Old Stuff
The Relic (1997)
Directed by Luis Losa
Catty Penelope Ann Miller stars in yet another bug-hunter to come out in recent years. She and scientist/museum-co-worker, Chi Muoi Lo, hiss at each other and almost end up rolling on the floor pulling each other's hair. I can't recall a more racist depiction of a devious "China-man" since the yellow/red scare flicks of the sixties. The only thing missing is a coolie hat on this dude. The movie also features the standard basement that is bigger and more creepy than the catacombs of Paris. To be honest, I don't remember the pseudo-scientific/supernatural explanantion for the creature that is running around the museum's fund raiser and sucking out the brains of socialites (a lite snack). Not quite as entertainingly awful as "Anaconda" but worth a laugh or two if you're in the mood. -- Rating: $3.00
Tom Graney -- copyright Hollywood Outsider 1997