Spookies

A bunch of people go into a creepy mansion and scary things start to happen.

That's about the best way one can describe Spookies. It's a good lesson of what happens when producers tinker with a film too much and add too many cooks in the kitchen. The fact that any element of Spookies works is a miracle. It still has that thrilling can-do indie film spirit and a myriad of excellent special monster effects, but it's a film that's better played on fast-forward since the story never convinces or gels together.

My review was written in May 1986 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

"Spookies" is a silly horror picture which contains some interesting special makeup effects along with very amateurish ones, presented in the usual package of a group of hapless travelers murdered one by one. It's of interest to undiscriminating horror fans.

Felix Ward, wearing some pretty phony old age makerup, to;ines as Kreon, a sorcerer who is bringing back to life his bride (lovely Maria Pechukas), who committed suicide 70 years ago. He needs human sacrifices and fortunately (for him), two carloads of people lost en route to a party stop in at Kreon's mansion that night. Earlier that evening, a young boy named Billy (Adam Nemser) wandered into the mansion, found a grisly birthday party being held there for him and is scared off by Kreon's servant (Dan Scott) and other monsters.

The nine partygoers with no party play with a vintage ouija board and make dumb jokes but one of them, Carol, is suddenly turned into a monster Linda Blair-lookalike from "The Exorcist" by Kreon and all hell breaks loose. Disjointed film never explains why the survivors don't just jump in to their cars and head on home. Instead, intime-honored, stupid horror film tradition, they split up in ones and twos and search the mansion repeatedly, making for easy victimization.

Film'[s novelty is that the entire cast is wiped out (no last-minute rescues) and the final reel even has Pechukas, showse reanimation was after all the purpose of all the killing, running around for dar life as a neighborhood full of ghouls shamble around and paw at her.

Rule of thumb here is that when makeup is applied to a person's face it's strictly amateur night, while several of the from the ground up (no pun intended) monster creations are well done. Among these goodies are a huge spider transformed from an oriental lady, a grim reaper skeleton with illuminated red eyes, a gill man who probably saw Ridley Scott's "Alien" and several green lizard monsters. Low point is when some imitation clay people (out of "Flash Gordon" but poorly designed) terrorize a busty babe and her boyfriend in the basement, while postproduction amplified sounds of flatulence lamely attempt to make this scene humorous.

Three directors are credited for "Spookies". Brendan Faulkner and Thomas Doran teamed up to shoot the bulk of the N. Y.-lensed picture, originally titled "Twisted Souls", while editor Eugenie Joseph completed the film after there was squabbling with the British-based financial backer.

An almost completely impossible film to review since it was so heavily re-shot and re-tooled after its initial production, muddling the original creator's intentions so you're never really sure what most scenes are going for. That said, there are several inventive effects sequences and it's entertaining in a trainwreck sort of way.

come on people, I see these user ratings and I can't understand what people are looking for, If you want a cornball computer animated horror flick then you should probably stick to cheesy movies made from 95/04. I introduced this movie to my wife whom is 28 yrs and she loved this movie. All she could say was "Man, I wish movies would go back to this" The movie was awesome and scary as well as funny, it has it all. Stop comparing movies cause thats not what B movies are about, they are about fun and Imagination. My children saw this flick and freaked out cause of all the monsters, I felt that it was pretty cool to add all these different monsters in the mansion, it makes for a very spooky adventure. Each one of the Ill fated party goers dies in a totally different way, but totally different monsters. very awesome indeed. I give this movie a 10

Spookies is shy and unsure of itself at first but its confidence grows and shows us what its got starting with Duke's "What's behind this door?!" and subsequent chair smashing. All it needed was a little encouragement, encouragement that other reviewers are denying it!

Farting muck monsters in the basement! A Grim Reaper made out of oily rags! (apparently) An un-dead Winona Rider lookalike! A zombified Michael Jackson impersonator! More movies should be like Spookies! The movie doesn't take itself seriously and so neither should the audience. The American public can only take so much terrorists at sporting events-world being saved by greasy wife beater shirt wearing hung over Bruce Willis-Nicolas Cage types from Brian Depalma until our souls are empty, minds numbed, and we become zombies. Wait! If that happens we can make more movies like Spookies! My optimism and hope for the world has been renewed!