The Chair

Warden Edward Dwyer (Paul Benedict of THE JEFFERSONS) re-opens a dilapidated prison with the help of 8 trustee inmates. Along for the ride are psychologist Dr. Langer (James Coco) and his assistant Lisa (Trini Alvarado), who try to help the prisoners with some 80s "I'm okay, you're okay" therapy. Of course, this prison has - I hope you have already guessed - a history and there is a ghost out for revenge. Believe it or not, this is one of the few flicks produced by Angelika Films, a production company offshoot that predated NYC's famous Angelika Film Center (same logo and everything). For a group known for having its finger on the indie pulse, they sure didn't know crap about making a viable commercial product. Actually, husband and wife industrial filmmakers Waldermar Korzenioswsky and Carolyn Swartz are mostly to blame here as they never make it horrific enough, unless you count their terrible attempts at comedy and the ill-fitting piano score and opening blues tune. Just what the hell was the film supposed to be? And how can you waste such a good location and actors? The film ends with an on screen dedication reading "For Jimmy" as Coco died during filming. Poor Jimmy (in both regards). Co-starring Mike Starr, Brad Greenquist, Stephen Geoffreys and a underutilized Richard Edson.

i was hoping trini would be more hornier and suggestive.her character was the only woman in a men's prison.men who haven't had the pleasures of the flesh in years.she could've had any man she wanted but never did.this was a missed opportunity for skin and sex.she could've been in the showers, naked and soap dripping between her breasts .i was hoping trini would be more hornier and suggestive.her character was the only woman in a men's prison.men who haven't had the pleasures of the flesh in years.she could've had any man she wanted but never did.this was a missed opportunity for skin and sex.she could've been in the showers, naked and soap dripping between her breasts .

The late 80s saw a spate of prison/electric chair themed horror movies: Prison (1987), Shocker (1989), House III (1989), and The Chair (1988), the latter easily being the worst of the bunch. The Chair is clumsily directed, poorly written, badly acted trash, with just a few seconds of reasonable make-up effects preventing the film from being a total waste of time.

Andie MacDowell lookalike Trini Alvarado (The Frighteners) plays Lisa Titus, who takes a job at the High Street Correctional Facility, run by Dr. Harold Woodhouse Langer (James Coco), who hopes to rehabilitate a group of prisoners (including Fright Night's Stephen Geoffreys) through his emotional guidance and growth project. What they don't realise is that the building is haunted by the angry spirit of a warden who was fried in the electric chair by his prisoners during a riot.

The one and only film to be directed by Waldemar Korzeniowsky, this film is ineptly made drivel from the outset, the action moving clumsily from one terrible scene to the next with zero regard for narrative cohesion. The whole film has a bizarre, offbeat vibe that is reflected in the quirky performances, all of which feel completely out of place in a horror film -- the whole thing is just too damn strange to be scary.

2/10.

An idealistic psychologist Dr. Harold Woodhouse Langer re-opens an abandon prison to hopefully change the mindset of some hardened criminals. Warden Edward Dwyer thinks very little of the program, but begins to be haunted by the prison's horrific past which he personally knows about. Soon the prisoners break into fear with the strange things going on, but Dr. Langer doesn't believe them.

Soon after the Renny Harlin's 1988 horror flick film 'Prison', came this very cheap, uneven and non-effective prison supernatural horror yarn. It never breaks away from the overall silliness, to storm up anything that resembles thrills. The problem was I don't know if it was trying to be humorous or not, because of how quirky the story and performances came across. Too bad it wasn't funny either. What was the deal of that over-extended opening sequence with that weepy blues song? I had to check the video again to make sure I was watching the right film, because it felt totally out-of-place. This can be said the same for Eddie Reyes' makeshift (carnival sounding) music score, which would go out of its way to butcher some scenes. What drag it out was that it had a slim, ponderous plot that takes ages to get going, and when it does its rather anticlimactic. The talky script might want to be character-based, but it couldn't have been anymore redundant and vapid in detailing the characters and their plights. Batty acting amuses, with the likes of Paul Benedict, Mike Starr and Stephen Geoffreys. Holding her own is Trini Alvarado. Director Waldemar Korzeniowsky clumsily stages it with nothing but routine tools and techniques. The special effects are sparse, but the execution is goofy. I could've gone without it. Very weak.

"The Chair" is another set in prison horror film,which reminds me "Prison"(1988).I loved "Prison",but this one is pretty bad.The performances are mostly awful,the special effects are cheesy beyond belief and there's absolutely no suspense.The gore is also absent,so horror fans will certainly be disappointed with "The Chair".However if you have some time to waste,check it out-you have been warned!!!The plot:Twenty years later there was a riot in prison.During it one of the wardens was electrocuted.Now he is back for revenge...