Rating: R
Genre:
Horror
Theatrical Release: 03/24/1989(USA)
Release Date: 08/13/2002
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol/Por/KO
Dubbed: English
Run Time: 92 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Not For Children, Gore
Distributor/Studio: Columbia TriStar
This underrated teen-revenge horror film starring
Stephen Geoffreys (
Fright Night) was the directorial debut of
Robert Englund, best known as
Freddy Krueger in the
Nightmare on Elm Street series.
Geoffreys plays Hoax, a picked-on nerd who lives with his religious-nut mother Lucy (the marvelous
Sandy Dennis). One day Hoax calls a 976-line for a "Horrorscope," and the demonic voice at the other end starts giving him wicked advice. Before long, he has killed his brother's girlfriend with tarantulas, slashed the face of a teen tough with his newly-sprouted talons, and gutted several of his tormentors. Only a well-meaning journalist and a sexy schoolmarm can stop the now-demonic Hoax before he sends the whole neighborhood straight to Hell. Granted, the screenplay is rather confused and slow-moving, but
Geoffreys and
Dennis are great, the effects work by
Kevin Yagher is skillful, and this is one of the few teen-horror films with characters that are actually interesting. Look for
Robert Picardo (
The Howling) in a fun cameo as the diabolical Mark Darke. After a brief stint as a teen star,
Geoffreys went on to appear in gay porn films as "
Sam Ritter."
~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
;)
