This is not an easy film to find; I was astonished to discover not even the world-famous MOVIE MADNESS in Portland carries it. After locating a reasonably priced used DVD I can say I am happy to own ZONE 39. It hovers in a strange realm between traditional sci fi action film and slower, more cerebral and arty science fiction fare such as SOLARIS.

Peter Phelps is a hugely likable actor. His central performance dominates the film and he shows he is fully up to the task of carrying a major motion picture; he has a lot of scenes where he is alone and they never drag on into dullness. Why he isn’t as big of a star as Russell Crowe is a mystery.

The “future world” scenario that ZONE 39 presents is rendered extremely plausibly within the confines of the tight budget; this movie really shows what a dedicated production team can do in conjunction with a tightly written script. Nothing is attempted that cannot be pulled off convincingly.

This is yet another one of those films that should be more well-known.