The Sci-Fi Channel has a very sharp stratification of quality. On one hand, you have Farscape and Battlestar Galactica. Then you have the constant sludge of b and c-grade made-for-cable movies. (Mansquito, anyone?) The Lost Room definitely falls into the former category.
This mini-series from 2006 is infecting my brain, courtesy of Netflix. Disc 1 includes the first four episodes and I believe disc 2 has three more. I really don’t want to spoil much about this show because I think it’s best left to experience it the way I did–with very few preconceptions. I’ll say that it is a story that easily could have been told in Pinebox, Texas. The basic premise is that a police detective comes into possession of a very special key– a key that opens any door. However, once opened, that door always leads to the same location: a nondescript motel room. That motel room is in turn a waystation, because from it, the detective can travel to any other door anywhere. Needless to say, events quickly spiral out of control and it becomes critically important to solve the mystery of how and why this special motel room exists.
The 2-disc set is only $10 at Amazon right now. If you can’t rent it from your video rental source of choice, well… you could do worse for 4.5 hours of entertainment.
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Try EUREKA when it hits on Sci-Fi again. Good stuff.
I must confess to having watched much B-Movie Fu on Sci-Fi. Of course, they did give us DOG SOLDIERS for the first US viewing outside of video. Greatness. Best werewolf movie since BAD MOON.
Then, there’s MANSQUITO……point taken.
I’ll second suggesting “The Lost Room.” It’s very well done, and reminded me quite a bit of Friday the 13th the Series (in the good ways, not the campiness ;) )