Premiere Date for Selby's Larva Postponed

[MsCriseyde]

All NBC/Universal networks will air a fundraising program for victims of the recent tsunami disaster on January 15. The premiere of Larva, starring David Selby as the evil Fletcher Odermatt, was originally scheduled on this date. It is now being postponed until January 22 at 9 pm ET.

[MsCriseyde]

Just a couple of tidbits about the film . . .

There is an R-rated cut scheduled to be released to DVD in April, and there's a blurb about that on my Selby site.

A little bit of a warning . . . I've heard from someone who's seen it that the film is quite gross, so, if your stomach turns easily, you may find yourself turning away from the screen. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Umm - the silence seems to be deafening. Not even one comment about Larva or how Selby was in it? That's not at all like the Selby fans around here.    So, I'm assuming one of two things: either you're all still on a Selby high and you haven't come down to earth yet, or the thing was so bad that you can't even bring yourselves to discuss it...

[MsCriseyde]

So, I'm assuming one of two things: either you're all still on a Selby high and you haven't come down to earth yet, or the thing was so bad that you can't even bring yourselves to discuss it...

The answer is A. 

SCI FI prides itself on basing these Saturday night films on B-horror-movie formulas, but this was interesting in that, as the villain, Selby's character was actually much more fully developed than Vincent Ventresca's, and Ventresca was supposed to be the hero. By the end of the film, you know much more about where he's coming from and what motivates him than you do with any of the other characters.

I'm actually keeping quiet and not posting any grabs until after they rebroadcast the movie on Thursday night. After that, they won't show it again until March.

[LdyAnne]

or the thing was so bad that you can't even bring yourselves to discuss it...

Not to disagree with  my friend MsCriseyde, but my answer is B. Although Selby was good in his roll the others couldn't act their way out of a brown sack! I am sure I will get slammed for this but on a whole it was "bloody" awfull.

LdyAnne

[Gerard]

With regards to the film, I agree with LdyAnne.  It was typical Sci-Fi movie-of-the-week fare, your run-of-the-mill predictable monster-on-the-loose stuff, with even the pyrotechnique climax the same old same old.  They always have to blow the monsters up, and the monsters always somehow all end up in some warehouse so they can be conveniently blown up.  But it was fun to see David Selby who did a great job.  For most of the film, I did other things while I had it on in the background, turning my attention to it only when he appeared on the small screen.

Gerard

[Midnite]

The answer is A. 

Ditto.  Also C) you can't offer a complete view of his portrayal without a major spoiler.  But waiting until the screen grabs are posted works for me. 

That being said, I can't say the movie was awful.  I typically avoid gory slasher flicks and monster-in-waiting sci fi, but if you're into either then I suppose "Larva" was more satisfying than most, and it definitely had its share of gross out moments.  The FX were good, and I can forgive continuity mistakes and plot holes more easily in a movie made for TV.  As already mentioned, it was formulaic and predictable, but it never pretended to be original-- in fact, it flaunted its nods (or ripoffs, if you prefer, or "homage scenes" to use the director's words) to other horror/sci fi/rampaging nature movies-- "Alien," "The Blob" to name just a couple.

I thought the acting was uneven:  Ventresca seemed to underplay his role, Rachel Hunter phoned in her performance, but William Forsythe and Selby were good.  Of course that's with all prejudice aside.  LOL, as if .  But seriously, we know Selby is much more than competent at playing a villain. 

Oh yes, and as for the subject matter, you have to admit it was timely since it's becoming harder and harder to remember a time when the cattle industry wasn't seen as the Big Bad.

[MsCriseyde]

I've posted some screen grabs from the movie on my David Selby site. If you haven't seen the film yet and plan to at some point, the grabs do give away the ending.

[spoiler]Oh my God! They killed Selby![/spoiler]

[Mysterious Benefactor]

[spoiler]Oh my God! They killed Selby![/spoiler]

But don't they always [spoiler]kill off the bad guys in these things?[/spoiler]That was to be expected - particularly when the movie was supposedly a throwback to the '70s B-movie horror genre. 

[MsCriseyde]

That was to be expected - particularly when the movie was supposedly a throwback to the '70s B-movie horror genre. 

Well, yeah, but I saw the opportunity for a lame reference to South Park. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Aah! [spoiler]Selby=Kenny[/spoiler]How foolish of me not to get that. 

[onyx_treasure]

      Thanks for posting the screen grabs on your site, MsCriseyde.  I was too squeamish to watch the movie after I saw the commercial.  Eeeeewww

[Patti Feinberg]

Just like to state publicly, MsCriseyde should get $$$$ for posting about "Larva".

So, I hit the guide part of the TV on Sat. night, I see Larva listed. Now, under normal circumstances, I would NEVER turn on Sci-Fi ever (save for the rare occassions when they show Star Trek or Twilight Zone); specifically if I saw a movie titled "Larva".

But, thanks to our cousin, I did in fact watch Larva for a few minutes.


First thought (and this is the scene where the vet is at a town-hall type meeting):

Oh no, David Selby can't be a 'bad-guy'....hello!!! Duh!!! Quentin was a creep....the orig. ghost was definitely a creep!!

Watching on two separate occassions, I personally felt "Quentin kept aging and had moved to the southwest". His braggado, his haughtiness, spoiled brat was on target....and it reminded me of Quentin!!!

I've never seen Falcon Crest, but from what I've heard, DS was on target there too.

Thanks MsCriseyde!!!!

Love,

Patti

[MsCriseyde]

Just like to state publicly, MsCriseyde should get $$$$ for posting about "Larva".

Ok. When can I expect a check? 

Seriously, though, it's nice to see Selby in a role that's not simply defined by being someone's rich daddy, which is what a lot of his post-FC film roles have been. Fletcher Odermatt was another example of Selby doing what he seems to get a kick out of with villains -- making them undeniably bad guys that are also capable of a certain degree of tenderness. You see that in Quentin and even more so in Richard Channing, particularly during the final seasons of FC.

I'm not particularly into this genre of film, mainly because it is so very predictable and so very gross, but I think the film accomplished what it set out to do, and it was a far sight better than the last made-for-tv movie I watched which, unfortunately, was 3 on ESPN. 

[Patti Feinberg]

Who here watched "Larva"?

I wonder why DS is frequently cast as a 'bad guy'?

(I know Annie...you want him to be bad with/to you....)

Patti