This campy 80's classic is a lot of fun
Understand that I am giving this movie a good review based on a "so bad it's good" scale. None of the acting is going to win any awards here, the music is strictly cheese (even at times ripping off Psycho), and there is plenty of sex and nudity. In short, this is a prime example of the slasher films of the 80's, but I think this is a little more fun to watch. Every cliche you can think of is here, but most prominent are the "clueless" cops. So, I'll talk a little bit about what the story is about...not much depth here...lol!
So, the movie starts off with an total eclipse and 3 children being born during it...in the same town of course and at the same time. As we are told later on in the movie, being born during an eclipse is bad mmmkay, because during this time, Saturn is blocked and it gives you emotions. Yes, this is uttered in this film...complete cheese and it's great! So the kids born during this, lack emotions and therefore have no problems with killing anyone they see fit too. And no one is safe from their murderous shenanigans. They are a hoot too, there is Curtis (played by Billy Jane of Parker Lewis Can't Lose fame...I knew he looked familiar), Debbie (Elizabeth Hoy), and Steven (Andy Freeman). When these 3 get together watch out.
There is some great camp to be had here. I loved the fact that Debbie is already learning the art of good business by charging 25 cents to watch her sister undress (via a hole in the closet). The sister (Beverly) is played by Julie Brown of MTV fame, hamming it up here. Also of note is Joyce (played by Lori Lethin) as the girl that no one will believe and her kid brother Timmy (K.C. Martel) who just always seems to avoid death at the hands of these little monsters. Joyce reminded me a lot of Alice from the first Friday the 13th. The acting is just as bad too...lol.
What can I say, I enjoyed watching these little demons and their murderous rampage. There is a great scene involving a car in a junk yard and Joyce that they lured there. I dunno though, the note they used to get her there was supposedly from her brother Timmy and it starts off "Joyce"...I am... I just kind of found it hard to believe he would address his sister that way, or that she bought that. Also hard to buy is the fact that the cops can't tell the difference between someone being beat to death with a baseball bat and slipping on the steps on a skateboard. But as long as it keeps the mayhem going, i'm good with it. I did find Curtis' fascination with sex and nudity a bit disconcerting. He's practically a voyeur, and watching sex makes him want to kill who is doing it...but at the same time he seems to enjoy watching it momentarily...odd.
Also, that's kind of odd in and of itself, I mean I know this is supposed to be an 80's slasher, but the nudity is copious here and for a movie that has a lot of children in it...just strikes me as wrong somehow. !!!Spoiler alert!!! - one of my favorite lines in the entire movie is after Debbie dispatches her sister and then calls the other kids over to help clean up the mess. They get there and say "Why didn't you wait on us?" to which Debbie replies "I can't help it, she had it coming". LOL. As said before the music is classic overblown 80's music that could have been on the Brady Bunch. It almost at times gives the movie a sitcom feel. The film is shot like any other film of this decade in the slasher genre...we even get some POV shots at the start when a couple that decide to do their business in an open grave meet Curtis and Debbie for the first...and last time. Oh yeah, and there is nothing like teamwork. Kids back then...
So, how do I rate this movie. First off, understand that this is a hard R movie. Not so much in the language dept as the sex and nudity. Also, the gore is like a toned down Friday the 13th. But all in all, this is a fun way to spend an hour and 24 minutes. If you don't have an aversion to campy 80's movies, you are likely to have a good time here, just know what you are getting into beforehand.
8 out of 10
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