Subject: REVIEW: JOHNNY MNEMONIC

From: [email-masked] (Stephen Donaldson)
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 20:40:26 GMT

JOHNNY MNEMONIC
		       A film review by Stephen Donaldson
			Copyright 1995 Stephen Donaldson

Donny the Punk reviews “Johnny Mnemonic”

     I rarely get excited about a film, but Sarah and i saw the opening
of the new Hollywood $$$$film JOHNNY MNEMONIC in New York City today,
May 26.  For anyone into the Internet (i.e., anyone reading this) this
is a MUST SEE!  Its based on William Gibsons pioneering cyberpunk short
story, and Gibson also wrote the screenplay, so you have to call it a
faithful adaptation.

     It's the (mostly crusty/squatter type) punx of the year 2020, led
by Ice-T and former Black Flag singer Henry Rollins (as a brain surgeon
running an underground hospital), versus the pharmaceutical
corporations, who have kept secret a cure for a horrible disease which
has swept the planet, in order to keep making huge profits off a drug
that treats some of the symptoms but still allows the patient to die
after a while (sound familiar?), and their Yakuza Japanese Mafia goons
(well, it *is* a Sony film), all in the context of a totally wired
planet.  Most of it takes place in the Free City of Newark, NJ (but was
shot in Toronto), much of the rest takes place inside the Internet.  It
is very fast-paced, bloody (lots of severed body parts),
well-photographed and well-directed.  Not a dull moment, and I can't
wait to get it on video and watch it in slow motion.

     Keanu Reeves tries to avoid losing his head over the secret cure,
which has been electronically downloaded into his brain for storage as
a courier and delivery to Dr. Rollins.  The eponymous hero delivers his
lines deadface but in a voice which struck me as remarkably similar to
that of Emilio Estavez in REPO MAN.   His female bodyguard is a role
model for all riot grrrls.   Henry's acting is nothing to make an
Academy nomination with, but the legions of punk anti-Rollins fans may
enjoy seeing him get killed by a deranged cyborg Christian (Dolph
Lundgren, who made the most of a small part).

     Run, don't walk, to your nearest theater and see it now.

				Donny the Punk

PS--Tristar has a  Web site with info on this flick: http://www.sony.com

--
Stephen Donaldson
[email-masked]
http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/ellens/SPR/spr.html.