Transylvania Twist is a 1989 comedy film that parodies horror movies. Originally released by Concorde Pictures, this film is distributed on home video by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The title of this movie is the same as that of a novelty song by Bobby Pickett, and is also included in the lyrics to his more popular song Monster Mash.
Plot summary
In the prologue, a seemingly helpless young woman is pursued by Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and Freddy Krueger; she kills all three of them, and then faces the camera and laughs (showing us her fangs) and says, "Amateurs!"
Dexter Ward (Steve Altman) is sent by his uncle Ephram (Jay Robinson) to find and bring back The Book of Ulthar, a book of great power capable of unleashing terrible evil in the wrong hands; librarian Ephram had mistakenly let someone check it out. Dexter's search leads him to aspiring singing star Marissa Orlock (Teri Copley), who had just been informed of the death of her father Marinas (Howard Morris) and her inheritance of Castle Orlock in Transylvania. Dexter goes with her to the castle.
Victor von Helsing (Ace Mask), a professional vampire hunter, accompanies Marissa and Dexter to the castle because he believes that Marissa's uncle, Count Byron Orlock (Robert Vaughn), and his three daughters are vampires. Byron, who lives in the castle, is determined to find the book so that he can create an age of evil; assisting him is his butler Stephan (Angus Scrimm).
Most of the movie consists of silly moments of comedy and parody; e.g., when Pinhead steps out of an acupuncturist's office and says, "I don't care what anyone says — this hurts!" At one point, Dexter looks into a room and meets Boris Karloff (in a clip from the movie The Terror); in another, Dexter and Marissa step into a room that's apparently in 3-D, but because neither of them is wearing 3-D glasses, all they see is jumbled red and green.
Finally, the book is found, and Byron uses it to summon an enormous monster called The Evil One (which greatly resembles the creature from It Conquered the World), but Dexter and Marissa (who is possessed by her ancestor of the same name) stop him and destroy the book. The possessed Marissa blasts Byron with a lightning bolt, but as he burns to death he declares that he'll be back in the sequel.
Marinas, who was actually in a deep sleep, tells Marissa that she must stay in the castle to ensure that the monster never returns; Helsing, who is now a vampire, also stays. Dexter arranges for Marissa to make her latest music video in the castle, with the help of her vampire cousins and Helsing.
The film ends with the local villagers, who throughout the movie have been trying to find the castle so they can destroy it, finally giving up and going home.
Subjects of parody
The following are parodied in this movie:
Availability
This movie has been released on VHS videocassette and DVD, both of which are currently out of print.
External links
