Cameron

My review was written in April 1989 after a Midtown Manhattan screening.

"Cameron's Closet" is an ambitious but very disappointing horror film. Pic arrived tardily in Manhattan theaters months after its poster went up in subway displays, just in time for its appearance in video stores.

Attempt at a minor league "Exorcist" on a puny budget is a mistake. Levitation and other effects are merely okay and the pic lacks the scope of a horror epic. Gary ("The Howling") Brandner merely has fashioned a convoluted tale of a monster in the closet of little boy Cameron (Scott Curtis).

The kid has been experimented upon (a la Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom") by his dad Tab Hunter, combining psychokinesis with demonology to unleash a monster (a demon worshipped by the Mayans, no less).

Hunter exits early, killed by the demon, and mains tory psychically (and unconvincingly) links Cameon with the police detective (Cotter smith) assigned coincidentally o the serial murder caused by the hellish critter. Smith's real-life mate, Mel Harris of tv's "thirtysomething", is cast as a psychiatrist treating both Curtis and Smith (!), latter suffering from blackouts caused by the demon.

Not helped by flat lighting of interiors and dullish Armand Mastroianni direction, pic plods to several confrontations with the monster, poorly executed by Carlo Rambaldi to look like Batman wearing his cowl. An extraneous near-incest scene is pointlessly thrown in near the end like an audience wakeup call.

Harris adds plenty of class to the proceedings, while Smith is bland and little Curti merely competent. Chuck McCann scores in a non-comedic role as a boozing ex-scientist.

A young boy with telekinetic powers unleashes a force set on destroying anything in its path.

We meet Cameron, a child who has the ability to move things with his mind. He likes to play in his closet a lot of the time with his action figures. His father appears terrified of his powers and what something so simple as playing in his room can do thanks to his special abilities. Late one night, the man investigates the closet and is killed by a machete, it's made to look like an accident. The question to the audience is did Cameron control that killing or was it something more sinister?

After the traumatic event, Cameron moves to LA to live with his mother Dory and his rude stepfather Bob. We then meet Sgt. Sam Taliaferro who has been having a recurring daydream, with parts of it very similar to what Cameron has imagined. Meanwhile, Cameron starts hearing growling voices from his new closet which kill his stepfather late one night. With Sgt. Taliaferro on the case, and a psychiatrist who notices Cameron's abilities, can this evil lurking around Cameron be stopped?

There were a lot of mysteries to solve in this one. What was the connection between Taliaferro and Cameron, was Cameron's inner rage responsible for the murders, and who or what is the demonic presence lurking in the closet. The acting ws your average run of mill for a mid 80's horror film. I did think there was great chemistry between Talliaferro/Dr. Haley/Cameron throughout. Mel Harris was a standout.

Cameron's Closet definitely used ideas from other films, in particular Pulse (1988) and A Nightmare on Elm Street. There was a scene in this one very similar to Tina's death in NOES for example. Great special effects with all of the demon scenes, lots of well done gore as well.

Overall, Cameron's Closet is a very average horror film that uses elements from other films out at that time. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel or create suspense with twists and turns. It follows along the same cookie cutter path it's on from the beginning of the movie. The ending and final showdown may have been the most disappointing part of the entire movie. It felt rushed and all too expected for a horror fan like myself.

5/10.

As 80's horror flicks go Cameron's Closet is much better than most. The acting is decent, the effects are quite good and the death scenes are well shot. What more can you ask for? The monster is quite cheesy and you don't get to see much of him, but it somehow works. There's a few nice death scenes which are actually more gory than a lot of 80's horror flicks. I do think things started to slip a bit towards the end, and the ending itself wasn't too amazing.

Cameron's Closet is by no means an essential watch for horror fans, but if you come across a cheap copy you can't go wrong. It's decent entertainment for one night.

I recently viewed the UK film 🇬🇧 Cameron's Closet (1988) on Prime. The plot centers on a young man with telekinetic abilities who inadvertently unleashes a demon in his closet. The demon, intent on claiming the boy's soul, proves ruthless in its pursuit, stopping at nothing to eliminate anyone who stands in its way.

Directed by Armand Mastroianni (He Knows You're Alone), the cast includes Cotter Smith (Mindhunter), Scott Curtis (Santa Barbara), Melissa Harris (Thirtysomething), Kim Lankford (Malibu Beach), and Leigh McCloskey (Inferno).

Cameron's Closet boasts several redeeming elements that contribute to its overall appeal. The opening sequence, featuring a father armed with a machete in his son's room, sets a chilling tone reminiscent of classic "monster under the bed" tales mixed with slasher. The demon itself is well-designed and exudes a palpable intensity, with impressive makeup and prosthetics enhancing its menace. Notable scenes, such as the humorous "thrown out the window" moment, add an enjoyable touch to the film. The cast delivers authentic performances, and the storyline proves engaging, punctuated by a memorable shower scene. While the kills may not reach peak intensity, the film's conclusion is satisfying and merits attention.

In conclusion, Cameron's Closet stands as an above-average entry in the horror genre, offering a worthwhile viewing experience. I would rate it 6.5-7/10 and recommend watching it once.

I thought this movie was that one with the little boy who lost his father and featured a weird puppet, but that one was Making Contact I think. I am sure I saw this film back in the day, but other than Cameron asking if he could play with the doll and a few other scenes my mind was drawing a blank as I watched it recently. It was not too bad, the problem is that it has moments where it is genuinely creepy and totally a R rated horror; however, too many times it devolves into a rather tame film that spends an awful lot of time introducing new characters. Seriously, I was having a hard time keeping up at first!

The story, Cameron is a special boy whose father trained to use numerous psychic and telekinetic powers. Unfortunately, he trained his son too good and it costs the father his life. Cameron goes to leave with his mother and her boyfriend and then flashes to a cop who I thought was the boyfriend, but isn't, the cop is sent to a shrink who I thought was the mom which is how things get interconnected, but no, she is a different character, boyfriend killed and here comes a brother! Meanwhile, a demon begins to kill people and there are some really cool effects and it all boils down to an accidental demon summoning!

The cast is pretty good, though no one I recognize other than Tab Hunter as the father. Still, they seemed to know what they were doing, my guess I probably have seen them before in other horror films. They had that horror film vibe to them. The effects are good, but not all that many, too often the film is just the cop and kid bonding, which makes no sense seeing as how the two have no real connection before the death of the actor boyfriend.

It had its moments and was interesting to watch, I will say it is better than that Making Contact film. That one had the lamest endings ever featuring killer burgers and Vader. This one's climatic battle could have been a bit better too. The demon appears to be a hairless cat and since it scratches and knocks things over that is probably what it is.