''Watchers Reborn'' (also known as ''Watchers 4'') is the 1998

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

to the 1988 horror film '' Watchers''. Directed by

John Carl Buechler __NOTOC__ John Carl Buechler (pronounced ''Beekler''; June 18, 1952 – March 18, 2019) was an American special make-up effects artist, film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He was best known for his work on horror and science-ficti ...

and starring Mark Hamill, the film is loosely based on the 1987 novel '' Watchers'' by

Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as Thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and satir ...

Plot

Ever since he lost his wife and son in a devastating fire, Detective Jack Murphy ( Mark Hamill) has wandered around life in a fog. But he is forced to face his terrifying memories when his partner Gus is killed in a mysterious slaying. Killed in a manner too brutal to be human, too clever to be animal, the only clues to Gus's death are a vagabond

golden retriever The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds ...

and Dr. Grace Hudson (

Lisa Wilcox Lisa Elizabeth Wilcox (born April 27, 1964) is an American actress, and former model and designer. She is best known for her role as Alice Johnson in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' sequels '' 4'' (1988) and '' 5'' (1989)—both box office s ...

), the beautiful scientist who seeks him out. Dr. Hudson tells Jack that Einstein, the dog, is actually one half of a super-secret government experiment. With an IQ of 140, the dog was designed as a tracker for a genetically engineered killing machine known as the Outsider. Jack and Grace must stop the Outsider from killing again while preventing Lem Johnson ( Stephen Macht), a pitbull, and the NSA from terminating the experiment... killing everyone who has knowledge of its existence. But how do you stop a creature genetically predestined for murder?

Cast

* Mark Hamill as Detective Jack Murphy *

as Dr. Grace Hudson * Stephen Macht as Lem Johnson * Gary Collins as Gus Brody

Release

The sequel did not receive the benefit of a theatrical release that the original did. Instead, the film went straight-to-video. The film was released on a

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

by New Concorde Home Entertainment in 2004. The film is notable in that

Jason Voorhees Jason Voorhees () is a character from the ''Friday the 13th'' series. He first appeared in '' Friday the 13th'' (1980) as the young son of camp-cook-turned-killer Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Mi ...

actor

Kane Hodder Kane Warren Hodder (born April 8, 1955)According to the State of California. ''California Birth Index, 1905–1995''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com is an Americ ...

, who had previously worked with Buechler on '' Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood'', has a minor role sans make-up. Also, musical legend Lou Rawls has a minor role as the coroner.

External links

* * * 1998 direct-to-video films 1998 horror films American science fiction horror films Films directed by John Carl Buechler Direct-to-video sequel films 1998 films Films based on works by Dean Koontz Watchers (film series) Films scored by Terry Plumeri American detective films Films about animal testing Films about genetic engineering 1990s English-language films 1990s American films {{1990s-horror-film-stub