Director – Manny Coto (Monsters)
Starring – Larry Drake (Darkman), Holly Marie Combs (Charmed), and Cliff De Young (The Craft)
Release Date – 1992
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline(s) – “Sorry…the Doctor is in…sane” “The Doctor is out… of his mind” “A new prescription for terror” and “If you’re from Moorehigh and you get sick, fall on your knees and pray you die quick”
My film collection is numbering well over 1000 and I have a few hundred films in my Netflix instant queue. That, thrown in with all the movies I read about when I visit the horror forums, makes it surprising when I come across a film I have never heard of. It is even more surprising when I come across a movie with such a silly title. Usually those films with comedic or outlandish titles are the ones that stick out to the audience.
Once again I was playing around on amazon.com when I happened across this title. This movie was in a 6 film box set for around $10 and I grabbed it. I purchased it for Deadly Friend and From Beyond the Grave…this movie was just a bonus. Never seeing it before I decided to throw it in to see if it was worth a shit
**Spoiler Alert**The film opens in 1957 in the town of Moorehigh. As the locals start to go missing the townspeople discover it was the doctor and his son. The doctor and his son were cutting the hearts out of his patients and trying to use them to bring his wife back to life. The locals stoned the doctor to death and his young son disappeared.
We now jump forward, presumably 1992, where we meet high school cutie Jennifer (Combs) as she struggles with life at home and at school. Her mother recently passed away and her father moved on and has started dating. Jennifer is a bit selfish and does not like the thought of her father finding happiness again. She has recently been diagnosed with a heart condition that may require surgery and she is worried over it.
Coincidentally, as Jennifer is diagnosed with her heart condition the doctor’s son, now a grown man, has escaped a sanitarium and is heading back to his father’s home to set up shop. The guards in the sanitarium nicknamed him Dr. Giggles due to his ridiculous laugh. Dr. Giggles starts killing the locals until he discovers Jennifer has a heart condition. Can she fend off the demented doctor or will she end up heart-broken?**Spoiler Alert**
Some days I just sit back and try to grasp certain things that are wrong with the world and for the life of me I can not. I don’t understand how so many shitty movies can get so much publicity while great movies go unnoticed. The 90’s is famous for pumping out a lot of shit but if you dig through it you may find some sweet corn nuggets like this little gem. The acting is top notch and Drake delivers a superior performance. However, his damn laugh became annoying and by the end of the movie I wanted to kick my dog.
The special effects are good but we are not treated to any real deaths on camera. This is my biggest complaint. Slashers are known for their death scenes and this one is void of them. Finally, the story is nothing new nor clever but it is delivered flawlessly. The director and his crew did a wonderful job at giving the film the dark atmosphere that made the 80’s slashers so much fun. Overall, this a great movie that sadly goes unnoticed. I recommend grabbing this one.
