IMDb > The Dentist (1996)
The Dentist
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The Dentist (1996) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
The Dentist (1996) -- Dr. Feinstone has everything, a beautiful wife and a successful career in dentistry; but when he discovers his wife's affair...
The Dentist (1996) -- Open-ended Trailer from Trimark

Overview

User Rating:
4.5/10   2,950 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Brian Yuzna
Writers (WGA):
Dennis Paoli (written by) &
Stuart Gordon (written by) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Dentist on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 October 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
From the Creators of Re-Animator... more
Plot:
Dr. Feinstone has everything, a beautiful wife and a successful career in dentistry; but when he discovers his wife's affair... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
3 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(15 articles)
Several Stills From Brian Yuzna’s Upcoming Creature Feature Amphibious
 (From Beyond Hollywood. 9 November 2009, 12:21 PM, PST)
Wrong Turn 3 preview, Trick ’R Treat star added to East Coast Fango con!
 (From Fangoria. 1 June 2009, 8:51 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
For what it is, it rocked! more (75 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Corbin Bernsen ... Dr. Alan Feinstone
Linda Hoffman ... Brooke Feinstone
Michael Stadvec ... Matt
Ken Foree ... Detective Gibbs
Tony Noakes ... Detective Sunshine

Molly Hagan ... Jessica
Patty Toy ... Karen

Jan Hoag ... Candy
Virginya Keehne ... Sarah
Earl Boen ... Marvin Goldblum
Christa Sauls ... April Reign

Mark Ruffalo ... Steve Landers
Lise Simms ... Paula Roberts

Joanne Baron ... Mrs. Saunders
Brian McLaughlin ... Jody
more
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for graphic violence including scenes of dental torture, sexuality and some language.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Ultra Stereo
Certification:
Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/18 | Australia:R (DVD rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video premiere) | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Spain:18
Filming Locations:
Burbank, California, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Shot in only 18 days. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: When the dog attacks Dr. Feinstone you see in the shadow the cameraman and a other crew member. more
Quotes:
Dr. Alan Feinstone: Three times a day, and no candy! Say it! more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Boogeymen: The Killer Compilation (2001) (V) more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
8 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
For what it is, it rocked!, 11 January 2006
7/10
Author: José Luis Rivera Mendoza (jluis1984) from Mexico

Director Brian Yuzna has had an uneven career in the horror genre, creating masterpieces such as "Return of the Living Dead 3" or "Bride of Re-Animator", but at the same time he has done awful movies such as "Faust: Love for the Damned" or the mediocre "Progeny". He is obviously better in the seat of Producer where his work producing Stuart Gordon's films has been superb.

"The Dentist", is one of his lesser works as director, but the low profile it has benefits the film and its lack of pretensions makes it a very enjoyable experience. It tells the story of Dr. Alan Feinstone (played superbly by Corbin Bernsen), a successful dentist who one day discovers that his perfect life is not really as perfect as he thought when he discovers that his beautiful wife (Linda Hoffman)has an affair with the pool boy. This event disturbs his mind and puts him in a killing spree as he takes revenge on the world for being so "filthy".

The premise is very well handled by Yuzna, as he takes us on a ride following Feinstone's day of revenge. What makes this movie different from most slashers is that we are not in the victim's perspective, we follow Feinstone because he is the main character. We witness how he goes from respected professional to psycho murder in a day. Yuzna manages to give the movie the exact amount of suspense but adds a good dose of dark humor that really helps the movie.

Most of the success of the premise is in Bernsen's performance as Feinstone. He can make you feel sympathy and hate towards him at the same time, and the subtle humor his character has is another aspect that aids the film. The rest of the cast is not as good, and I think that their sub par acting hurts the film more than it should. A notable exception is Ken Foree, as the detective trying to catch Feinstone. While his part is quite small, he makes a great job with it.

With a dentist as killer, gory scenes are expected, and Brian Yuzna delivers great SFX in the correct amount. It's good to see that he does not go over-the-top with it as he usually do, and I dare to say that this is a highlight of the film. It has the exact amount of gore that is expected, nothing less and nothing more. Yuzna restrained himself of his common excesses and the result is great.

While this is not among Yuzna's most well-known films, I would say that it is one of his best. Sure, it is not classic material as his masterpieces, but it is a movie that entertains and never gets tiresome or boring. It is a low-budget simple film, but for what it is, I think it rocked. 7/10

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