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HABITAT  1997
Directed by Rene Daalder
Cast - Balthazar Getty, Alice Krige, Tcheky Karyo, Kathrine Trowell, Kenneth Welsh, Bruce Mackay

  Set in the not too distant future, this film depicts the world as having been ravaged by dangerous ultraviolet rays. The earth's ozone layer has diminished and plant life can no longer exist outdoors. It's also dangerous for humans to stay out during the day. A scientist (Karyo) moves into a new home with his wife (Krige) and son (Getty). He experiments with the evolution
of plant life and accidentally turns himself into free moving mass of of organic particles. This also turns the home into a wild looking tropical greenhouse, with all sorts of strange, new plant life. His wife gleefully accepts this change of environment. His son has enough problems of his own dealing with the new town and school. Sure enough, the government learns of this phenomena and sends in a team of silver suited pawns to check it out.

  HABITAT had the potential to be a very good schlock sci-fi film, but only manages to be a so-so effort. The film dwells far too deep and too long on teenage drama, which causes the movie to drag. Your typical boy meets girl but has to fight with bullies and her evil father plot is so lame and has been done too many times. On the positive side, there are some decent gore scenes near the film's end and there is a bit of nudity. Alice Krige has a topless scene (the highlight of the film for me) and her son's girlfriend skinny dips for our viewing pleasure. The film's special effects range from cheesy to passable, and rips off an idea from The Lawnmower Man. Overall this is an OK film, as the ending delivers some bloody moments worth seeing. Recommended viewing for fans of cheesy sci-fi flicks not expecting a great film.

-T. Luster