I had the DVD lying around for a year or two and didn't watch it yet, because those many bad reviews made me think it would be a waste of time - but now that I finally watched it, I realize I strongly disagree with most reviews and actually think this is a good example you can make a passable little genre movie with limited budget and unknown actors. The story of "Parasite" revolves around Doctor Hansen who wants to use an abandoned oil rig as a testing ground for an enzyme intended to help clean anything polluted with oil. Although that sounds like a good idea, environmental activists led by her ex-boyfriend Mickey appear on the rig. They suspect the company wants to sink it. Jacob Rasmussen, Hansen's right hand man, ruins the enzyme experiment with an overdose of the biological substance. Little worms grow to gigantic size, start eating the crew members, and there is nowhere to run on the oil rig...
Surely "Parasite" holds some of the clichés and stereotypes of the monster genre, but it has original ideas as well. Mickey looks like a terrorist with his black mask, but he'll be more useful to Hansen than Jacob who ought to be the hero, but fails miserably, trying to save only his own life. The two women are the most skilled crew members on the whole rig, though.
*** spoiler *** I waited for the typical monster movie ending, you know, "one beast survived in the left corner, now wait for the sequel", instead Hansen has her revenge on the evil company which is a much more enjoyable solution. Bravo! *** end of spoiler ***
Some cheap special effects, especially the explosions painted with a computer program, are below average TV quality, but it was a really good idea to have the activists film their actions with a hand-held video camera and use the footage for a certain "Blair Witch" documentary style effect, dark, poorly focused, but it's pretty much like you were on the rig yourself: whoosh, what was that? A lot of action towards the end with an increasing number of worms, and finally it was 90 enjoyable minutes for me, of course nowhere near a masterpiece such as "Alien", but considering what you can do with a low budget, a nice effort.
Surely "Parasite" holds some of the clichés and stereotypes of the monster genre, but it has original ideas as well. Mickey looks like a terrorist with his black mask, but he'll be more useful to Hansen than Jacob who ought to be the hero, but fails miserably, trying to save only his own life. The two women are the most skilled crew members on the whole rig, though.
*** spoiler *** I waited for the typical monster movie ending, you know, "one beast survived in the left corner, now wait for the sequel", instead Hansen has her revenge on the evil company which is a much more enjoyable solution. Bravo! *** end of spoiler ***
Some cheap special effects, especially the explosions painted with a computer program, are below average TV quality, but it was a really good idea to have the activists film their actions with a hand-held video camera and use the footage for a certain "Blair Witch" documentary style effect, dark, poorly focused, but it's pretty much like you were on the rig yourself: whoosh, what was that? A lot of action towards the end with an increasing number of worms, and finally it was 90 enjoyable minutes for me, of course nowhere near a masterpiece such as "Alien", but considering what you can do with a low budget, a nice effort.