Out of the box and into the chair

This one's not from any of the Mill Creek boxes, but it surely deserves an entry:

The Dentist (1996)

Grade: C+

You shouldn't watch this if: You're afraid of needles; you're looking for something to watch with your parents

This driller-thriller was an impulse choice, brought to us courtesy of FearNet and Comcast On Demand (which is marvelously convenient and, alas, often looks like pixillated crap). We didn't expect much, but it's a surprisingly well-constructed little bit o' schlock, with terrific visual effects. K. is hardly the squeamish type, but found herself covering her eyes at vivid scenes of dental picks -- and needles, and drills, and pliers -- doing unfortunate things to vulnerable mouths.

Stars Corbin Bernsen of L.A. Law fame, whose tight-assed demeanor vaguely reminds P. of his pedophile uncle (not a blood relation, he's pleased to say). The acting is surprisingly non-phoned-in, with solid performances by all, including that one chick (you know who we mean, you'll recognize her) and that one guy (ditto). Oh, and that Claire Danes-looking chick too -- she's probably the only sympathetic character in the whole thing.

Its biggest flaw is the ending, which goes on at least ten minutes too long -- the teaching/opera sequence is especially unnecessary. The one softcore sequence was a little uncomfortable to watch with (her) Mom nearby, though the T&A quotient was otherwise minimal, which will please some and disappoint others.

(But if you like your T&A in close proximity to scenes of periodontal mayhem, you've got bigger problems than we're prepared to address.)