Night of the Demons (1988).

Review #1149: Night of the Demons.

Cast: 
Cathy Podewell (Judy Cassidy), Amelia Kinkade (Angela Franklin), Billy Gallo (Sal Romero), Alvin Alexis (Rodger), Linnea Quigley (Suzanne), Lance Fenton (Jay Jansen), Hal Havins (Stooge), Allison Barron (Helen), Philip Tanzini (Max), and Jill Terashita (Frannie) Directed by Kevin S. Tenney.

Review: 
What's there to expect from a movie (written and produced by Joe Augustyn) as cliche as this? It's a horror comedy that lurks in the supernatural while also lurking with characters as typical as one would expect from people who decide to have a party at a mortuary, complete with someone deciding to mess with an old man (carrying apples and razor blades, for some reason) on the way to the party with a prank. There isn't much to the film in terms of acting, but you may get some weird amusement from the silly nature of these characters. It certainly thinks its being funny with the weird jerks that inhabit this film, which I guess makes sense given most of their fates. Havins is probably the most amusing at being surly, and Kinkade is fine at being over-the-top in spookiness. Oddly enough, the two who aren't so surly, Podewll and Alexis, are probably the dullest in the film, being the kind of do-gooders that would fit better in other teen films. The 89 minute run-time feels typical, but at least that means the film won't tire its intended audience - particularly when it goes from setting up its scenario to the horror bits that matter most. Honestly, the movie's best card to play is in its effects, which look pretty good while being occasionally haunting for a movie that certainly likes to reward itself with a good body-count to go with it. It also seems to be a movie that seems culled from other horror films, with one comparison I hear being The Evil Dead (1981), since that film had a bunch of college kids being possessed at an abandoned cabin when they release a audiotape invoking demons. At least the final scene is different from other films, ending not on the kids but on some old people and pie - for better or worse. It's the kind of movie that became a cult hit, making $3 million while being released regionally. It was followed by two sequels released in the 1990s along with being remade in 2009. On the whole, there isn't anything too special that you could probably find in other horror films, but it will provide a bargain for anyone that doesn't mind something a bit campy and ridiculous for the horror schlock. I can't say that this is a clear winner, but I can say that this is a movie that has its own little place for others to encounter and be curious for this time of year.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.