Mr. Stitch

After cowriting Pulp Fiction and directing Killing Zoe, Roger Avary has become one of Hollywood's more interesting mainstream filmmakers. But he stretches his luck in this flashy update of Frankenstein, which stars former child actor Wil Wheaton as a poorly sewn artificial man created by mad military scientist Rutger Hauer. Mr. Stitch's minimal violence and low-budget look betray its true origin as an elaborate television pilot. And as with any TV pilot, the story is heavy on exposition, setting up big confrontations that never actually materialize. Still, considering Avary's strange vision and the lead creature's Bible studies, the movie provides a glimpse of what could have been really challenging television. B-