Color, NR (mature themes, mild language and violence, intense drama), 180 min., VHS rental, DVD $19.98
Street: Nov. 19, Prebook: Oct. 22
First Run: TV, May 1997
Cast: Luke Perry (Storm Trackers), Kim Cattrall (Crossroads), Rebecca Gayheart (Doppelganger), Christopher Orr (Shaft)
Director: Armand Mastroianni
ARTISAN
Story Line: After handling a strange rock of interstellar origin, college student Beau Stark (Perry), like thousands of others similarly exposed, develops peculiar symptoms suggesting viral infection. It soon becomes apparent that Earth is under invasion by an alien life form, and Beau joins a frenzied effort by scientists to find an antidote to the mutation-inducing virus.
Bottom Line: This 1997 miniseries, based on a story by Robin Cook and scripted by Farscape's Rockne S. O'Bannon, is slick, suspenseful, fast-moving--and patently ridiculous. However, its absurdity won't bother the legion of sci-fi fans who thrill to lengthy, intricate yarns involving alien conspiracies. There isn't a whole lot they haven't seen in other genre films and TV series, but familiar elements are manipulated shrewdly and the actors go through their paces with the proper sense of commitment and urgency. To many people, Cook's name alone is a draw, but in this case the stars will help too. Perry still has a coterie of fans from his Beverly Hills, 90210 days; Gayheart has a track record with genre devotees thanks to Urban Legend and Doppelganger; and Cattrall, of course, has acquired a huge following as a result of Sex and the City (on which she started working shortly after this miniseries was filmed). Expect brisk rental trade. --Ed Hulse