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Truth or Dare?

Original title: Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness
  • 1986
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
845
YOUR RATING
Truth or Dare? (1986)
Mike Strauber goes mad when finding his wife Sharon in bed with his best friend Jerry. He retreats into an imaginary world of 'truth or dare', as he did when he was a deranged child, where hallucinatory friends 'dare' him into horrid acts of self-mutilation. Institutionalized, Mike continues to play truth or dare and manages to maul his face, covering it with a homemade copper mask. He escapes from the institution and goes on one of the most bizarre road rampages ever committed to celluloid (including a drive-by chainsawing!) that has to be seen to be believed, culminating in a bizarre confrontation with his wife. This is the 1986 cult classic horror film that helped jumpstart the entire "made directly for video" craze and was voted "One Of The Top 13 Slasher Films Of All Time" on TheTop13.com in 2009!
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Slasher HorrorHorror

Mike Strauber catches his wife Sharon in bed with his best friend Jerry. He gets mad and takes off to embark on an adventure of murder and self-mutilation in demented games of truth or dare.Mike Strauber catches his wife Sharon in bed with his best friend Jerry. He gets mad and takes off to embark on an adventure of murder and self-mutilation in demented games of truth or dare.Mike Strauber catches his wife Sharon in bed with his best friend Jerry. He gets mad and takes off to embark on an adventure of murder and self-mutilation in demented games of truth or dare.

  • Directors
    • Tim Ritter
    • Yale Wilson
  • Writer
    • Tim Ritter
  • Stars
    • John Brace
    • Mary Fanaro
    • Bruce Gold
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.0/10
    845
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Tim Ritter
      • Yale Wilson
    • Writer
      • Tim Ritter
    • Stars
      • John Brace
      • Mary Fanaro
      • Bruce Gold
    • 39User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Truth Or Dare? A Critical Madness
    Trailer 5:01
    Truth Or Dare? A Critical Madness

    Photos15

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    Top cast45

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    John Brace
    • Mike Strauber
    Mary Fanaro
    • Sharon Strauber
    Bruce Gold
    • Jerry Powers
    A.J. McLean
    A.J. McLean
    • Little Mike
    • (as Alexander J. McLean)
    Christopher Bontempo
    • Playmate
    Jon Creamer
    • Playmate
    Christine Duff
    • Playmate
    Jennifer Duff
    • Playmate
    Priscilla Duff
    • Mike's Mother
    Kerry Ellen Walker
    • Hitch-Hiker
    D.C. 'Dash' Goff
    • Park Ranger
    • (as Dash Goff)
    Rick Paige
    • Dr. Thorne
    Mona Jones
    • Dr. Evans
    Bruce Paquette
    • Garage Attendent
    Edward L. Elliott II
    • Man-Next-Door
    Therese C. Elliott
    • Woman-Next-Door
    Raymond Carbone
    • Detective Rosenberg
    Geoffrey Miller
    • Wes
    • Directors
      • Tim Ritter
      • Yale Wilson
    • Writer
      • Tim Ritter
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews39

    5.0845
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    Featured reviews

    7Thom-P

    Top notch low budgeter

    After reading the other reviews of this film, it seems many people measure quality by the amount of money that went into a production. Go figure... Truth or Dare? - A Critical Madness was indeed made on a shoestring, but writer/director, Tim Ritter displays more imagination in 5 minutes than any of today's big budget horror films can manage in 2 hours. Ignore the naysayers and see this little gem from the 80s. Serious horror fans need only apply.
    psavery54

    Shoot Me Now!!!!

    A million dollars... A million dollars... I could have made a better slasher flick with the Blair Witch budget! I was having a pretty peachy day when I found out that my favorite bad movie cost approximately one million dollars to make. What kind of idiot gave this guy a million dollars? And to make thing worst he made two sequels. It is the best worst movie of all time, but it was a lot better when I thought an amateur adult film director made this flick with about the same amount of money his past projects cost. Sorry if I have insulted anyone, but after all my pick for the worst film of all time is not even on a single list.
    lor_

    Screwy gore video

    My review was written in July 1986 after watching the show on Peerless video cassette.

    "Truth or Dare?" (subtitled "A Critical Madness") is a subpar horror film aimed rather crassly at the gore market. Though touted as a feature made expressly for home video, "TOD" features 16mm lensing not much better than video-lensed forerunners in the genre, such as "Copperhead" and "The Ripper". It certainly isn't interesting or professional enough to warrant a theatrical release.

    John Brace overacts portraying a man whom we learn via psychological mumbo-jumbo to be suffering from a childhood trauma traceable to the kids' game Truth or Dare? In which he imagines an alternate reality and is given to both self-mutilation and dishing out ultra-violence to other folks. Opening scene of him catching his wife (Mary Fanaro) in bed with another man triggers his craziness.

    Film derails quickly via poor continuity and no credibility generated by Tim Ritter's script. Driving away from home angrily, Brace picks up a voluptuous hitchhiker (Kerry Ellen Walker) and improbably decides to go camping with her, tent and all. Around the campfire she insists on a game of Truth or Dare? And dares him to cut off his finger after she has poked out her own eye.

    Brace is hospitalized, but typical of the film's sloppiness he has all his fingers undamaged for the rest of the picture. Conversely, when he goes on the rampage at a mental home with a hand grenade, survival knife, chainsaw and even a machine gun, it seems as if these are fantasy items but they turn out to be real. Where'd he get them?

    Nonsensical episodes are just an excuse for gore footage, some of it left mercifully off-screen but also incorporating poorly done explicit violence. Filmmaker Yale Wilson botches most key scenes, such as making the simple finale of Brace versus his shrink needlessly confusing. Tech credits and supporting cast are weak, particularly the monotonous synthesized musical score.
    6Bub_the_zombie

    A new respect....

    Truth or Dare is one of those films that you'll never see anything else like it. Everything is completely over-the-top. The gore, action, comedy - the extremely catchy synth score - Everything is done in a way that's a complete parody within itself, but Ritter doesn't do it in an obvious form. He's poking fun at the film, but does it in a serious way. (Is that a paradox?) Nevertheless, this is an experience you'll likely not forget very soon. I'm sure Ritter was working out some hidden feelings or agenda's during the time this film was released. I had no idea that Ritter was only around 18 or 19 when he made this film - MAking a competent film at 19 - Hitting the top of the video rental chain - All before he was 20. I'm not sure how JR Bookwalter gets all the credit for revolutionizing indy film making. Tim Ritter certainly deserves more credit in regards to the straight to video market that kick started home entertainment.

    I'm not saying Truth or Dare is a masterpiece, but what it is is a competently made horror film (now a cult classic) that was virtually written and directed by a teenager! Luck may have had something to do with it, but craftiness (not only in the directing department, but craftiness in the marketing department) has made his name a very welcomed sound to the old school horror fan.

    BTW, the old man who played one of the mental patients deserved an award. At times, I'm not so sure Ritter didn't actually have the guy cut off his hand. Of course, I'm an idiot, but after one grasps how young the director was, they'll gain a whole new appreciation for this movie.
    8shiftyrc5

    HOW CAN WE GET THERE AGAIN?

    This was a masterpiece in film making. Well, not really. For all of our self indulgent films of crap then we should all take notes from this film. This is a "horror" movie that takes says that it is not. It is funny, clever, gruesome, and bad, but its badness makes it what it was. The over acting, extremely bloody death scenes, and the gratuitius nudity, make it an entertaining film. Nothing now can hold its own weight because they take themselves too seriously. This was, is, the true film that make made horror movies, not Scream or I Know What You Did when you were trying to scare me, fun. Attention all horror movies of our time, either do something that no one else has, or be creative and make us laugh. If you can't do that, then release this movie, as bad as it was.

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    Related interests

    Roger Jackson in Scream (1996)
    Slasher Horror
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      On the 4 September 2013 episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005), Elijah Wood said that he was five years old when he watched his first horror movie - Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness (1986), which was a then-newly released. He said that it was what made him fall in love with horror films, that it remains one his all-time favorite horror movies, and that he has introduced it to several of his friends over the years.
    • Goofs
      During the campfire scene, Mike Strauber is dared to rip out his tongue. Later, he is able to talk frequently. This is explained in the film as being through speech therapy, however, this would not help a man lacking a tongue.
    • Alternate versions
      The wide-screen DVD from Sub Rosa features a redone version of the opening credits in a different font (the title graphic, however, remains the same) giving Tim Ritter back his directing credit (producer Yale Wilson took it on the previous VHS release).
    • Connections
      Featured in Arbeitslos (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Critical Madness
      Written by Johnny Britt and Ken Karlson

      Performed by Kay Reed with the Church Of Our Savior Choir

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    FAQ14

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Eliminator (¿Verdad o Atrevimiento?)
    • Filming locations
      • Palm Beach, Florida, USA
    • Production companies
      • Peerless Films
      • Twisted Illusions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $250,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 30m(90 min)
    • Color
      • Color

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