Mausoleo

This was a strictly okay horror flick. I'll tell you how bad the quality of film this was: it looked old the first time I saw this,on a Saturday afternoon horror film fest on the USA Network in 1988! It had only been in the can for five years and it looked like it was at least ten years old!

Bobbie Bresee was(still is?)a fox whose acting prowess wasn't bad enough to merit her among the legendarily bad(think Pia Zadora,Denise Richards,Kim Bassinger),but was still just wooden enough that producers smartly decided to put her in films with more scream,cleavage and probably less dialogue. I cannot fault the poor bastards who were victimized by her demon-breast,glowing eyes seduction. I'm not sure I could resist that temptation,either!

Don't try to make sense of this film.Just enjoy the sex and silly special FX.

Four out of 10 Stars

Mausoleum is a strange and somewhat interesting film about demonic possession. The special effects for the gore were exceptional, however, the special effects for other aspects were quite poor and low budget. The acting is fair and the storyline is a little far-fetched but the movie itself is pretty good. The movie has its creepy moments and it has a tendency to keep your interest. This is a fairly good B film and if you get a chance check it out.

The Nomad family is cursed. Every first daughter of a new generation is damned to be possessed by a demon that really wants to raise hell. Orphan Susan is sent to live with her overbearing Aunt after the deaths of her parents. The Aunt keeps a close eye on Susan for signs that she will succumb to the nasty familial curse. Her young years go by relatively quietly but after she marries the demon comes put to play and nobody is safe.

'Mausoleum' may seem like an average ordinary slasher on top (lord knows this time period was chock full of them) but the supernatural slant gives it a leg up on the competition. Surprisingly the film even manages to generate a halfway decent atmosphere and an occasionally creepy moment or two (young Susan all green demonic eyes aglow). I say check it out if you're a fan of 80's horror or on the lookout for an obscure gem.

Well-shot, atmospheric chiller. Bobbie Bresee, in her first horror film, doffs her blouse at every available opportunity. Marjoe Gortner (FOOD OF THE GODS) is very effective as Bresee's hubby. The late John Buechleur does an outstanding job on makeup effects. His female demon has to be seen to be believed.

Bobbie Bresee (the temptress in "Ghoulies") stars here as Susan Walker Farrell, whose family history is colourful, to say the least. It dictates that she will fall victim to demonic possession as an adult, when she is married to concerned nice guy Oliver Farrell (Marjoe Gortner, "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?"). Various people are killed off by her while she is in this demon incarnation, and it will be up to her longtime psychiatrist, Simon Andrews (Norman Burton, "The Gumball Rally"), to do his reading on the Nomed family (the name is a clumsy clue) and find out how to save the day.

The 80s live on in ultra-cheesy spectacles like this one. While hardly a "good" film, that matters little. The truth is, it's a VERY amusing low budget horror / sleaze / schlock film, complete with negligible acting, ropey visual effects, decent gore, a dose of nudity from Ms. Bresee, entertainingly designed creatures (the "demon breasts" are the most original touch), melodramatic music by Jaime Mendoza-Nava, and a fair amount of humour, at least some of which I believe IS intentional. The silly script is credited to Robert Barich (who pulled triple duty; he was also a producer and the cinematographer) and Robert Madero. The film is never more fun than when Ms. Bresee is undergoing her monstrous manifestations. These are always worth hearty laughs.

Marjoe, commendably, looks very serious as the distraught husband. The same goes for the great character actor Burton. Bresee is very sexy, but not much of an actress. Laura Hippe ("The Swinging Barmaids") plays Susan's aunt Cora. Maurice Sherbanee ("Charlie Wilson's War") is the horny, seedy gardener; La Wanda Page of 'Sanford and Son' fame is priceless as the maid who just might be the smartest character in this whole thing. And that's Bill Vail, Kirk from the original "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", as the final incarnation of the demon.

"Mausoleum" is a hoot and a half, a film very much of its time that can barely be considered scary, but is awfully damn entertaining much of the time.

Seven out of 10.