Themes: Demonic Possession, Haunted By the Past, Missing Persons
Main Cast: William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll, Kay Lenz, Mary Stavin
Release Year: 1986
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
A mild box-office hit for New World Pictures, this lightweight attempt at horror parody from Friday the 13th producer Sean S. Cunningham stars former Greatest American Hero William Katt as a best-selling pop-horror novelist (a la Stephen King) who suffers an insurmountable case of writer's block after separation from his soap-star wife (Kay Lenz) and the disappearance of their young son. Hoping to purge his personal demons by writing his Vietnam War memoirs, he moves into the massive mansion once occupied by his deceased aunt (who hanged herself in her bedroom), and finds himself surrounded by demons of a completely different kind. Katt takes the weirdness in stride, attempting to face down marauding monsters, interdimensional trap-doors and other supernatural horrors while concealing his predicament from the neighbors (except for a befuddled George Wendt, who tries gamely to play along with Katt's hare-brained monster-fighting schemes). Despite the filmmakers' admirable efforts to maintain the manic pace with multiple storylines, their attempt to bring all the plot elements together for the climactic payoff results in a jangled mess. Surprisingly entertaining when viewed as a live-action cartoon, but virtually impossible to take seriously as a horror film. Followed by three sequels. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Michael Ensign - Chet Parker; Susan French - Aunt Elizabeth; Erik Silver - Jimmy; Mark Silver - Jimmy; Alan Autry - Cop; Billy Beck - Priest; Dwier Brown - Lieutenant; Jim Calvert - Grocery Boy; Ronn Carroll - Policeman; Joey Green - Fitzsimmons; Jayson Kane - Cheesy Stud; Bill McLean - Older Man; Stephen Nichols - Scott; Peter Pitofsky - Witch; Felix Silla - Little Critter; Mindy Sterling - Woman in Bookstore; Steven Williams - Cop; John Young - Would-Be Writer; Curtis Scott Wilmot - Skeleton Big Ben; Elizabeth Barrington - Little Critter; Renee Lillian - Zealous Fan; Steve Susskind - Fran McGraw; Donald Willis - Soldier; Ronn Wright - Enthusiastic patron; Robert L. Joseph - Robert; Jerry Maren - Little Critter
Credit
John Reinhart - Art Director, Bernadette O'Brien - Costume Designer, Steve Miner - Director, Michael Knue - Editor, Harry Manfredini - Composer (Music Score), Ronnie Spector - Makeup, Gregg Fonseca - Production Designer, Mac Ahlberg - Cinematographer, Sean S. Cunningham - Producer, Patrick Markey - Producer, Anne Huntley-Ahrens - Set Designer, Backwood Film - Special Effects, Kane Hodder - Stunts, Fred Dekker - Screenwriter, Ethan Wiley - Screenwriter
Roger Cobb (William Katt) is a Vietnam veteran and horrornovelist. After his son Jimmy disappears while visiting his aunt, Roger's search for Jimmy ruins his marriage and writing career. After Roger's aunt suddenly dies, Cobb moves into her house to work on a novel based on his experiences in the war. As strange occurrences start happening around him, Roger becomes aware that the house is evil, not to mention ghost-infested, and it resents his presence in it. The ghosts force him to endure a journey into his past, where he ultimately finds Jimmy at the end.
