My first reaction was to note that between the slow motion and the obvious instructions imparted to the cast, the first 5-7 minutes are unexpectedly hilarious in their absurdity. My second reaction was bewilderment that the apparent response to the query "Computer, show me a landscape ravaged by nuclear war" is footage of active volcanoes. And my third reaction, all within about 20 minutes, was to observe that the set design and decoration (and costume design) is a mix of the visually fetching, the spartan and banal, and the color-coded. With only one-fifth of the runtime having passed, I admit I found myself skeptical, but I'm willing to watch just about anything. In fairness, while there are definite peculiarities, in general 'Chosen survivors' is duly well made for 1974. It's hardly the most essential viewing experience in the world, but it's reasonably entertaining for a lazy day.
The scenario is ripe for storytelling, be it horror or drama, psychological or character-driven, and there are marginal garnishes of these throughout - if not also predictable story threads. Other possible directions for the material are self-evident; that vampire bats are the core focus of the narrative is a choice that can only be met with "Sure, why not." The pacing is surprisingly brisk, darting about like bats in a feeding frenzy; either one is grateful for the tack, which will invariably mean the film is therefore shorter than it would be otherwise, or one is slightly taken aback at how brusque and arguably disordered the presentation is as a result. I rather enjoy Fred Karlin's original score, which sometimes seems a tad overly dramatic, but more so than not lends a tinge of tense atmosphere to the course of events.
The cast is sometimes forced into a corner by Sutton Roley's direction, or the writing of Harry Spalding and Joe Reb Moffly. Even so, the ensemble is given suitable opportunity to demonstrate their skills, and carry the picture with fine range and personality. Some recognizable names fill these roles, including Jackie Cooper, Alex Cord, and Diana Muldaur, and they and their co-stars, and I think they do a good job. The special effects are more of a mixed bag; tangible creations like blood or sparks are one matter, but the more grandiose post-production creations are far more questionable, not least at the climax, and seem dated even for 1974. We do also get some nice shot composition and use of lighting, though. Like the effects, the writing has its ups and downs. The overall plot is decent enough, and sufficiently engaging to hold one's attention. So is the dialogue, scene writing, and characters, giving the actors room to ply their trade - though at times the screenplay (or direction) just tries too hard to be dramatic, and the result is overbearing. A good example of this is the terse bits of conversation we get around the one-hour mark: 'Chosen survivors' grasps at some manner of profundity or hard-nosed commentary, but can't seem to entirely figure out what it wants to impart. There's certain thematic content on hand, but what exactly it is I can't quite say.
Ultimately this is pretty enjoyable, and enough about it is well done that it holds up better than it doesn't. Though its attempt at a message fails, thankfully the intent here isn't to preach but to entertain with a dramatic sci-fi tale flavored with horror. It's just that the flaws I see broadly boil down to too much unnecessary, emphatic layering of indulgence or excess; if the heightened turmoil within and among the characters were allowed to speak for itself, the picture would have benefited. 'Chosen survivors' has problems, and it doesn't come across as anything you need to go out of your way to see. All the same, if you come across it, there are worse movies you could watch, and it's a good time as it is.
The scenario is ripe for storytelling, be it horror or drama, psychological or character-driven, and there are marginal garnishes of these throughout - if not also predictable story threads. Other possible directions for the material are self-evident; that vampire bats are the core focus of the narrative is a choice that can only be met with "Sure, why not." The pacing is surprisingly brisk, darting about like bats in a feeding frenzy; either one is grateful for the tack, which will invariably mean the film is therefore shorter than it would be otherwise, or one is slightly taken aback at how brusque and arguably disordered the presentation is as a result. I rather enjoy Fred Karlin's original score, which sometimes seems a tad overly dramatic, but more so than not lends a tinge of tense atmosphere to the course of events.
The cast is sometimes forced into a corner by Sutton Roley's direction, or the writing of Harry Spalding and Joe Reb Moffly. Even so, the ensemble is given suitable opportunity to demonstrate their skills, and carry the picture with fine range and personality. Some recognizable names fill these roles, including Jackie Cooper, Alex Cord, and Diana Muldaur, and they and their co-stars, and I think they do a good job. The special effects are more of a mixed bag; tangible creations like blood or sparks are one matter, but the more grandiose post-production creations are far more questionable, not least at the climax, and seem dated even for 1974. We do also get some nice shot composition and use of lighting, though. Like the effects, the writing has its ups and downs. The overall plot is decent enough, and sufficiently engaging to hold one's attention. So is the dialogue, scene writing, and characters, giving the actors room to ply their trade - though at times the screenplay (or direction) just tries too hard to be dramatic, and the result is overbearing. A good example of this is the terse bits of conversation we get around the one-hour mark: 'Chosen survivors' grasps at some manner of profundity or hard-nosed commentary, but can't seem to entirely figure out what it wants to impart. There's certain thematic content on hand, but what exactly it is I can't quite say.
Ultimately this is pretty enjoyable, and enough about it is well done that it holds up better than it doesn't. Though its attempt at a message fails, thankfully the intent here isn't to preach but to entertain with a dramatic sci-fi tale flavored with horror. It's just that the flaws I see broadly boil down to too much unnecessary, emphatic layering of indulgence or excess; if the heightened turmoil within and among the characters were allowed to speak for itself, the picture would have benefited. 'Chosen survivors' has problems, and it doesn't come across as anything you need to go out of your way to see. All the same, if you come across it, there are worse movies you could watch, and it's a good time as it is.