Night of the Juggler

If you’re into gritty 70’s NYC action thrillers then this is the piece for you.  It’s about a thirteen year old girl who gets kidnapped in broad daylight in Central Park by a crazed asshole who plans to hold her for ransom.  The girl’s father, Sean Boyd (James Brolin (Capricorn One)), witnesses the taking and chases after them.  The thing is this is all a case of mistaken identity.  The captor thinks he’s nabbed the daughter of a millionaire when in reality her father’s an ex-cop turned truck driver who eats hot dogs for breakfast.  Both kids look remarkably alike including height and haircut, they happen to dress in practically the same clothes that morning and take the same path to their respective schools.  This is a pretty big “oops” but with so many similarities anyone could’ve gotten them mixed up.  Anyway, the entire film is Sean scouring the city looking for his daughter.

The whole first chunk is an incredible extended chase sequence that builds and builds.  They run on foot, go in the subway, crash cars, hang off the side of cars, there’s tons of traffic and pedestrians and obstacles to contend with, close calls galore, simply amazing stunt work, I mean damn.  It’s utterly relentless and honestly, the movie is worth watching for this section alone.

Finally there’s a break when Sean gets arrested allowing the kidnapper to escape.  So now Sean must dust off his ol’ detective skills to find out where his daughter is.  That’s not to say the picture slows down though.  There are still plenty of heated moments, fights and gun battles.  The tension is kept sky high.  In typical fashion Sean ventures into the unsavory parts of the city which naturally causes conflict.  But the cops don’t like him either because, aside from breaking all sorts of laws in his pursuit to rescue his daughter, they find out he was kicked off the force for blowing the whistle on corruption.  One dirty sergeant in particular, played by Dan Hedaya (Blood Simple), got his career derailed over this and uses the current circumstances to enact revenge by bringing the hammer down on Sean.  The sonuvabitch even goes as far as to try to shoot him on crowded public streets.  I like how the other cops who show up on scene at this mess are like “what the hell are you doing?!”  So this is a real gauntlet.

As for the main villain he’s suitably creepy and threatening.  I hesitate to call him “The Juggler” because it’s too silly sounding of a name but ok, that’s what we’ll go with.  He mentions he’s fed up with all the city politicians, accountants and power brokers juggling the books to redirect funds and resources which only end up fucking him and his community over.  As revenge he’ll extort money from them, so now he’s the juggler.  See, kind of a dumb name, right?  He’s also referred to as “The Mole” due to him working in the underground sewer/electrical system.  Night of the Mole doesn’t sound great either though.  In any case Cliff Gorman (All That Jazz) plays it appropriately slimy with his high pitched weaselly giggle and propensity for near constant threats.  Of course he’s a racist piece of shit as well blaming black people and Puerto Ricans (along with everyone else, the politicians, etc.) for the decimation of his neighborhood.  He sees the ransom as a sort of reparation.  Although, I doubt his intention is anything other than to keep the money for himself.  Lastly, it’s strongly suggested that this turd is a pedophile.  He kisses the thirteen year old girl he kidnaps and talks about being together with her.  Apparently originally his feelings were made much more explicit with him saying at one point “I’m gonna fuck her” but it was changed in post production to “I’m gonna keep her”.  Having this guy be a pedophile doesn’t really add anything to the movie so I guess I’m glad they toned that aspect down.

And maybe this is partly why no one talks about Night of the Juggler.  On one hand it seems like it should be a revered classic of the genre with its solid performances, awesome camera work, straight ahead no nonsense story, grimy vibe and ruthless drive.  But on the other hand it’s perhaps a little too nasty and in a gray area morally for most viewers to get behind.  For instance, our main characters aren’t black and white.  Sean is understandably upset over his daughter’s abduction and does whatever he thinks is necessary to get her back.  Unfortunately this includes being pretty reckless by destroying other people’s property and shaking folks down.  Then we meet his ex-wife who argues that he shouldn’t have called out the police corruption he saw because it blew up his career.  At first this makes her seem callous but I can see the argument for both sides.  Look the other way and keep your job or put you and your family at risk by calling out your own people.  Next, the head cop assigned to the case is flippant about crime in general but also refuses to get pushed around by powerful people attached to the case.  And for as disgusting as the Juggler’s actions are you can comprehend his motivation for lashing out when his community has been devastated so thoroughly by those who run the city.

This isn’t a film like Death Wish or Dirty Harry that simulates a (mainly white) male power fantasy.  In Death Wish bad guys wronged Paul Kersey’s family and he doesn’t think the cops are doing anything about it so he takes matters into his own hands by enacting vigilante murder.  Callahan in Dirty Harry is up front about his racism and, again, dishes out his own brand of justice.  These two have a code to live and die by.  Here Sean is just a father trying to save his kid from a madman.  If he has to harass sex workers or beat up cops or steal some poor bastard’s car then so be it.  He’s not even that concerned about the Juggler’s fate as long as he gets his daughter back.  There’s no moral crusade or racial indignation for the audience to cheer for.  It’s more of an ends-justify-the-means approach, which could involve the nabber walking away, and that’s tricky to process.

All these nuances and shadings make for an interesting watch.  And that’s why this one is both an easy and tough recommendation.  The movie serves up one helluva ride that never lets up.  At the same time the characters are a bit challenging, especially with the plethora of racism they spew.  Hell, the movie attempts to back up some of its own bullshit by showing the Juggler’s neighborhood filled with black and Latino looters and thugs, as if to say, “maybe he has a point”.  Plus there’s some weirdly unnecessary stuff like the pedophile angle I mentioned earlier and a lady who works at the Manhattan dog pound who helps Sean find some info and then tags along with him for the rest of the picture for some reason.

One thing’s for sure, that poster of Sean tearing his way through a picture of NYC with a look of absolute insanity on his face is fucking badass.

Harefooted Halloween: HauntedWeen

(My usual format isn’t really going to work for this one so let’s just dive in)

The plot involves a tweenaged boy who works the gate at a haunted house in rural Kentucky.  He’s not allowed to go inside because he’s too young but that doesn’t stop him from sneaking in.  He traps a little girl in a secret room to scare her except he accidentally kills her in the process.  Or maybe it was planned?  Or maybe when she injures herself he takes the opportunity to satisfy his murder curiosity?  I dunno.  It’s confusing, which is a theme.  Anyway, the boy and his mother go into hiding.  Twenty years later he’s now a grown man and returns to lure a frat house full of partiers to the old haunted house attraction so he can kill them.  So sorta similar to Halloween.  A silent, hulking, mask wearing dude with a lethal past returns decades later to his old stomping ground to kill again.  There’s even a dead mother involved.

All the frat characters and their girlfriends should be completely insufferable but because these aren’t professional actors there’s a charm (you’ll see that word again) to their performances.  Most of them deliver their lines in very odd ways that make you wonder how they landed on that particular phrasing.  Some joke around constantly which should be grating yet it doesn’t get to the point where I want to cover my ears.  One thing that’s a pet peeve of mine though is they cast too many people who look similar so it can be hard to determine which characters are in which scene.  Aside from that the constant beer swilling and lewd behavior are the most annoying aspects.  However, the rest of the picture makes up for it.

And what’s gonna make or break the experience for a lot of folks is all the rowdy college shit plus a strained romance between the two leads because that’s the first two thirds of this.  The revived haunted house with a real killer inside doesn’t come on until the third act.  When we get there though it turns into a genuine horror show.  The guests who enter the torture chamber don’t realize they’re witnessing real victims getting slaughtered.  While this is a fine idea I think it was more novel at the time.  Other than Ghoulies II, which immediately springs to mind as a precursor that also did this, I’m struggling to think of more.  I remember Tobe Hooper’s The Funhouse having a different story.  The 2010’s wore the concept out with a whole glut of movies about haunt attractions where the kills are for real.  But in the early 90’s it’s not something that had been done to death.  And they do a good job with it here.  I like how the killer relishes his time in the spotlight by striking a dramatic pose when the audience enters and having fun with the deaths.  For example, he reveals a backdrop with a box score and sports a Mets cap for a kill with a baseball bat.  This added flair goes a long way to making this section entertaining and memorable.

We never find out who this guy really is though or why he suddenly goes on a murder spree.  His mother just died so I guess she was keeping him in check?  You could argue it would’ve been nice to get more info.  You could also argue it doesn’t matter because we’re here for creepy shit and backstory or character depth isn’t a priority.  You decide.

There’s a charm to how amateur and low budget this piece is.  The actors aren’t professionals, the shooting and editing isn’t the best, the story isn’t that coherent, the effects are, well, passable actually.  In the end it all adds up to a product greater than the sum of its parts.  It’s more fascinating than it should be.  I wanted to keep watching to see how the next person would say their lines or what neat gore effect they had up their sleeve or what silly antic the frat bros were up to next, etc.  It kept me engaged.  Perhaps not always for the best reasons but I was present.

I think what carries the film through is its gung ho attitude.  You can tell the filmmakers were excited to be making a movie, down to the teased sequel at the end of the credits (which never happened), and that rubs off.  I’m sure some people will file this under so-bad-it’s-good but for me only the acting qualifies.  Ok, the story is definitely not as clear as I would like.  But the rest isn’t all that poorly executed.

From what I gather this has a small cult following and I get that.  It’s a peculiar little sonuvabitch.  And to pile on more mystique this was the only picture writer/director Doug Robertson ever made.  I hadn’t heard of it until the other day and was glad to be able to squeeze it in for this Halloween season.  You know, I kinda like the title too.  It’s a silly mash up like the movie itself.

Harefooted Halloween: Night of the Comet

What I Liked: The cinematography is pretty nice for the most part (Arthur Albert (Better Call Saul)).  Since this takes place during post-apocalypse times they added a red filter to all outdoor scenes.  It has a gradation to it with the top of the sky, or frame, being a darker ominous red and then turning into a lighter almost glowing yellow-ish hue towards the ground, or bottom of the frame.  In fact a lot of the movie is colorful with these various neon tinted lights popping up all over to set mood.  Some fog is thrown in as well of course.  Sure it may look cartoony at times but for the somewhat playful tone they went with it can be cool to look at.  On the flipside though they also managed to get some genuinely eerie shots of completely desolate LA streets to set a foreboding atmosphere.

Regina (Catherine Mary Stewart (Weekend at Bernie’s)) is a take-no-shit brassy dame that’s good to have in an end-of-the-world type scenario.  She’s really confident but not in a gross annoying way.  If she wants to sleep with the projectionist at the movie theater she works at then she has no regrets.  If some crazed zombie cannibal attacks her she fights back.  I feel like this balance of macho and feminine is rarely seen.  Her father is in the military so she has gun training and isn’t afraid of combat.  At the same time she takes advantage of her situation by trying on endless clothing and makeup at a now deserted department store.  It’s not like Regina never gets scared or concerned about what’s happening around her, quite the opposite, but she forges ahead because it’s instinctual.  Stewart does a great job calibrating each scene to what’s required.

What I Didn’t Like: The rules for those who got affected by the passing comet and those who didn’t are fuzzy.  It’s supposed to be anyone outside, or exposed to the outside air through vents for example, either turned to dust or will turn into a zombie in a matter of days.  And if you were inside protected by steel then you’re fine.  So yea, this is damn flimsy.  From what we see almost no one survived the comet’s passing which doesn’t seem right.  Regina’s sister, Samantha (Kelli Maroney (Chopping Mall)), was somehow unaffected simply by hiding out in a garden shed.  Meanwhile elite scientists in an underground lab are decaying because the vents in their facility were left open allowing the contaminated air in.  I mean I think the movie is meant to be a little tongue in cheek but this comes across pretty lazy as a setup to your scenario.

Unfortunately the entire middle portion of the film grinds to a halt after Regina and her sister meet up with another survivor and hide out in a radio station.  I’m not sure if writer/director Thom Eberhardt (Captain Ron) knew what to do after the comet wipes out almost all of humanity.  Characters sorta just bum around for a while until there needs to be a confrontation to kick start the third act.

There’s a very uncomfortable scene between Samantha and her asshole step-mother where they argue and then start slapping each other.  It culminates with the step-mother decking Samantha knocking her on her ass.  Like a straight up punch to a child’s mouth.  They definitely didn’t need to go that far to get the point across that these two don’t get along.

Overall Impressions: I think this is supposed to be a nod to 50’s and 60’s sci-fi horror that was a trend at the time like Invaders from Mars (1986) or The Blob (1988) (although those are direct remakes).  You know, something from space attacks Earth and creates a nightmare scenario and the government/military gets involved.  For this one they keep the tone fairly light by giving Samantha in particular a valley girl carefree attitude towards the entire situation (an inspiration for Buffy the Vampire Slayer).  It’s the end of civilization and she still yammers on about wanting to find cute guys.  And the bad guy scientists are bumbling fools who are supposed to be a threat but not a massive threat.  The zombie cannibals end up being the biggest danger.  Sadly, they’re not in this nearly enough.  They only make a couple of appearances but that was probably to keep the piece from getting too dark or frightening.

This isn’t anything you haven’t seen before and it’s executed fine but not exceptional enough to really stand out.  My biggest issue is that whole middle chunk where nothing much happens.  However, if you want a post-apocalypse film with a cutesy edge here it is.

Harefooted Halloween: Toolbox Murders (2004)

What I Liked: Tobe Hooper can sure make a setting look and feel utterly disgusting.  He did it masterfully with the first two Texas Chainsaws and he does it again here.  The slum apartment building where the whole thing takes place is dingy enough in the areas accessible to the tenants but it’s also under partial renovation making it even more unlivable.  Plus almost nothing works, including the ability to get clean running water, the neighbors are loud and/or obnoxious, the landlord is a total scumbag who refuses to fix anything, the handyman is a weirdo who wears dirty coveralls and occupants keep disappearing.  But again, that’s only the stuff you’re meant to see.  We find out there are secret areas of the building (minor spoiler) that are filled with nasty ass nightmare shit.  Is Hooper simply copying his own aesthetic from Chainsaw?  Well, yea sure.  But damn, it looks fantastically creepy.

Angela Bettis (Bless the Child) goes all out in the lead role, Nell.  Her and her husband (Brent Roam (The Sheild)) just moved in and immediately regret it.  They’re the only sane people in the place.  Nell keeps coming across unusual stuff like she finds a small box filled with human teeth hidden in her wall.  She’s rightfully concerned but since the landlord dismisses everything she takes it upon herself to investigate.  By the end Bettis is a hysterical wreck who goes surprisingly hard for this little slasher movie.  And really most of the cast goes beyond what you would expect for a small budget horror remake (we’ll circle back to that).  Maybe Hooper knows how to get good performances out of his actors.  Or maybe they were all excited to work with a legend despite him being on the outs and having not made anything of note in at least a decade.

The killer uses a different implement for each kill.  That may not be anything new for one of these but I appreciate the effort put into raiding the toolbox and figuring out which items would be the most devastating to employ.  So hammers, saws and the like are all fair game.

(Sort of spoiler on this last item, if you’ve seen one of the posters then you already know what the villain looks like) Even though the design of the bad guy is, once again, something straight out of Texas Chainsaw, it’s still grotesque and I dig it.  He looks more like Darkman than anything else where parts of his face are obscured by a head covering and other parts of his face are missing altogether.  This seems like kind of an extensive makeup job and it pays off.

What I Didn’t Like: The majority of the side characters are pretty annoying and flat.  You’re not really supposed to like any of them that much so you don’t feel bad when they die.  Of course this is typical for a horror picture but due to the handling of the bad guy and overall plot they play a bigger role than normal so that’s unfortunate.

Speaking of the plot, I don’t exactly understand what the hell the backstory is all about.  I won’t go too into it in case you decide to check this one out but, supernatural shit is strongly hinted at and then never fully explained.  We don’t find out why the killer is murdering folks or why anything is happening at all.  It’s confusing.  This is why I mentioned the characters are more important than normal because they need to pick up the slack and they don’t.

Some of the editing goes for that Saw technique that was popular in the mid-2000s where you cut out frames to make some actions seem faster/creepier.  Also, according to Wiki the production shut down early because one of the financing companies went under so they had to make some, uh creative, editing choices.  This is most apparent during the finale where we get some very awkward transitions and then the movie abruptly ends.

Overall Impressions: To be honest I had little hope going into this piece but actually had an alright time.  It’s no lost gem or anything but I will say it’s leagues better than the original film.  Guys, I tried to watch the ’78 version (which has a “The” in front by the way so you don’t choose the wrong one) and it was utterly atrocious, like in every way.  After a half hour I quit and jumped to the remake.  From what I can tell the only real commonality is that they’re about a series of murders in an apartment complex, but otherwise they’re totally different.

Although there are a few issues this is an ok slasher.  It’s fun in the same way that Butcher Boys is where once it goes off the rails it turns into a good time.  A perverse time, but a good time nonetheless.  While not nearly as crazy as that picture you do come out a touch exhausted on the other end.  And with some tweaking, ok a fair amount of tweaking, you could turn this into a Texas Chainsaw sequel.  Based on that you’ll know if this is for you.

Harefooted Halloween: From Beyond the Grave

What I Liked: My favorite story in this anthology set is the one where a demon, or “elemental” as they call it, infiltrates a mild mannered couple’s life.  It tries to strangle the wife in her sleep and scratches her so they call in a daffy psychic/exorcist named Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton (Under Capricorn)) to get rid of the spirit.  As she’s performing the ritual shit’s flying off the walls and tables, the fireplace is exploding, the wind is rushing and stuff’s going everywhere.  It’s hilarious how much destruction there is.  It’s meant to be funny though.  The exhausting but grateful look on the couple’s face is priceless.  Madame Orloff may be in and out quickly but she’s a stand out character.  My second favorite is probably the first tale about a guy (David Warner (Scream 2)) who purchases an old mirror only to accidentally summon an evil within it.  He’s commanded to murder many people in order to bring the mirror ghost back to the world of the living.  It's actually really nasty because this sonuvabitch must kill like a dozen victims or something leaving a blood soaked apartment in his wake.  There’s also a neat shot when they do a séance with the camera mounted to the center of the table looking out at the guests gathered around and a candle flame in the middle of the frame.  The camera spins around the table as the ritual progresses showing each participant’s reaction to the candle suddenly shooting out a blue flame every couple of seconds.

Peter Cushing (Top Secret!) plays an unassuming vengeful antique shop owner in the wrap arounds.  Each segment revolves around the patrons who bought an item at the shop.  Cushing is always a delight to see and he plays it very understated here.  He knows that if anyone tries to cheat him they’ll get their comeuppance.  Hell, even if they’re perfectly honest customers he still fucks with them.

What I Didn’t Like: One segment involving a man who commits stolen valor and is married to a berating miserable wife is sorta confusing and weird.  He befriends a guy on the street peddling matches and shoelaces and eventually starts spending time at his house with his grown daughter and you wonder where in the heck this is going.  There’s a twist ending (well, they all have twist endings, kind of) that comes out of left field and it makes me think the writer either just starting putting a story together without an ending in mind or had to change the ending for whatever reason and now the whole thing doesn’t make sense.

The last tale about the intricately carved haunted wooden door is a bit weak.  I mean it’s not terrible or anything but it doesn’t amount to much.  Cool set dressing and atmosphere though.

Overall Impressions: Yea another solid anthology picture for ya.  All except one story do involve something from beyond the grave so that’s nice I guess.  The opening credits where the camera is floating through an overgrown graveyard with classic haunted house sounds like screaming, chanting and organ music is amusing and fun.  Not a must see but definitely a good time with minimal investment.

Harefooted Halloween: The Vourdalak

What I Liked: What a nice simple little vampire tale that’s based on an 1839 Tolstoy novella.  A French marquis gets robbed on his travels in eastern Europe so he’s told to go to the Gorcha house where they’ll supply him with food, shelter and a horse to continue on his way.  When he gets to the tiny estate he’s greeted hospitably but the family’s in the middle of a crisis.  Turks have attacked the surrounding area so the patriarch went out to hunt them down for revenge.  He tells them if he doesn’t return in six days then he’s become a vourdalak, or vampire (not sure how that works but ok).  And yep, that’s what happens.  Some members of the family believe he’s completely fine but others think he’s definitely a vampire.  While the family deals with this emergency a horse for the marquis will have to wait leaving him stuck in a sticky situation.  Vampire shit ensues.

On the technical side they knock it out of the park.  The movie is beautifully shot (on film too) with foggy woods, candlelit interiors, a mostly locked down camera and carefully chosen angles to accentuate the puppet’s features (you read that right, we’ll get there) and hide its operators.  The production and costume design also wonderfully immerses you in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century.  The marquis’ look is the most striking with his almost neon blue coat, powder white face, red hair and red lips.  It contrasts nicely with the Gorcha family’s modest all tan and brown outfits.  The entire picture takes place in the eerie stony Gorcha house and surrounding forest and it all feels appropriately cold, uninviting and with little comforts.  Lastly I want to shout out the period suitable harpsichord soundtrack as well.  It lends effectively to the unsettling atmosphere.

All the performances are good but of course the stand out is Kacey Mottet Klein (Sister) as the marquis.  He’s such a fop in his appearance and manner but thankfully he isn’t a total sniveling annoying idiot.  Instead he’s grateful towards the Gorcha clan for helping him out and is open to the vampire lore.  The guy’s in a foreign land being taken in by folks whose customs he’s unfamiliar with, plus some weird shit has been going on, so he does his best to comprehend and accept the situation.  The marquis isn’t an angel though.  He tries to shag the gypsy black sheep of the group almost as soon as he arrives.  Klein does an excellent job of balancing the scared/concerned and curious/gallant sides of the character.  Not easy to do.

Alright let’s address the dummy in the room.  If you’ve heard of this film the one thing you probably know is that the Gorcha father, the vourdalak, is played by a human sized puppet.  Does it work?  I’m split on it.  On one hand the filmmakers were able to essentially have a corpse star in the lead role with its skeletal structure, hairless body, sickly gray blue complexion, sunken eyes and lipless mouth with protruding teeth.  The thing looks undeniably cool.  On the other hand…

What I Didn’t Like: …its movements are janky as heck, the mouth can’t do anything more than open and shut so talking looks silly and it has a smooth texture all over with no pieces of flesh, hair, veins or anything else you might find on an undead creature.  My point is I never forgot I wasn’t looking at a goddamn puppet.  The character is played seriously though with no hint at satire which I appreciate.  According to director/writer/puppet maker Adrien Beau the decision to use a puppet was made early on.  Budget constraints and a desire to use practical effects are the reasons given.  Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.  And sure, a puppet as your main villain is a kind of selling point.  It’s different.  I would say this decision is more quirky than anything else.  They don’t do anything unique with the puppet that would be impossible otherwise which is perhaps a missed opportunity.  A regular human actor in the role probably would’ve kept you engaged in the story more, but would it be as memorable?  I dunno.  This is a personal preference situation.  You’ll have to watch it for yourself and see how you feel.

Not a huge negative but the pacing is a bit slow.  The filmmakers take their time building atmosphere and suspense which is fine, however, the release of the tension is also a touch slow.

Overall Impressions: I dig this one.  It may not be the best vampire picture but the straightforward story and impressive technical achievements make for a pleasant outing.  I would love to see what Adrien Beau does next because this is a very promising start.

Harefooted Halloween: Hell Night

What I Liked: Decent atmosphere throughout.  They filmed at real mansions so that’s instant production value right there.  They were dressed appropriately and even though the exterior and interior are two different locations they match up well enough.  The entire thing takes place at night so the filmmakers threw in appropriate mood lighting and shadows.  There are entirely too many candles used throughout though.  Like who would have the time and patience to set up and light them all?  As long as you don’t think about how dumb it is having a glut of candles in almost every room it admittedly looks kinda cool.

The lead characters aren’t total douches.  They’re not terribly engaging or memorable either but at least they’re not cloying assholes or anything.  Hey, I’ll take what I can get.

What I Didn’t Like: The premise is totally fine, a group of fraternity/sorority pledges must spend a night in an old abandoned spooky mansion as part of their hazing only to discover *gasp* there’s a killer picking them off, but the execution is not great.  Everything plays out how you think it will.  The last act in particular slows to a goddamned sloth’s pace with the characters taking forever to explore any area before eventually getting attacked.  And I mean c’mon, forcing folks to stay a night in a “haunted house” is incredibly lame for a frat ritual.  Sure it’s not devastatingly mean spirited which is nice, but if I were rushing and this is what they came up with I would dump these lame-o’s pronto.

While the leads are ok all the other side players are pretty damn annoying.  Surfer dude stud muffin, wild party girl, slimy frat bros, they’re all obvious cannon fodder but you wish they would die sooner.

Overall Impressions: This is a fairly typical slasher from the early eighties.  You can see the Halloween influence in the villain being an unspeaking brute, the entire thing taking place on Halloween night (or Hell Night, whatever) and the car attack scene.  Unfortunately there’s not much of interest here.  Linda Blair of The Exorcist fame stars but they give her nothing to do for almost the whole runtime.  The most curious aspect is director Tom DeSimione was really a porno guy who wanted to branch out into more mainstream stuff.  Weirdly there’s zero nudity in the movie.  Even when characters are supposed to be fooling around they all keep their clothes on.  Not common for that era of horror either.

Anyway, unless you’re a slasher purist who needs to track them all down don’t bother with this one.