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jackal72
Reviews
Unhinged (1982)
A very raw and dark slasher film
I have to give kudos to this movie for two details about Unhinged...
*A good film score for a low-budget movie. The analog synthesizer work by Jonathan Newton is both very ominous and adds to the psychotic tension in this movie.
*This was filmed at the beautiful Pittock Mansion in Portland,OR and you must look it up. The city owns it though and I will not shell out a dime to them thanks to BLM, Antifa, and mayor Ted Wheeler.
The young local girls (I think the handyman also) were locals picked for this movie so the amateur stab at acting does stick out. Lots of atmosphere from the environment and the questionable behavior of the elderly mother. This isn't a spoiler but pay attention to the delusional rantings of the mother and you'll learn something deeper into the film.
If you like slasher films that are more different like Popcorn, Hell Night, and Terror Train? Unhinged just might grab your attention.
Funland (1987)
An 80's obscurity but enjoyable if you want a good laugh.
The first time I saw Funland at least 30 years ago the VHS was sitting right in the horror section. Very misleading as I'm not the only one to get caught in the confusion back then. But I found the movie to be amusing. Funland is a dark comedy plain and simple.
It makes fun of some of the tacky corporate ideas of the amusement park/entertainment industry. Watching certain scenes you know there's a sexual innuendo coming. If you're of the younger generation that's absorbed in political correctness you'll probably be shaken by a few scenes in the movie. The storyline isn't hard to understand but like Caddyshack the film does branch out a little among the staff of Funland.
Let me put it this way-If I were left with only two 80's comedies to watch (the other being Weird Science)...I'd pick Funland. This movie actually had some recognizable faces from films if you were born in the 70's/80's era like the guy who played the accident prone Fackler from the Police Academy movies.
It's worth watching once, it will gain your attention or it won't.
La casa sperduta nel parco (1980)
A good revenge film...but it may get under your skin.
How do I explain this movie easily...it's a revenge film. Like the slasher genre competition of the late 70's/early 80's this movie was competing against revenge films like "I Spit On Your Grave" and "Last House on the Left". I think David Hess was even more intense in his role as a villain.
The environment and circumstances in this film made House on the Edge of the Park very unique. It goes from being guests at a party to a home invasion. I will warn in advance that this movie does have a considerable amount of rape scenes in it.
The Boy from Hell (1988)
For low-budget it's underrated
I personally have not heard of this movie by any other name other than BloodSpell. This was one of those low-budget horrors that went straight to retail and video rental stores.
The main character of the story (Daniel) is sent by his mother to live at a home for emotionally troubled teens. His father is the reason for his relocation, but his mother won't tell him why. As you guessed Daniel becomes possessed by his father and he wreaks terror on the emotionally troubled teens.
I give BloodSpell 6 stars because it wasn't that bad for a low-budget movie. I've seen a hell of a lot worse that's higher rated on here. There's a character or two that add a sense of humor to their mischievous ways but not downright campy to deter from the goings on. It's worth seeing at least once and you may watch it again when the mood strikes. The fil score isn't built on 80's metal theme and dancing teens...it was created with digital synthesizers for a serious feel.
Popcorn (1991)
It's a unique Slasher Film!
This movie didn't do very well in theaters when I was a kid...I think Popcorn showed for only 1 month. It had the chilling poster artwork to grab your attention. It had a dark-ambient film score by Paul J. Zaza to match it up.
I wouldn't really call Popcorn a low budget film really because it has decent actors and effects ahead of it's time really. It seemed that the different theme behind Popcorn wasn't grabbing the attention of people still wanting a slasher film involving a mask wearing killer with a machete or kitchen knife. Popcorn does have a mild taste of comedy to it to keep it fun ...but it's also dark and eerie from the approaches taken.