MY CALL: Hokey, awkward, funny and gory, this weird hidden gem will surely please fans of silly 80s horror. MORE MOVIES LIKE Doom Asylum: Basket Case 1-2 (1982, 1990) and Frankenhooker (1990).
After winning a major legal case, Mitch (Michael Rogen; Basket Case 2) and the love of his life Judy (Patty Mullen; Frankenhooker) die in a drunk driving accident. Just one problem… during the autopsy we learn that Mitch isn’t dead!!! And just for ridiculous flavor, this “official” autopsy was taking place in an insane asylum.
This movie wastes zero time before introducing the mangled gore. The autopsy scene occurs in the first five minutes of the movie and we see Mitch’s partially skinless face, muscle fibers and brain exposed, a blade impaled in his neck—like something out of Hellraiser (1987)! His hands are awesomely gashed and necrotic.
Probably named in homage to Gunnar Hansen (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Mitch Hansen becomes something of a Leatherface caricature and starts killing right away. Ten years later, local folklore tells of the man who lurks in the abandoned asylum of his further mutilation and kills victims with autopsy tools.
Planning on a day of picnicking and sunbathing at the local abandoned insane asylum, of course, a group of college students (including Kristin Davis; Sex and the City) arrive only to discover an all-woman metal band (including Ruth Collins; Witch Academy, Lurkers, Cemetery High) is hanging out in the asylum that day as well.
Director Richard Friedman (Death Mask, Scared Stiff) revels in this ludicrous movie. The dialogue is often robotic, the kills are really clunky, and Tina’s (Ruth Collins) incessant cackling is something from a cartoon villain. It’s bizarre in a way that draws awkward grins. There’s a lot of dorky relationship talk, our villain has some very cheesy lines, and there’s a very long, super clumsy fight between a guy and the metal band front woman.
The “face in acid” death scene offers a deliciously gory melted face payoff along with some hokey lines. The on-screen “brain drill” death was decent. But the on-screen bonesaw-to-the-face was peak awesome for the movie—probably the scene that earned Kristin Davis her iconic Sex and the City role. And while not a death scene at all, the toe-cutting scene may be the most brutal and impressive of all! Just WOW. Also watch out for the cartoonish meat grinder gag.
The hokiness is painful at times, grinworthy at others, and sometimes just plain awkwardly bad. But this movie was trying something different for its time while still delivering on gory visuals and heavy latexwork. And I can appreciate that. Definitely a strong recommendation to fans of 80s horror.
