Director – Charles Band (Meridian, Head of the Family)
Starring – Michael Citriniti (Psychos in Love, Demonic Toys: Personal Demons), Rhonda Griffin (Naked Fear, The Creeps), and Mel Johnson Jr. (Total Recall, The Munsters Today)
Release Date – 1997
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 3/5
I like horror. The entire genre can be split up into many different sub-genres and for the most part I like em all. I do like some more than others but for the most part I can find a movie in each sub-genre that I like. My love for the genre is so broad that I often find myself liking things that most “real” horror fans like. You know these people. They are the ones that masturbate to Hellraiser and Texas Chainsaw Massacre while proclaiming extreme or underground horror is the only real horror. We all know people like this and our social media pages is full is dickheads that feel the need to bash other films in the comment section of our posts.
My love of Troma and Full Moon has brought me under fire by these people before but I refuse to pretend not to like something so I can be cool and fit in. The same reason I don’t wear Harley boots with shorts like most of the guys I see at conventions. Recently, Full Moon released their late 90s classic Hideous on blu. This is one of the few Full Moon flicks I haven’t seen so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to hook me up. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a wealthy profiteer who sells biological oddities to the highest bidder. When she scores the rarest of oddities she contacts a wealthy collector to sell the piece. Her secretary sells her out and another collector steals the piece at gunpoint. A private investigator is involved and they track the piece down which is being held in an old castle. The owner locks everyone in until the situation is settled but what they don’t know is that their collection of human oddities in jars is actually alive and they will kill be to free.**Spoiler Alert**
Full Moon flicks are far from perfect but they still offer up an entertaining horror film. Most of the films center around puppets or small creatures which is always welcome in my home. I’m a sucker for a creature feature. To be honest, I can’t think of many Full Moon films that I didn’t like. Hideous is no exception. It is the weaker of the Full Moon catalog but still offered up some entertainment.
The acting in this one is decent. The cast works very well together but their characters are written very flat. They have no personalities or real backstories that helps the viewer get to know them.
The story for this one is funny but one we have seen before. The first thing that came to mind was that the film was Night of the Living Dead with the undead being replaced by aborted fetuses and the like. I actually enjoyed the story for what it was but it did make the film feel small in scope and claustrophobic.
Finally, the film isn’t as bloody and gory as most would like but the film is still home to some great practical effects. I really liked how the creatures looked. They were slimy and fantastic to look at. I believe that a few of Full Moon’s puppets from the Puppet Master series may have been repurposed here because the similarities are very noticeable. Overall, Hideous is another late night flick from Full Moon. The film does suffer from tiny sets and cramped scenes but the story is still worth a watch. Check it out.
Special Features:
Commentary
Original Videozone
Trailers
