WILD PALMS

* * *

STARRING: James Belushi, Kim Cattrall, Dana Delany, Robert Loggia, Angie Dickinson

1993, 300 Minutes, Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow

Oliver Stone's cyberpunk Wild Palms TV miniseries owes perhaps more to David Lynch's Twin Peaks than it does to the writings of William Gibson (who actually makes a small cameo appearance in the film).

The plot involves a monopolistic media company in not-so-distant future out to control to the United States through technology and the media. (Its leader is an ex-science fiction writer/Texan billionaire, basically a mixture between Dianetcs leader, L. Ron Hubbard and former presidential candidate, Ross Perot.) The corporation is opposed at every turn by a group of rebels fighting for individual freedom.

Although the plot is confusing at times, Wild Palms is suitably bizarre watching featuring state-of-the-art special effects.

Sci-Fi Movie Page Pick: Spot the literary references time! Cyberpunk TV series produced by Oliver Stone. Look closely and you'll see William Gibson in a brief walk-on cameo role. Despite its pretensions, Wild Palms still makes for entertaining viewing.