I Watch 'Em So You Don't Have To

Contrasting And Comparing
(How can actors in such good movies make such bad ones?)


Edward Furlong

There are times when you see good movies and later see the actor/actress you really liked starting to appear in real stinkers that make you flinch and wonder what the hell happened. Edward is one of those puzzles.







At the tender age of 14 in 1991 we watched him as John Conner, son of Sarah Conner in Terminator 2 Judgement Day (have you seen this boy?). He played off of the emotionless machine that was Arnold Schwarzenegger (and still is Arnold - perfect role for him) like a pro and made the movie very watchable for a sequel.


He certainly had the potential for great things. And he did some great stuff, such as Pet Semetery 2 (again I usually dislike sequels but this one wasn't too bad) and an oldie but a goodie, Brainscan.




Brainscan (1994) 


This was a particular old favorite of mine. Probably hokey by today's gamer standards, the story of the poor neglected son of a rich business man who has the whole attic to himself and every electronic device you could ever want made you feel bad for him and envy him at the same time. If I had that kind of set up when I was growing up, who would need anyone else anyway? Okay, I admit, this film's version of a bad childhood was something I envied and wanted like crazy.


The premise of Brainscan was excellent although now dated: Michael Brower (Edward), having played every video game ever made at that time is bored, neglected and lonely. He hears a recommendation of a terrific new interactive video game called Brainscan that's supposed to be so incredible, it is in test mode only. The game uses a type of hypnosis to bring the player into the game, making it just that much more real.


Michael is skeptical but up to trying anything. The game delivers wonderfully, and he finds himself actually feeling he is part of the game, which ends in the committing of a brutal murder. He 'comes to', exhilarated and liking the game - until the next day when he finds that the murder happened for real. And he is the killer.


Attempting to stop playing doesn't work: Instead when he tries a colorful and wonderfully comic character called The Trixter (played with hilarious although supposedly scary intensity by T. Ryder Smith) emerges from his TV, informing him the game is far from over. There are witnesses, evidence, that must be eliminated before the game is over. Michael tries to get away from Trixter but, being after all an electronic madman, he appears everywhere.


As the murders pile up it draws the attention of a detective (a puzzling appearance by Frank Langella of all people) that slowly gravitates toward him. The harder he tries to get out of the game, the more people die, including his best friend Kyle. When finally he is forced to stalk and murder the girl of his dreams, Kimberly, he breaks free of the Trixter's influence. The Trixter then opens the door and there is Frank Langella, who shoots him dead.


He then wakes up - overjoyed to find that the whole experience had been, indeed, a game in his head (Here I usually get furious with a movie, I hate the 'oh you watched the movie but it really didn't happen' scenario but this one is really good). As an act of revenge against a principal who gave him grief, he passes on the 'game' to him and encourages him to play it - to the joy of The Trixter who makes a final appearance as if to tell him 'good job' - and leaves smiling.


The Trixter was one of the more creative and colorful 'monsters' of the 90's. Tall, thin in cool clothes, long mohawk type hair, makeup, a ring in his nose (very punk then, now found on most Wal Mart employees today) and long fingers with very long nails. And a wicked sense of humor. My favorite is during his first appearance he goes through Michael's CD collection, throwing them everywhere finally asking 'Don't you have anything good?' He then produces a CD and starts to play a kicking song by Primus off their album Pork Soda called "Welcome To This World", proceeds to howl and jam out to the coolness (yeah, I love Primus). 


Okay, I loved the movie. What has Edward done since then? Well, to be fair, it seems that most child actors seem to have an extremely tough time adjusting to growing up. And choosing good scripts. Or maybe it's that the good scripts aren't there anymore. Which results in movies like:




Cruel World (2005)


Oof, what a stinker. Calling this movie a 'cult classic' was both premature and presumptuous. A sad and a little bloated looking Edward plays Phillip Markham who somehow (this is fiction after all) got onto a reality show similar to 'The Bachelor' and lost. Already unbalanced, he goes psycho and kills the woman he supposedly really loves and her husband in the house the show was filmed in, having been given to the winning couple. They have, of course, not removed the cameras or monitoring room which sets up the movie. Phillip then sends out 'audition invites' on his own, tricking a group of young people eager to be on TV. He then proceeds to come up with different types of tortures, and the losers, instead of going home, are actually carted off and killed (actually to be truthful this doesn't sound like too bad of an idea to me, but then I hate reality TV). One girl eventually 'wins' by living and escaping, only to have Phillip showing up like a year later, obviously not done with her yet.


Point is, Edward did NOT look like he enjoyed making this movie. I don't think anyone would to be truthful. He looked tired, sad, and uninterested.


Now it's true that as I've said like most child stars he's had a really hard time of it (drug use, alcoholism, spousal abuse and failure to pay child support) so I feel for him, I really do. I hope he cleans up, trims up, and starts being the Edward we enjoyed again - hey, if Charlie Sheen can screw his life up so badly and still have millions panting after him, anything is possible.