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I've been searching the net for this movie for years and finally found it!!! My church played this one night back in the summer of 1989 at the peak of the satanic panic craze. Most outlets at the time (Geraldo,Oprah,Current Affair and televangelists) focused on heavy metal,horror movies,Dungeons & Dragons and baby killing cults. Revival of Evil was the first to mention punk rock, in particular the Dead Kennedys (one of my fave bands) and new age/UFO gobbledygook. As a teen at the time the hippy dippy spiritualists,ouja board /tarot card stories and paintings were genuinely creepy but also fun in a late night spook show kinda way. This film (as well as the book Turmoil In The Toybox)is a fascinating example of the "Satanic Panic" craze that swept through the 80's and recommended for anyone who ever wondered what the hell it was like to live during that zeitgeist.

I first saw this in 1990 on USA Network's "Saturday Nightmares" program block. I recently found my home recorded copy on VHS and decided to revisit it. Honestly... after all these years Grotesque is still a fun movie.

The premise/plot is crazy, the acting is over the top and the make up effects are crude.But hey...that's all part of the charm. As an avid punk rock enthusiast in the 80's this movie was a campy must see for my circle of friends. Granted it's more of a "made for TV" kind of vibe as opposed to say Repo Man, Return of the Living Dead, Dudes, Class of 1984 or heck even Valley Girl but it still fits. Grotesque is one of those flicks you put on when you get home after an evening of partying and hanging out with friends and just want to space out. My friends watched it for Linda Blair but personally, I always watched it for the actress that played "Shelly". Michelle Bensoussan was absolutely beautiful AND bad ass! Oh and it also featured featured Robert "Maniac Cop" Z'Dar!!!

Check it out if you get the chance otherwise...I guess you had to be there.