The Backlot Murders

I found this film in a DVD bargain bin at a Walgreens of all places. Seeing that Priscilla Barnes was in it, I decided to give it a whirl...it was to be a decision I would regret for some time to come.

First, the good points. Barnes is EXCELLENT in an over-the-top performance. What made her characterization of Stephanie so appealing is that she was the only performer in the film to not take this mess seriously. It's obvious she's having fun, and that she knows what a stinker this film really is. I can't go into much detail on her role without giving the, uh, plot away so I'll move on.

This film plays out like a nightmare version of Baywatch. Big-breasted women and only moderately attractive fellows run around and scream. Okay, we've seen that before.

The funniest part, however, is in the doco included on the DVD where the director calls this a "thinking man's slasher film." Actually, the direction is just fine, he's just let down by his actors. I've enjoyed the director's other work and will not hesitate to see more of it...providing he is given a bigger budget for better talent. The idea was great, the sets amazing, but something just misses in the execution.

Good job Priscilla Barnes, shame on you everyone else.

I love low budget B horror movies ..this one takes the cake. Campy, predictable and funny. What more could you want in a B movie? You even had Elvis... I thought Nikki (Played by Playboy model Nancy O'Brien) was super hot. The scene when she took her red bra off was awesome..only to see her boyfriend get speared to death. When is the last time you saw a serial murderer kill someone with a spear?...awesome.

I just saw this movie on a movie network tonite. I would have never rented it but I am a huge Corey Haim fan and watched it for the sole purpose that he was in it. On the info it said that he was a main character and that wasn't true he had maybe about 4 lines. I started watching the movie about 15 min in and maybe about ten later I knew who the killer was. This movie was ridiculous. It almost hurt to watch it. I mean whoever the main girl was Janey, I am SUPER surpised that she never did anything else after this movie. I mean her acting brought me to tears but not in the moving emotion sense but in the embarrassed for her to be on camera sense. This movie with the exception of the two leads the manager lady and the director and the 4 lines that Corey had there isn't a don't even have a word. Whoever was the casting director for this movie (no doubt a male) probaly is flipping burgers right now after casting everyone in that movie. Other than that I recommend it, if you are a corey haim fan.

What ever happened to corey haim, the thrills famously sung, i'll tell you what happened, he seemed to go for any script thrown at him, this film included, I've always been facinated with Haims career and to be fair to him I and many others strongly feel that in any movie he can light up the screen, fever lake for example, minus haim that film would surly have not been rented, the guy is actually more talented than people realise. But this film is still weak, its got no direction really, maybe the budget was low , although haim as the guitar player made me chuckle, its funny because ironically had the lost boys been filmed in present day it would be haim who probably would have been cast in kiefer sutherlands role, to summerise this , give the film a miss, unless like me you are a die hard haimster fan.

First let me say I am writing this with no agenda in mind, except perhaps to cut this movie some slack from the 'pros' who think they have to dump on something in order to review it. You know before you rent it or buy it that it is a b movie. As such, it is a very good movie. Priscilla Barnes, absolutely nailed every line. She did a great job in this movie. Carrie Stevens and Angela Little always do a great job, as they did in this movie. They had very small roles, as eye candy sometimes does, but as usual, they did their best, and did very well. This isn't Shakespeare, but most of the time even a movies aren't Shakespeare. They are just more expensive with more effects. There isn't enough eye candy for my taste, but at least it was high quality eye candy. You can certainly do much worse than this movie.