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OZONE
Produced and Directed by J.R. Bookwalter
Written by David Wagner and J.R. Bookwalter,BR> Director of Photography - Lance RandasJames Black - Eddie Boone
Tom Hoover - Mike Weitz
Bill Morrison - Richter, Stitches
James L. Edwards - The Drug Lord, Sam Debartolo, SpikesAfter a string of dull filmmaker-for-hire videos, J.R. Bookwalter unleashed OZONE on the world and proved he could make intelligent, gripping entertainment. Working well within the established archetypes and formulas of the b-movie universe, Bookwalter makes the experience fresh. It's his true follow-up to THE DEAD NEXT DOOR.
The heart of the film belongs to James Black as Eddie Boone, a cop pushed too far. In the short time between OZONE and ZOMBIE COP, where he played a voodoo witch doctor, Black has grown tremendously as an actor. In ZOMBIE COP, he seemed to rely more on comic mimic rather than true acting. Here, he is confident and sure of himself. It's easy to see how he was able to move onto bigger-budgeted Hollywood features like the Kurt Russell vehicle, SOLDIER.
While on a routine stakeout, that turns terribly wrong, Boone and his partner Mike Weitz discover a plot to infect the world with a new drug, Ozone. The narcotic is so powerful and addictive it literally blows your mind. This is evident from the first scene where the film opens with a junky shooting up. The end result is about as close as anyone will come to matching the power of the exploding head from SCANNERS.
Those that don't die instantly are mutated into demon-like creatures determined to convert the planet. High on the drug, Boone spends the majority of the film trying to track down his partner. On his halluncinary journey, Boone descends straight into hell and comes face to face with a monster as evil as Satan himself.
Like POLYMORPH, Bookwalter has made a film that is slick looking and fast paced. The video format is not the liability it is with most Shot on Video features. With creative use of lighting, tone, and style, Bookwalter makes a movie light-years ahead of his contemporaries. The engaging story is what pushes it over the edge.
The effects are excellent, considering the budget. The make-up work is comparable to anything Hollywood has to offer. The morphing visuals are a little dated, but when the film was made in 1991 they were cutting edge. Maybe for the remastered DVD, J.R. will go back and clean up those few scenes.
I really hate to gush over a movie, but this one is great fun. I highly recommend it.