Crime Zone (USA-Peru, 1988) 92 min color DIR-PROD: Luis Llosa. SCR: Daryl Haney. MUSIC: Rick Conrad. DOP: Cusi Barrio. CAST: David Carradine, Peter Nelson, Sherilyn Fenn. (Concorde Pictures)
According to legend, Roger Corman flew down to Peru with the intention of shooting there for its locations (or more likely, cheap resources), called around to various production companies to ask who the country’s hot young director was… And the general consensus was Luis Llosa. Roger signed him on the spot, and was back on a plane to America within two hours of having arrived. (Although these days, Corman would’ve saved more money just by doing Skype calls.)
After directing Hour of the Assassin for Corman’s Concorde studio, Llosa followed up with this, one of the many pictures that Corman produced within the post-apocalyptic subgenre. Strangely enough, these movies were produced a few years too late, after this trend waned in popularity. This movie is interesting visually, for its grey hues and smoke-filled art deco straight out of Blade Runner, depicting a totalitarian future where crime has been wiped out of existence. Similarly, compassion has also been frowned upon. Young lovers Bone (Peter Nelson) and Helen (Sherilyn Fenn) are given a proposition by a mysterious man (David Carradine). If they rob a government building, they will get a ticket out of this oppressive city to a more utopian place. (Think Casablanca mixed with 1984.)
Sherilyn Fenn, who I usually like (and is perfectly suited for noir roles like these), is terrible here. David Carradine gives a very broad performance as the cigar-chomping Jason. Typical of his later Corman productions, the actor’s top-billed role is a glorified cameo. The film is more watchable for its look than its mundane dramatics, especially since the twist ending is too preposterous even for the reality it has created. Instead it is more interesting for its smoky cinematography and portrayal of an oppressive society with surveillance cameras everywhere.
Originally published in The Roger Corman Scrapbook, 2006.