Chosen Survivors Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Chosen Survivors Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 28, 2016

The 1970s was a gold mine for sci-fi/horror hybrids that played into the darkening sky ambiance of a nation experiencing a never-ending war and political deception. Paranoia was mixed with doomsday, permitting filmmakers to address world ills on a grand scale, delivering warning signs while still playing into genre demands for suspense and terror. “Chosen Survivors” is a prime example of apocalyptic concern, but instead of depicting the end of the world above ground, it plunges 1000 feet below, taking inspiration from other claustrophobic chillers. Director Sutton Roley and screenwriters H.B. Cross and Joe Reb Moffly have a terrific idea here, putting human behavior under the microscope as strangers are forced to rely on one another, building a new dawn as the world outside burns to the ground. And yet, “Chosen Survivors” doesn’t end up a psychological study. It’s a bat attack movie, setting aside provocative ideas on the status of humanity to focus on the wrath of flying mammals wiggling their way through tight spaces on the hunt for human blood.

Sedated and stuffed into a helicopter, a group of strangers have been brought to the middle of the desert for a special purpose, soon granted entrance into a mountainside installation and locked into an elevator. For Raymond (Jackie Cooper), Kristin (Cristina Moreno), Steven (Alex Cord), Peter (Bradford Dillman), Alana (Diana Muldaur), Luis (Pedro Armendariz Jr.), Wood (Lincoln Kilpatrick), Carrie (Gwenn Mitchell), and Lenore (Barbara Babcock), the mission is unclear, introduced to a shiny compound dedicated to their safety for the next five years. Learning of a nuclear attack that’s decimated Earth, the strangers are tasked with cohabitation, with each of them selected for preservation due to special interests and education, offered rooms and supplies, while Major Gordon (Richard Jaeckel) is also sealed in to provide repairs and some illumination when it comes to scientific intent. Confused and afraid, the inhabitants make an effort to grow accustomed to their new reality, but peace is soon shattered by an infestation of vampire bats from a nearby cave, who slip into the compound and terrorize the humans, putting everyone on edge, feeding pressure as tempers rise and escape attempts are considered.

“Chosen Survivors” opens so strongly, it initially seems like nothing would be able to trip up the screenplay, which commences with the hazy particulars of helicopter transportation to the desert installation. The chosen few are sedated into a stupor, staggering their way into the mountain, dumped into an elevator without any instructions to help them navigate their new reality. It’s a dialogue-free opener that establishes tension and interesting confusion, following the strangers as they’re gifted a new home in the middle of nowhere, sent deep into the Earth. Once inside, premiere set design takes over, showcasing a spotless, metallic home for the selected, who are promised 18,000 square feet to enjoy as they settle into their new surroundings, offered a gym, private rooms, and additional areas to keep busy. There’s also a master control station with screens that project recorded instructions from a government agent, informing the gang why they’ve been selected and what to do with their time. The set-up for “Chosen Survivors” eats up the entire first act, and it’s a gripping study of individual response to the prospect of losing everything at once, with some retreating to sorrow, while Raymond immediately wants out, wasting little time revealing his limited patience with adversity.

The screenplay doesn’t do the best job with personality definition, taking on a few too many characters as the plot develops. While everyone receives a chance to participate, “Chosen Survivors” is mostly interested in Raymond, an older man who may be an alcoholic and a racist, introducing ugliness into the compound as he makes his anger known to all. It’s a little odd to focus on just one participant’s increasing volatility, but an opposite reaction is offered by Steven, an artist who goes philosophical about the containment, practically strumming an acoustic guitar as he shares his thoughts on this new beginning for humanity. Performances aren’t problematic, but depth isn’t shared by all, including the female characters, who are basically reduced to shrill hysterics and sexual objects, including Lenore, who’s hunted by Raymond as he lustfully inches his way to her, eventually giving into his desires when he tries to rape her. The scene is ridiculous, and worse, does nothing to explore the mindset of those chained together in isolation. If this is the script’s take on Stockholm Syndrome, than such subtlety is lost in translation.

There’s plenty of ground to cover just with the strangers, observing how they work together and inhabit the same space without killing once another. There are post-apocalyptic nightmares to discover and survivor’s guilt to manage, and with Major Gordon around, the potential for paranoia is there for the taking, adding a man who knows something into a group that’s paralyzed by confusion. However, “Chosen Survivors” becomes an Animals Attack movie as soon as the characters settle into their new lives, with bats making their grand debut after the slaughter of pet birds in a cage, leaving behind a bloody mess of feathers and corpses. There’s no mystery about the bats -- they live next door, gaining entrance into the compound through cracks around fixtures and vents, eventually escalating their presence after getting a taste for human blood. The actual bat menace isn’t the worst idea around, but “Chosen Survivors” tends to table everything compelling about the story to address the threat, transforming into routine horror experience, watching the bats swarm their targets. What doesn’t help the film are awful special effects, with Roley laboring to summon chaos without the right visuals, popping the feature’s fantasy every time the winged menace gets riled up.

Chosen Survivors Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation showcases its age throughout, though the feature is intentionally shot softly to emphasize the strangeness of the situation (whites are bloomy). Detail isn't encouraging, lacking stronger texture when encountering a varied cast and numerous creatures. Colors lack oomph, but hues are communicated, finding most life through costuming and the metallic interior of the compound. Delineation is adequate. Source isn't problematic, displaying some minor wear and tear during the viewing experience.

Chosen Survivors Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is simplistic, focusing on dialogue exchanges, which sound secure and retain intelligibility, even when encountering more robotic, echoed voices. Scoring isn't defined to satisfaction, but it handles well enough, offering decent instrumentation and power. Atmospherics are acceptable, handling the emptiness of the compound and the squeaking swarm of bats.

Chosen Survivors Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Richard Harland Smith.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:06, SD) is included.

Chosen Survivors Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The effort attempts to regain control over suspicion with a third act turn of events, expanding situational awareness to more than just Major Gordon. The bats remain an issue, but "Chosen Survivors" becomes a jailbreak movie in a way, concentrating on panicked ways out of the compound, which isn't nearly as beguiling as introductions. The feature becomes something different once again, and while variety shouldn't be shamed, "Chosen Survivors" doesn't make the strongest creative decisions as it unfolds, losing effectiveness the more it fiddles with expectations, which rarely inspires a righteous level of surprise.