The Me Generation lost their identities to an army of faceless slashers and the subconcious guilt of the '80s gave us A Nightmare on Elm Street . Snider has tapped into what's scary in the late '90s, writing and producing a cautionary tale of the vulnerability of the modern world. The kids of today are smarter and more sophisticated than they've ever been, and enjoy greater freedom, but that freedom makes them more accessable to the world's dangers. To get his daughter back alive, Gage has to fight through his personal anguish and learn to use some new tools. So far this may sound like a particularly strong, R-rated episode of Millenium , and there were times when I feared the show would sink into familiar horror territory, but Snider's story continued to surprise me with fresh twists.
Most horror films end with the capture or apparent death of the monster.
Strangeland puts this climax in the middle of the movie, making it possible to explore the story's continuation in its second half. Most folks would be satisfied that the first half had enough to it that they'd make their cash back, then gear up to strike again with a sequel. Snider gives us twice as much material than is really necessary. He's not interested in making just another horror film. He's made something different and I really respect that.