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26 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
Waste of film, 20 May 2008
1/10
Author: leisa_lingo from Canada

Completely absurd. Acting is terrible. The black goo wasn't very menacing. No explanation of where it came from. If it was intelligent, how come it couldn't sense that no one was intentionally trying to harm it? Hallucinations? Terrible concept! Completely lacking in tension, and interest. One of the worst I've ever seen. Thank goodness I caught it on TV and didn't pay to see this garbage. Kevin Sorbo should be ashamed of himself. I know a person needs to work to live, but he should have passed on this turkey and gotten a part time job pumping gas instead. It is a testament to today's state of film making, that proves that anyone anywhere can make a movie and have it released. Shame!

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Would've been fine with an imposing monster, 14 November 2007
Author: slayrrr666 (slayrrr666@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles, Ca

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"Something Beneath" is a rather decent creature feature if only the creature would've been better.

**SPOILERS**

Arriving at a new hotel, Father Douglas Middleton, (Kevin Sorbo) soon meets with Khali Spence, (Natalie Brown) Aimee, (Paige Bannister) and Symes, (Gordon Tanner) and they prepare for an upcoming seminar. Beset by a series of problems, they look into the events and find a strange black goo and are at a loss for how to deal with it. When several of the guests and staff start turning up dead, they debate over whether to reveal the information or not. When it's revealed that the goo is responsible for all the deaths, and can turn victim's fears against them, they all try to get the remaining guests out of the hotel before the goo gets to them all.

The Good News: This one here is a really decent film overall. The fact that this here has a rather unique creature is a rather strong plus. This amorphous blob that travels along sewer paths that will kill based on hallucinations derived from the darkest fears is really nice and displays an interesting gimmick that allows for some great fun. There is some rather nice ones, including the completely unnerving and really creepy bathroom hallucinations. That one is the highlight due to it's original idea and creative tactics that are really creepy and becomes a little frightening as well. The assault in the basement becomes ultra-creepy once the dog becomes involved, but that merely ups the action as before it is completely suspenseful. The evacuation of the hotel and everything that results from it are really fun, where there's everything from the lengthy suspenseful stalking scene in the sewer systems to a major action scene inside the compound to the race to get out, this is full of fantastic moments that really work wonders for the film. These moments are full of spectacle and full-on fun from start to finish, and these here are easily the film's best moments. The only other part that works is the film's setting. This has a really believable area of setting this in an unknown area out in the middle of nowhere, in a potential fearful location in a secluded area. These here are the film's good points.

The Bad News: This one here doesn't have a whole lot of flaws, and those are all based around the film's titular creature. This is one of the most non-threatening creatures around, and it in no way should inspire fear. Barely touching it starts a hallucination that will kill a person by their greatest fear, but that isn't done by having the creature lay a physical hand on the victim, and they still can be saved even after touching the creature physically. That the creature has to lure victims down into the basement, despite a size given in the film to be of considerable mass, since it can't really move but expand outward as it's rooted in a particular spot, makes this yet another strike against the creature. That is it's biggest strike, and with all these here against the creature in it. Had this been fixed into a more threatening creature, the film would've been a whole lot better.

The Final Verdict: With a lot more threatening creature in this, it would've been a lot better even though it's still a really entertaining film as is. This is basically there for those interested in seeing another Sci-Fi Channel film or think it sounds interesting, while those who aren't into either won't find a whole lot with this one.

Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
* * out of 4, 24 December 2007
Author: Bleeding-Skull from Review Land

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Arriving at a new hotel, Father Douglas Middleton, (Kevin Sorbo) soon meets with Khali Spence, (Natalie Brown) Aimee, (Paige Bannister) and Symes, (Gordon Tanner) and they prepare for an upcoming seminar. Beset by a series of problems, they look into the events and find a strange black goo and are at a loss for how to deal with it. When several of the guests and staff start turning up dead, they debate over whether to reveal the information or not. When it's revealed that the goo is responsible for all the deaths, and can turn victim's fears against them, they all try to get the remaining guests out of the hotel before the goo gets to them all.

With a lot more threatening creature in this, it would've been a lot better even though it's still a really entertaining film as is. This is basically there for those interested in seeing another Sci-Fi Channel film or think it sounds interesting, while those who aren't into either won't find a whole lot with this one.

Rated R for Extreme Graphic Violence and Profanity.

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Not your typical scary movie!, 18 October 2007
5/10
Author: renee0521 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This wasn't the scary movie that I thought it would be,although the gooey effects weren't all that bad.Character-wise,Kevin Sorbo's Father Doug just didn't seem to fit in with the storyline,in my opinion.Of course it didn't help that he wasn't in that many scenes. I did like his interaction with the lady,particularly after she found out that he wasn't"that kind"of priest.To me,their chemistry is what kept my attention-nothing else in the movie did! While I didn't think the character fit in,I did like Father Doug-he was rather charming for a priest. The ending,while nice,was too predictable. I would only recommend this if you are a big fan of Kevin Sorbo.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Not as bad as it could have been, 28 September 2008
7/10
Author: stumpmee77 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Other than the laughable monster finally revealed at the end (the goo it spat was more menacing) and the irksome character Mikaela-- so obvious Paris Hilton rip-off or was this character a satire? Either way she was worse than the monster or its parts to look at.

I put this next to Chupacabra (sp) Terror in my liking it. I've seen far worse Sci-Fi movies and it didn't try all that much to pass it self as based on true science.

A former Episcopalian, I like the way the script handled the priest. I was ready to hit the channel surfing if I saw one sex scene between him and the love interest. Refreshingly, I saw no stupid sex scene anywhere in this flick and the people looked rather normal.

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Something Beneath, 5 September 2009
3/10
Author: Scarecrow-88 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

A bubbling crude is unearthed as a developer excavates the ground where it lives for a sewer system with designs on creating a city. Currently a hotel resides where the sewer was created and this icky sentient life form begins spreading it's goo to people within it, once it touches the skin, it enters the blood stream causing the victims to hallucinate, psychologically preying on their worst fears, often resulting in death.

This creature feature has an ecological message behind it as our hero is a Episcipaleon nature loving priest(..an "environmental crusader"), played by Kevin Sorbo, attending an environmental conference at the hotel where the killer goo is moving through the pipes, causing people to lose their marbles, seeing mostly dead people(..people whom they harmed or feared in the past). Natalie Brown is Kaley Spence, the hotel administrator whose grandmother was an Ojibway(..appropriately a proud people whose spiritual believes are naturalistic regarding treatment of the earth and nature)and she wears an emblem around her neck symbolizing their beliefs. She will join forces with Sorbo's Father Douglas in their mission to uncover what it wants and how to stop it. Peter MacNeill is a "rent-a-cop", as Deadmarsh, with a checkered past(..he also has a history with Douglas) who operates security for the hotel. Brendan Beiser is kooky scientist(..and nature freak), Dr. Connoly, who is obsessed with the new life form, wishing to stop the plans behind further disturbing the creature's home, through the building of a new city where it resides.

The message the filmmakers wish to convey comes off rather silly considering how the creature looks and how it's able to strike back at humankind for it's greed and avarice. The cast, to their credit, give it everything they have, straight-faced and convincing, under the circumstances of the wonky premise. I like Sorbo, believing he has the looks, build, character, personality, and charisma(..I was particularly fond of his Hercules series as a teenager)as a bona-fide heroic lead, but he seems to wind up in crap like this all the time..he deserves better, I believe. He's been successful on sci-fi / fantasy television series, but in junk like this, even Sorbo has a tough time rising above the excremental material. I thought the lovely Brown was also quite good, but she's saddled with the "agnostic who comes to accept her heritage" role, once the the goo-monster threatens her life at the end. Whenever the black goo is about to appear, the filmmakers establish it's presence through the rattling sound of the cicadas. I found the idea that this goo could just land on the skin and immediately cause those it contacts to hallucinate rather hard to swallow. Of course, the evil land developer, with his goals for progress, by causing the land he chooses to disrupt(..with harm to animals such as squirrels and field mice)possible harm, MUST be punished. I guess the eco-nuts might enjoy this hogwash.

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Anyone else see how much this is Lovecraftian?, 3 September 2009
7/10
Author: sknt from United States

What surprises me is not a single mention of all the HP Lovecraft influences from the plot to the name, to the sets. All of it is pure Lovecraft in its theme, setting, events, building horror, all of it is pure Lovecraft in writing and execution. It doesn't need referrals to great old ones or anything else but the way it was crafted and executed is pure lovecraftian horror. I am very surprised no one else has mentioned. If it has been its not easily found. The slime monster is reminiscent of the classic slime monster movies in the past including several black and white monsters. X-the Unknown mainly and to less extent The Blob. The title is classic to the style of ambient suggestive horror. The movie many not have been the best for many reasons but it was good if one likes suspense implied horror rather then graphic bloody.

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Anyone else see how much this is Lovecraftian?, 3 September 2009
7/10
Author: sknt from United States

What surprises me is not a single mention of all the HP Lovecraft influences from the plot to the name, to the sets. All of it is pure Lovecraft in its theme, setting, events, building horror, all of it is pure Lovecraft in writing and execution. It doesn't need referrals to great old ones or anything else but the way it was crafted and executed is pure lovecraftian horror. I am very surprised no one else has mentioned. If it has been its not easily found. The slime monster is reminiscent of the classic slime monster movies in the past including several black and white monsters. X-the Unknown mainly and to less extent The Blob. The title is classic to the style of ambient suggestive horror. The movie many not have been the best for many reasons but it was good if one likes suspense implied horror rather then graphic bloody.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Something Beneath all right but it isn't entertaining or scary., 7 October 2008
Author: Prolox from Canada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

KEVIN SORBO plays a priest whom with a small band of people, must fight off a black goop that causes people to die based on their greatest fear, but where did it come from & can it be destroyed? More importantly will we ever see a good horror movie again? SOMETHING BENEATH looks to be a pretty decent B movie from the box art, however after the film is finished, viewers looking to be entertained will be disappointed to learn that SOMETHING BENEATH won't be it. While the film is well acted & directed, it's burdened by many boring scenes where people just talk & talk & talk without anything remotely interesting, scary or suspenseful happening & the slimy goo that could have made for a terrifying threat, instead invokes yawns rather than chills. A mediocre made for TV movie & not a very good one at that. I advise you skip it & seek your thrills elsewhere.

** stars

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1 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Poor sci-fi horror thriller with one of the worst endings ever., 27 January 2009
3/10
Author: Paul Andrews (poolandrews@hotmail.com) from UK

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Something Beneath is set at ecological conference at a newly built out of the way resort, ecological crusader Father Douglas Middleton (Kevin Sorbo) is organising the event & has some guy named Eugene (Rob McLaughlin) as his keynote speaker. Unfortunately Eugene turns up dead before he gets to make his speech, the death is put down to an asthma attack by a worried resort manager who wants to keep any bad publicity to a minimum. Then soon after 'it' girl Mikaela Strovsky (Brittany Scoobie) turns up with her wrist's slashed, coincidence or are the two seemingly unrelated death's connected & just what is that black slime that seems to be oozing from everywhere? Father Middleton & resort events organiser Khali Spence (Natalie Brown) try to get to the bottom of the mystery...

This Canadian production is yet another Sci-Fi Channel original but this time instead of killer mutant snakes or ants or fish or dinosaurs or aliens we get some black slime monster, directed by David Winning I thought Something Beneath tried to do something a bit different with the 'Creature Feature' blueprint but comes off just as bad as any giant animal/insect/monster/alien/resurrected dinosaur film made by the Sci-Fi Channel you care to mention. Along with the standard clichéd 'Creature Feature' angle the script has an annoyingly simplistic pro-environmental message to it that has all the subtlety of a sledge hammer, we are told in no uncertain terms that the environment must be protected & big business is the real evil monster. Yeah, yeah, seen it & heard it all before in dozens of other much better films. Something Beneath also has one of the worst endings I have ever seen, our hero Father Middleton & the token female love interest Khali (I told you it was clichéd) are stuck in an abandoned silo with the huge slime monster at the bottom & Khali hanging off a broken bridge in mortal danger. So what happens, so what do the makers decide to do to round the film off from this point? That's right they have Khali hold her homemade necklace thing, say a few words in her native language as a prayer & the slime monster then just leaves her alone & goes away. The makers of Something Beneath have the huge slime monster defeated by a woman's faith & a few words. Lame. In fact it's one of the laziest, most random & moronic endings I've ever seen in a film & doesn't stay in keeping with the rest of the film anyway since there's not been any supernatural elements to that point. The pace is poor, there are a few plot-holes like why does it take hours for Deadmarsh to be affected by the hallucinations when earlier both Eugene & Mikaela had hallucinations almost immediately?

When you get this slime on you it gets into your bloodstream & produces hallucinations revolving around your worst fears that result in your death, the idea is quite good but nothing is done with it & people have very cheap looking hallucinations like seeing things in mirrors or being chased by a dog. Dull & lacking in imagination considering the possibilities were endless. There's a really bad moment at the start when a construction worker has a bulldozer heading towards him & instead of running or simply moving to the left or right he starts to stumble backwards to try & make the scene look more menacing & to try & make it look as if he is in danger but it ends up just looking ridiculous. I am not sure if the version I saw on telly was cut or not but there's no gore & there did seem to be various awkward edits & jumpy looking scenes. The CGI slime monster at the end doesn't look too bad but it isn't great or anything, just maybe slightly better than I expected.

Shot in Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada this has the usual average production values most of these Sci-Fi Channel monster films do, to be honest you will have totally forgotten about it within five minutes of it finishing. Kevin Sorbo is as big a name actor as the makers could afford which says everything.

Something Beneath could have been something a little bit different with it's unusual monster but in the end it still feels exactly the same as dozens of other 'Creature Features' & doesn't try to distinguish itself that much. More generic, lazy, by-the-numbers 'Creature Feature' rubbish that is instantly forgettable.

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