"Flatliners" is loaded with overt references to classic works of art and abrasive color schemes, but "Suspiria" it ain't. Ever wonder what happens after we die? (Sure, we all do!) Joel Schumacher's typically heavy-handed direction is a big part of the problem, but Peter Filardi's script - which creates sufficient intrigue in the early going - shoots itself in the foot by being too frightened to embrace the open-ended questions it raises. What remains is a great Kevin Bacon performance…

The action (when it shows up) is decent, the costumes and tricked-out vehicles are full of Scrapyard Chic and charm, the dialog is unspeakably ridiculous (I wonder why "mother-grabber/grubber" never caught on?), and the characters have "cool" names like Alien, Trash, and Crazy Bull (it's after the apocalypse, so why not have fun with it?). As with most low-budget Italian flicks of this era, bursts of violence are counterbalanced by a disproportionate amount of down time and excess talk, so…