Chillers

I don't know what it is but Chillers by Daniel Boyd is my favourite movie. Not because of any cinematic genius of directorial kufuffle but it is a very entertaining movie to just to watch or fall asleep to. Me and this movie go way back. I remember back in ot '97 I would rent it everyday from my local video store. After not returning to the store once school started again I found that my dear Baldie's Video had gone out of business. This enraged me to the point average annoyence and vowed that I would meet that movie again someday. Months passed and my birthday rolled around. And it was on that day my friends that my friend Ryan purchased me my very own copy of the film in question ordering it from a shoppe in D-Troit. Now I am complete, Chillers and I later married (as legally as we could) in a chapel in Singipore where rice was thrown as well as minature chocolate doves which melted in a rather ironic tribute to me and my multi-media lifemate.

See it!

Is certainly the best looking from this set, rare for such an obscure gem. Very clear picture and sound. Chillers is an episode film, and usually these don't work too well because not enough time is given in the short segments to build up tension, get to know the characters a.s.o. Here, however, in the 87 minutes the film lasts we are treated to no less than 5 stories that build up very well and involve many unexpected plot-twists. We get zombies, vampires, psychopaths, ghosts and possession plus an unexpected surprise ending (which is given away in the trailer that is included on the DVD, so watch this after the film). A group of travellers are stuck in a bus-depot that has all the hospitality of the one in Rock Bottom, where Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star get stranded, and in order to kill time they somehow wind up telling each other their worst nightmares. I won't give away any of the stories here, except that they range from very entertaining to truly frightening. Winner of the prestigious Silver Scream Award by the Acedemy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, and rightfully so, Chillers is a very good horror movie that is one of those examples where a limited budget enhances the creativity of the filmmakers. A truly original visual paperback of great stories.

My review was written in November 1988 after watching the feature on Raedon video cassette.

"Chillers" is a so-so example of regional horror filmmaking, heading to the home video market in time for Halloween plus theatrical exposure on its home turf at the West Virginia film fest.

Five-part anthology resembles a road company version of classic "Dead of Night" with folks waiting at a bus station, soon to be en route to Hell where there's definitely room for one more.

The passengers' tales, punctuated by plenty of blood but unimaginative makeup effects, include a young girl romancing a diver who actually died five years ago. Another woman falls for a tv newsman, imagines him talking back to her through the tv set and ends up involved with vampires. Most elaborate fantasy deals with the Ixpe demon of the ancient Aztecs, but suffers from cheap, unconvincing sets.

Lack of interesting twists and absence of name actors sink this one.

People waiting at a bus terminal tell each other horror stories from their lives. Film has some good moments, but is hurt considerably by a low budget, poor effects, slack direction, mediocre performances, and a surprise ending you will see coming from miles away. Not nowhere near as bad as some of Troma's previous efforts though. Rated R; Violence, Sexual Situations, and Profanity.

Horror is the genre, but not exactly the effect this movie evokes. Not an "even" film (pacing, transitions) and very reminiscent of the 60's B horror flicks, but it has some stellar moments. Those moments captured something that made me recall the grand horror movies that, as children, our neighborhood gang would plot all week long to watch on the TV's Friday night horror show. For nostalgia and some craft, I give it a score higher than many others.