Genres

Visitors Review

Paolo Macachor 2013-05-22 12:52:55

China? So has this gone international

What on earth were people complaining of the ending about? In the 3hour made for TV flick INTENSITY, the finale and some details of itdeviate from the novel but it doesn't mean it is absent of denouement.It has about the same sensitive and emotional resolve that the bookgives to its heroine Chyna Shepherd, portrayed perfectly by MollyParker. Based on reviews I would have thought that the movie would fadeto black pointlessly after the final confrontation. But gladly itdoesn't and it nicely pays off and brings to a close all the backstorythat is skillfully juxtapoused in between scenes of this thrillfulsuspenser.There are even some interesting new elements added such as that of thegood African American sheriff. And even the old lady. I cracked upduring their interaction and the sheriff says, "China? Has this becomeinternational already?"Perhaps they use it to fill the gap of more introspective scenes in thebook where mental soliloquy can't possibly be translated into cinematicform without being perverse. What makes this better than the common B-Movie thriller that we get aplethora of in Cinemax is the backstory involved of the movie'sheroine. Or should we call her super heroine. All of that laid downfrom the novel of Dean Koontz. Maybe I comment on this positivelybecause of my bias for the author who has given me so much awe andwonderment in fiction, but maybe I do because I am genuinely pleased bythe way this was slapped into celluloid.I also notice that the writers manage to slip in the little subliminalreference of why the villain is afraid of the stars or the shining sun.In the novel it was only in prose, but gladly in the film Chyna noticesit and sounds off much to the perturbance of the villain, somasterfully portrayed by John McGinley with furious gusto.I can only hope that the many beautiful pieces of literature from DeanKoontz can be adapted in motion picture form as decently as INTENSITY.I hear the same positiveness for SOLE SURVIVOR, which I also hope tobump into later on. Not particularly excited about THE HUSBAND, but asI write this I am anxious for next year's Sam Raimi produced THETAKING. I can only hope such infidelities and deviations that takeplace will be inconsequential, just as the liberties taken from thebook in INTENSITY are to me.5/5

suzparr 2013-05-21 22:17:45

Looking to buy copy of this movie

I wasnt smart enough to pop a tape in the VCR and tape this movie when itcame on,, oh no, I sat through it and kicked my butt for not doingso.If you like sit on the edge of your seat movies, then this one is for you.It took me a year to find just the name of this movie, since my memory isquite good but very short,,I asked everyone I know if they watched it,tapedit, or even heard of it.It was such a pleasure to find this site andactually see a write up on it. I have been searching every site possiblesince to find a copy of this movie, and have been very unlucky to date. Ifsomeone out there can tell me where to obtain one I would be ever sograteful.I went so far as to buy the book by Dean Koontz since I couldn't find themovie, and although it was very good it didn't have the same seat grippingimpact that the movie did. The movie left you feeling frantic, and wantingmore. And I want more, I want to be able to pop this one in the VCR, make abig bowl of popcorn and hang on.

2013-05-20 06:40:57

john mcginley gives acting masterclass

This is probably the best TV suspense/horror movie you'll ever see.John Mcginley who's always struck me as a very underrated but talentedcharacter actor plays a chilling cold hearted psychopath with suchaplomb it rivalled jack nicholson's performance in the Shining. The 3hours flew by and you just never knew what Mcginley's character woulddo next and if/how he would kill his next victim. Some people didn'tlike the plot holes that enabled Chyna (ably played by Molly Parker) toescape from Edgler's clutches but she was on a determined mission tosave the little girl and had the foresight in the end to outwit Edgler.Incidentally, McGinley was also excellent in another Dean Koontzadaptation "sole survivor" as a maniacal FBI agent. For me he's wastedon scrubs and should have more leading man roles.

MackRosmanNet 2013-05-19 08:27:06

Extraordinarily Intense...

This film may give assumption that it's a corny thriller but people thinkingthis would be easily mistaken!. This film is INTENSE!!!!. I know thrillersthat capture you for the most part of action scenes, but this film capturesyou throughout the entire ordeal. And it is an ordeal. Even the ordeals eachcharacter experiences... it's suspenseful, extremely thrilling, 110%capturing, and when it comes down to it... just INTENSE. It fit's it's nameto a T. Not ever have I seen a thriller that is a TV movie ever be so intense. Thisis a trillion times worse than your American Psycho... this murderer is amass slaughterer with the most insanity I've ever seen a human have in athriller film. You sometimes wonder if this person is human. A glazed insanegloom look inside the eyes of this murderer is enough to make your hairstick up off of your arm. John does a BRILLIANT job!.A brilliant thriller... check it out if you haven't already.

jeffljworth 2013-05-16 08:22:08

Good Review

Over the past couple of years, I've read Dean Koontz's books and havewanted to see the movies. This movie, was directed very well, to be asclose to the book as any movie I've ever seen. I especially like thecasting. I think that John C. McGinley played the part of thepsychopathiccop, Edgler Foreman Vess, very well. The way that he acts out the calm,yetintense scenes is absolutely breathtaking.I think that the title sums up the movie: Intensity is one of themostriveting, INTENSE movies ever made. I only wish that it would have been alarge movie production, because I believe that this is a good movie foraction and mystery lovers alike. Definitely worth watchingagain!

meatwad50 2013-05-15 16:17:18

Intensity - On DVD?

This movie was excellent, in my opinion. I am an avid reader of DeanKoontz and Stephen King novels and Intensity did a pretty good job offollowing the book. My only gripe about it is that I can't find it onDVD anywhere. I can't even find a videotape of it. I think that'sbecause it was a made-for-TV-movie. Still, there have been many othermade-for-TV-movies that have become available on DVD or video. Why notthis one? I got my wife to start reading Dean Koontz some time ago. Ipromised her that when she got done reading the book that we wouldwatch the movie. Unfortunately, I can't even find the movie ontelevision anymore. This movie shows a really good example of anaverage person (Chyna Sheperd) overcoming her own fears with courageand a desire to make things right. Edglar Vess is just plain creepy andtwisted!

BigJohnPilgrim 2013-05-13 06:58:04

Suspend your disbelief and ride a wave of Intensity

If you can suspend your disbelief at the unreal experiences andmiraculouslyclose escapes and repeatedly coincidental circumstances, you cannot relaxbecause this film takes you on a most intense ride that leaves you withknuckles bruised from gripping the edge of your seat. This film isnon-stop,heart-stopping close shave after close shave, and if you are on heartmedication, STAY AWAY FROM IT.John C. McGinley plays this part so perfectly he should be enshrined forit.Only Jack Nicholson plays a crazy man better. I stayed up late to watchthismovie to the end, and I am extremely disappointed that it cannot be boughtanywhere. If anyone knows where it can be purchased?

MarieGabrielle 2013-05-13 03:25:26

If you watch this on cable or DVD it is enjoyable

if it is edited for TV you will not get the full effect. Overall, thisis a suspenseful, believable book and story, and the movie succeedsbecause of John C.McGinley, and Molly Parker. McGinley is excellent asthe killer, and is also quite believable; he doesn't overplay thepart;and his mannerisms and expressions are always memorable; (I firstsaw him in "Wall Street", with Charlie Sheen,(1987) and he was quitefunny.I do see that several reviews from other countries were not asfavorable; since I am in America, you must realize that we are luckywhen a talented, non-box-office actor is given a decent role; Hollywoodusually miscasts the films, and uses someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger(yawn) Molly Parker's character, Chyna, has had a difficult past, whichwe glimpse through flashbacks. These scenarios give insight as to whyshe chooses to pursue the killer, and her bond with the child victim,Ariel.I will not divulge the ending, except to say this movie is definitelyworth buying the DVD, and also reading Dean Koontz' book.

The_Last_Outlaw 2013-05-09 00:38:45

So much better than Haute tension

Intensity(1997) Staring John C. McGinley as the killer and Molly Parkeras the terrorized girl. Haute tension(2003) and Intensity are bothbased on a Dean Koontz novel. It's basically the same story. Intensityis just so much better executed in every way. Better performancesall-around and much more suspenseful but with less gore. Better shotand without the stupid plot twist at the end that Haute tension had.John C. McGinley gives a truly frightening performance as the serialkiller. Great cameo by Piper Laurie.It's very, very good. One of the most suspenseful movies I've everseen. And it doesn't let you out of it's grip even once for more thanover it's 3 hour run. And it also being quite unknown for such aquality show makes it even more interesting and rewarding to watch.Almost better than all the great Stephen King mini series put together,and I'm a big, big fan of all the Stephen King miniseries. I think it'sthe realism of this movie that makes it so great and it's well drawncharacters. Haute tension's got noting on the edge of the seat tensionof Intensity. I probably would have liked Haute tension more if I hadnot seen this one first. Now Haute tension seems so very inferiorcompared to Intensity.I'm really confused by how such a great movie like Intensity hasmanaged to stay so under the radar of the horror community.As of now there's no DVD release for this one. Which is a big shamewhen it comes to such a masterclass example of a suspensefulhorror-thriller. This one really deserves the DVD treatment to give itsome much deserved glory. I want to see a fully loaded 2 disk set withSpecial Features like a director commentary, deleted scenes, behind thecamera documentaries and all that jazz.Until a DVD comes along, go out and find a VHS copy. You will find itmost rewarding.

Agent10 2013-05-08 14:35:44

A movie that lives up to its name

In the lush backdrop of this great TV film, John C. McGinley and Molly Parker put together two of the most interesting performances in recent TV history. Not only was this film intense and actually scary, the fact no punches were pulled was rather refreshing. I say, give us more films like Intensity and Vanishing Point and leave the Hallmark garbage for Lifetime. I especially applaud McGinley, who stole the show after relegating much of his career as a chameleon-like character actor. However, I did wish the film followed the book a little more closely, keeping in the spectrum of Shepherd and Vess' point of view rather than trying to get more backdrop into the story. If I eve find this film on DVD, its certainly one for the ol' collection.

Rumples-2 2013-05-08 21:08:41

Deserved much better

I probably watched this in the same network tv viewing as Craig, although Ithought more highly of the film.Couple comments - which may be coloured by the medium viewed.1) The movie was called 'Intensity' but whenever the moment got intense theybroke to an ad. My wife and I were so annoyed we complained to the station.Do not watch this movie on tv - I guess having it as a mini-series wouldhave been better but still annoying.2) Why introduce characters/scenes that were utterly irrelevant? The guycrawling out of the root cellar - just to disappear under a dog attack? Theblack cop that searches, only to end up dead and totally meaningless to theplot? Even the crazy old woman in the Chevy who called the cops was tackedon - notifying the cops ended up making no difference anyways??? The guy'scruelty was already well established. It's just like the wookie defense, itjust doesn't make sense.Lastly, 3)the flashbacks were annoying and stupid, and the whole white wolfimagery was too cliched and corny.Apart from this - although you might not think so - it was actually quite anenjoyable movie with good acting, chilling scenes, reasonable suspense in aninteresting plot and reasonable dialogue.My vote 7/10 and worth a watch.

MayhapsItWasGoodBackThen 2013-05-07 23:33:42

Great chilling entertainment! I'd read the book if I wasn't such a lazy person.

I just watched this mini TV-series a few days ago. A friend of minerecommended seeing it. So I did. And I wasn't disappointed.The story was pretty ok, but what really caught my eyes were the two maincharacters: Chyna (the heroine) and Mr. Vess (the bad guy). Chyna isinsecure but determined young woman who has been neglected as a child andthus she suffers from recurring nightmares and repeating flash backs fromher miserable past. Mr. Vess on the other hand comes from a good lovingfamily or so he states when Chyna tries to use inversed psychology with him(with no obvious luck) when she's being held captive at his house ofhorrors, aiming to save a missing girl named Ariel.Well coming from a good background or not, Vess is not the man you wannamess with. But what we also get to know very soon after seeing Mr. Vess for the firsttime in action, that he is in fact a genuine psychopath who likes to hunt notjust game but also people during his morbid little trips on the road withhis big bad VR in order to bring home some trophies to 'his' sweet Ariel.He's handy with his knife and careful with his life... But not enough thathis extremely sensitive senses and trained dogs will get him of the hookthis time. _Intense_ suspense. Thrilling moments guaranteed and even somemysticism. I especially liked Mr. Vess' performance. Particularly his facialexpressions and deep sighing and quiet murmuring when playing with hisknives added some chilling effects on the character.Now it's my time to recommend this great mini TV-series to all you peoplewho haven't seen it. It's based on Koontz novel, but I can't make anycomparisons with the book and the TV-series since I have never read any ofhis books. Maybe Iought to...

funkybiatch79 2013-05-02 08:43:24

A great film adaptation of a brilliant book

Sometimes when you read a book before seeing the movie the end resultcan be a disappointment... not so with "Intensity". This was a greatmovie that had all the characterisation of the book along with all theedge of your seat thrills and scares. I would definitely recommend thatanyone who enjoyed this film read the book as there are a few detailsthat obviously couldn't be translated to the screen. I read the bookwhen I was about 15 and thought it would make a great movie and I wasnot wrong. Molly Parker makes a great Chyna, playing her with just theright balance of angst and ballsiness. Tori Paul's Ariel is just as I'dimagined her and the young actress's ability to play her with aconstant look of absence could be described as somewhat haunting. Butit is John C. McGinley, as the sadistic Edgler Foreman Vess, who reallysteals the show. I can think of no other actor capable of playing thischaracter. The wonder of Edgler Vess is that at the same time as beingan absolutely disgusting monster of a man he is also written asdisarmingly charming. McGinley manages to play him perfectly. Foranyone who has ever seen McGinley in "Scrubs" they should try toimagine his Dr. Cox with a penchant for actually doing all the thingshe threatens to do. From the moment we first see him in the movie weunderstand that here is a man with no limits to what he will do just tofeel the intensity of the moment. It is not until a little further intothe movie that you realise that Vess is actually a fully functioningmember of the community who is actually quite adept at interacting withthe people he meets in a slick and charming manner (if he so chooses.)Overall this is an excellent screen adaptation of a brilliant book. Iwould recommend it to anyone who enjoys their thrillers with a slightlydisturbing edge. Watch and enjoy!

divamomrobins_nest 2013-05-01 22:52:22

Totally disagree with the other review!

I thought John C. McGinley was the worst part of this movie! Not surewho did this casting job, but it was horrible. I read the book beforewatching the movie, which always ruins the movie! Ha, ha. I picturedEdgler Vess as a strong, muscular, big, confident, even handsome andsomewhat charming man. He talks about fitting in to his life, notgiving away what he enjoys doing (killing). He's obviously crazy, buthe is very controlled. He does not appear outwardly crazy. McGinleycomes across as crazy in any environment! He is totally annoying. It'slike casting a mosquito in the role of a lion. It's not that I don'tlike McGinley, but this was not a role that fit him. I'm not a big DeanKoontz fan, but I really liked this book and was looking forward toseeing the movie but the movie did not do it justice! Skip the movie,read the book--you'll enjoy it more.

duerden60 2013-04-29 12:41:06

Why is this unavailable???

I saw 'Intensity'on TV. Of course it was cut to ribbons*.That is, ifthe IMDb run time of 186 minutes is correct.(*Why do they insist ondoing that?) It was still excellent. Molly Parker, one of the mostadventurous actresses working today, was terrific. John C. McGinleyusually an actor who does a fine job in a lesser part, was mesmerising.Suspense builds up all the way. I went out and got the book, great readthat made me realise what a good job the screenwriters had done. Wantedto buy the full length movie, according to IMDb it's unavailable!! Thisis a great movie, only made in 1997, so where is it? Somebody put theuncut version on DVD, PLEASE!!

MASTER71 2013-04-29 02:49:04

Journey into stupidity

The bad guy is written fairly well. The "heroine" is horrible. How manydumb mistakes can she make? So many that after a while you're cheering forthe bad guy because the heroine is so stupid. Don't bother watching.You'll be so frustrated and angry at the end that you'll demand from thewriters the lost 2 hours of your life back.

NewKYDwtnBoy 2013-04-25 09:29:04

Molly Parker Shines thru in this thriller!

This show is one of the few TV Mini-Series that I have yet to growtired of watching (since I first saw it aired on Fox in 1997). It isbeyond the typical slash & dash, "gore fest", but instead it centers onthe psychological redemption of an abused innocent who finally receivesher opportunity to fight back years later. Molly Parker was selected &courted for this role after her critically acclaimed role in "Kissed".It is her portrayal of the character Chyna Sheppard that makes thismovie above the other "TV Movie of the Week". She is absolutelyriveting in her performance, & whenever I am having a bad or perhapssad day/week...I just replay this movie & it reminds me that "you arenot alone". If you want a psychological thriller on the level ofSilence of the Lambs, this is one for you. It very closely follows theDean R. Koontz novel, with a slight twist at the end that helps keep itfresh for even those like myself who had read the book before seeingthe mini-series (as there was a twist with the screen version ofSilence of the Lambs that helped it remain "fresh" as the end neared).This TV mini-series has never been released on home video, but it issometimes replayed on "The Mystery Channel" if your cable networkcarries it. Tune in. You will never be disappointed or alone.

denny-32 2013-04-24 13:31:12

Worth Watching

I saw Intensity under the impression it was a feature movie on TV. Knowingnow it was a mini series it makes sense why it went for over three hours. Iwonder instead whether the version I saw was edited to any extent? Anyway,I thought this 'movie' to be exciting and suspenseful. The two leads werewell cast particularly John C. McGinley who was menacing. Basically it is astory of a deranged killer on the loose and by circumstance a young ladywith a traumatic past is caught in his web. Instead of escaping when shehas the chance, she puts her life on the line when confronted with the factthat there may be someone else with innocence at risk. I haven't read DeanKoontz's novel so I wonder how it compares to this movie. I have read manyothers and think he is a marvellous author. Needless to say there aresurprises along the way. All in all a worthwhile night in.

BUTCHER-5 2013-04-21 12:07:00

One of the greatest made-for-TV movies I have seen...

Usually I don't like TV movies,but this one is good.Some sequences liketwokillings in the gas station are quite intense and terrifying without beinggratuitously violent.The acting is reliable and the film's atmosphere iseerie.Surely this is the best adaptation of Dean Koontz's book I haveseen.The ending is one hell of a surprise.The film-makers should make moreadaptations of Koontz(however "Phantoms" by Joe Chappelle is completepieceof crap).The actor John C.McGinley as a killer rocks!

lhcoke 2013-04-21 07:09:12

Despite other users comments,I think the movie was great

It was a was an edge of the chair suspense that kept me glued to thescreen. mcginley was great, even if I may shy away from another movie hestars in because of the psycopath role he played in this movie. MollyParkerwas also great, it was the first time I have seend her, and I watch a lotoftv. I love anything thatDean Koontz writes because they are always exciting. They picked the rightperson to play the bad guy in this movie. I can't wait for another movieofDean Koontz. Of course I never like to see a good law officer get killedina movie, but you can't have everything. the dog scene was greatalso.