Ghostfever

Comedy with its moments of comedy even if calling it a decent movie is an almost correct judgment. It is not so bad as to be memorable but it strives not to fall into the most desecrating ugliness.

I was telling a friend of mine about the time my grandfather actually picked this horrible piece of crap for us to see one night at the theater. He never picked another one again! It was that bad! Anyway, my friend then told me that her father did some of the writing for this garbage. I thought she was kidding. It turns out, she was serious. She had never actually seen it, and she said that it put a quick halt to her father's writing career. I told her not to waste her time. But, if she did actually break down and watch it, she would see within the fist minute why this ended her father's days as a writer. I mean, even for the 1980's, this crap is bad beyond description. I mean, Joe Frazier as Terrible Tucker? And why in the world would two cops care one bit about a house full of ghosts? And the movie poster? A ghost with his tongue hanging out? What is that about? Nothing about this makes any sense. Well, I told my friend that this crap not only ended her father's writing career, it ended the careers of everybody involved. Or, at least none of them ever fully recovered from being in this garbage of a movie. Let's just say that I will forever ridicule my friend for revealing to me that her father was a writer for this movie! That alone should tell just how bad this is!

This movie is só incredibly unfunny it makes any man want to cry, the cliché are put on thicker than 5-year old peanut butter and in such a way that it actually sucks humour out of your heart, every single joke was badly timed and wouldn't have been funny if it were timed correctly.

Don't see this movie, there's a real chance you'll never be able to enjoy going to comedies again...ever.

Alan Smithee strikes again. Yes, after watching "Ghost Fever" you'll see why this popular pseudonym (in placed for Lee Madden) was used. "Ghost Fever" is very corny and boisterous, but a very misguided slapstick low-budget horror comedy with little in the way laughs, but filled with constant annoyance and stupidity in the sketches. Well actually, I was somewhat amused by it. Not that I found it funny, but at least it didn't bore me. I guess that's got to count for something. Two cops, Buford and Benny are sent to a supposedly rundown southern plantation to evict the residents of the Victorian mansion. However to their surprise the occupants happen to be ghosts and they have no intention of leaving. Story-wise it's a slight, farcical and chaotic sideshow. There's not much of a story thread, as it's a one-idea joke with randomly staged set-pieces looking for nothing more than a laugh and to set-up the very next out-there, if clichéd haunted house situation to help move the film forward. But some things which do happen at the back-end, feel breezy and spontaneous with no real thought behind it but to simply to throw it out there. A vampire, zombies and a boxing match finds its way in the make up. Sherman Hemsley and Luis Avalos in the leads are comically silly in a very forced manner, but mildly agreeable. Also turning up is Myron Healey, Jennifer Rhodes and a cameo role for boxer Joe Frazier. The production looks cheap, as the special effects are gawky and filled with colourful lights to go along with the exaggeratedly decorated direction. Some moments do manage to install a bit of atmosphere. Plus you gotta love that catchy theme song.

"We dead people sure know how to live."

Especially if you love horrible movies. When I first started watching it, all I could say was "I hope there's a dance sequence in it." Imagine my delight when not ONLY did the two main characters dance, but the main ghost began break dancing as well. AND on top of THAT, Sherman Hemsley sings the break dance song (not to mention the theme song). It makes me a little sad that he went broke because of this movie, but I've never liked him as an actor and he really should have known better. Not even the director would take credit for this movie (and you should check out some of the other films he directed!).

One note of warning, though, the writer seemed to really like jokes about the, um, male lower regions. For example, one of the characters discovers a book called "Groins of the Darker Species." I am not kidding. And that, to me, is the most disturbing part of the film. Other than that, find the most obscure video rental store in your town, get the movie, invite all your friends over, and laugh until you cry with Ghost Fever.