn't end all happy and is pulled off well I think, very effective. It's really nice to have a change of pace now and then without this happy ending crap.

Nice sci-fi action with welcome doses of humor and solid performances all around. Gun-toting drug runners cross paths with camping college students in the deep woods, with an alien organism thrown into the mix. Double and triple crosses, lots of gunplay and alien body-snatching in this fun outing.