Blu Release – 4/5
Attack of the Killer Refrigerator
Director – Michael Savino (The Hook of Woodland Heights)
Starring – Lori Regonini, Christina Murphy (Carlito’s Way), and Lori Carson (The Dwelling)
Release Date – 1990
Tagline – “Oh no!! I hate cold cuts!!”
I”ve always been drawn to the goofy side of cinema. I love horror movies that have a sense of humor and doesn’t try to be the next great slasher, zombie, torture porn flick that we’ve seen thousands of times before. Give me a movie with some clever humor and a ridiculous plot and I’m in. One movie that I’ve known about for years but never had the opportunity to check it out was 1990’s Attack of the Killer Refrigerator.
I had seen this one floating around in various horror sites on VHS but I was out of tape collecting at the time so I never tried to score a copy. I did find it on bootleg DVD a few years back but I never pulled the trigger on it. I’m glad I waited because the folks over at Terror Vision released the film on blu. I refused to sleep on this release so I snagged a copy and tossed it in when I could.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a group of teenagers who decide to have a little get together. As time goes on the group separate to fornicate and one by one an old fridge that they randomly abused comes to life to seek revenge. **Spoiler Alert**
Attack of the Killer Refrigerator is not trying to be anything but a fun movie. It’s cheap, rushed, and messy but it’s funny and holds your attention just long enough to finish it. It’s a movie you can toss on with some friends and have some laughs or binge watch with some beers with movies like Over-sexed Rug Suckers from Mars.
The acting in this one has plenty of room for improvement but I wouldn’t say that it was bad. Sure, it’s awkward at times and the cast’s eyes wonder all over the screen but they react naturally with one another. It makes the absurd story work while giving the film some humor. It ma be cringy humor but the cast still delivers some laughs. The story for this one is short and simple. It gets straight to the point and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. The film is less than 20 minutes which is a brilliant run time for a film like this. Stretching it out any further would have stretched the joke way too thin.
Finally, the film has some blood but don’t expect memorable deaths with amazing gore. The deaths are funny and fit the film but they will not stick with you like some of your favorite kills from other genre favorites. Overall, Attack of the Killer Refrigerator is a short shot on video horror comedy about a killer fridge. It’s not a title that will change your life forever but it’s fun especially if you are drunk or high. Check it out on blu now from Terror Vision.
Bonus Film – The Hook of Woodland Heights
Director(s) – Michael Savino (Attack of the Killer Refrigerator) and Mark Veau
Starring – Robert W. Allen, Christine McNamara, and Michael Elyanow
Release Date – 1990
Rating – 3.5/5
When I first learned about the horror comedy Attack of the Killer Refrigerator it was a vhs release that was making some rounds on different horror message boards I frequented. I can remember it becoming a popular topic on Upcoming Horror Movies where I remember talking with a few of my friends there who had seen it. They all mentioned how it was something up my alley and I often looked at the VHS artwork over and over without noticing the bonus film at the bottom of the artwork.
The movie was released with a second film, the 40 minute short The Hook of Woodland Heights. It wasn’t until I ordered the blu release from Terror Vision that realized that it had a second film and when I was looking for artwork for my review that I saw the second title at the very bottom of the release. This bonus film is much longer than the title release and I couldn’t wait to check it out.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a serial killer missing his hand who escapes from an insane asylum and makes his way through the woods to a small community. Using a homemade pronged fork on his missing hand, he begins kills people as they cross his path. **Spoiler Alert**
The Hook of Woodland Heights reminds me a lot of the recent S.O.V. releases from Visual Vengeance. It’s cheap, amateur, but so much fucking fun. Hell, I think this film is much more enjoyable than Attack of the Killer Refrigerator but doesn’t have the appealing title. This backyard film pays tribute to the classic ghost story told around campfires for decades along with some classic slasher flair. I like it but it’s far from perfect.
The acting in this one is not the worst I’ve seen but it also suffers from inexperience. The characters are very generic but the cast is clearly friends in real life and that chemistry shows in most scenes. They work well together and the awkwardness of inexperienced acting is not as noticeable as it could have been. The story for this one is a straight homage to the classic camp fire tale told for decades about the escaped mental patient with a hook for a hand. However, the film flows like a slasher which I really enjoy and at 40 minutes it doesn’t over stay it’s welcome. It has solid pacing but a little more time could have been spent on character development and the death scenes.
Finally, the deaths are amusing and use classic camera tricks and movie magic. We get some blood but that is really the extent of the effects which is a bit of a let down. Overall, The Hook of Woodland Heights is a fun short S.O.V. horror flick that has no reason being as good as it is. I really enjoyed it and think it’s the better of the two films in the set. (I know here is another Christmas themed film in the set)
Special Features:
Attack of the Killer Refrigerator Commentary
Attack of the Killer Refrigerator 2 Trailer
The VERY FIRST Attack of the Killer Refrigerator
The Hook of Woodland Heights Commentary
The Hook of Woodland Heights Documentary
The Hook of Woodland Heights: A Look Behind the Scenes
Hooked On You Music Video (Featuring The Heartbeats)
Bonus Feature: Days Before Christmas (with Optional Commentary)
Bonus Feature: Media House Films: Defrosted
Bonus Short: Snapper: The Man-Eating Turtle Movie That Never Got Made by John Campopiano
Where is the actual review of the blu-ray in your “blu-ray review”? You list the special features but you don’t actually talk about the blu-ray AT ALL except to remind us that it is from Terror Vision because you got to get in those plugs. You should be talking about the picture and sound. You should be talking about the special features. You should mention it at least once by kissing Terror Vision’s ass. You mention the 3rd feature on the disc but you don’t actually review it. Why? Why waste everyone’s time? This is a terrible blu-ray review.