|
|
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780783218847
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
ISBN: 0783218842
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Publisher: Universal Studios
Release Date: March 31, 1998
Running Time: 94 minutes
Sales Rank: 19180
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: August 30, 1996
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
In David Koepp's ambivalent tale of middle-class terror, modern society is already set just below the boiling point. When a massive, unexplained blackout strikes married couple Kyle MacLachlan and Elizabeth Shue's region, their already tense suburban lifestyle threatens to pitch over. Old friend Joe (Dermot Mulroney) adds some obligatory class and marital strain into the mix, but together the three debate what to do as their society is rumored to be collapsing (all phones and broadcasting are also shot). Making an end run for the in-laws' house 500 miles away, they come across several confrontations that compromise their values and test their survival instincts. Unfortunately, there are no fresh critiques of humanity's latent turpitude that lurks close to the surface, and the film's pacing is rather staid. --Alan E. Rapp
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - short, sweet and to the point
It's not overly complex and it's not profound, but the actors are good in their roles, the movie has a nice pace and interesting scenes, plus Shue it hot in this film. It's a great weekend afternoon flick on a dreary, lazy day. The only other movie I'd compare it to is Judgment Night, due to the overall feel of isolation and desperation.
Rating:  - Well worth the rental / purchase price!
I've always kept the "The Trigger Effect" in the back of my memory after watching it on TV years ago, so when I was talking to my friend about the "breaking point" when people stop behaving in a civilized manner and become basically selfish savages, i told her about this movie and decided to purchase it; and needless to say, I wasn't dissapointed.
Despite the high quality cinematography and acting, this movie is not for everyone, specially for all those who are looking for cheap thrills ... Read More
Rating: - Pretty good
When a power failure sends their suburban town into chaos, Matthew (Kyle MacLachlan) and his wife (Elisabeth Shue) stoop to desperate measures to secure medication for their child. On the second day of the blackout, as the town descends into violence and looting, Matthew's rugged friend Joe (Dermot Mulroney) shows up, and tensions heighten. To escape the increasingly violent situation, the foursome hits the road ... but their troubles continue
Rating:  - Horribly written stinker
One of the stupidest, badly-written dramatic movies I have ever encountered. They took an intriguing premise--what would happen if the thin veneer of civilized society is peeled away in a massive and long-lasting power outtage--and ruined it in distracting subplots about adultery and individual racial strife. Hey, people commit adultery all the time; however, people do not loot all the time. So which is the more interesting? I say the latter. This movie did not. It obsesses over the adultery and seldom ... Read More
Rating:  - Doesn't explore the trigger concept to its full extent
Maybe I am on the wrong wavelength here but the film reminded me somewhat of Pay it Forward, i.e. the way people treat each other can have a profound influence on the world around us. Without giving too much away of the plot of The Trigger Effect it seemed to suggest that while everyone was treating each other badly (from a minor insult, to racial prejudice, to shooting someone dead) the entire world ended up on the path to destruction. But as soon as someone did something good, the trigger effect takes ... Read More
|
|
