Saturday the 14th

Real life couple Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss star in this crude and goofy horror parody from New World and producer Julie Corman (Roger C.s' wife). They play John and Mary, who inherit some property that turns out to be cursed. When their inquisitive son Billy (Kevin Brando) happens to open an all important book, he unleashes unspeakable evil on the house - and potentially the world. A non stop assortment of truly ridiculous monsters show up to terrorize John, Mary, Billy, and teen aged daughter Debbie (Kari Michaelsen).

Also along for the ride is top character actor Severn Darden, as an exterminator with the appropriate name of Van Helsing. Jeffrey Tambor, in his second feature film appearance, co- stars as a vampire named Waldemar. As always, these two guys prove to be very valuable. The movie really does hit its stride once Darden shows up. He has most of the best lines.

This is going to come off as much too tame and lame for some tastes, but clearly screenwriter / director Howard R. Cohen was going for a family audience. Some characters do die, but mostly off screen, and there isn't much gore to speak of - aside from a fairly nasty severed head. The creature costumes are hysterically dumb looking, and among those horror classics spoofed are "Creature from the Black Lagoon", "Jaws", and "The Birds". The finale is absolutely cartoonish, with sound effects accompanying all the face making that our adversaries are doing.

Benjamin and the oh so sexy Prentiss are a hoot as the parents, and are ably supported by Tambor, Darden, and others like Rosemary DeCamp, Stacy Keach Sr., and 70s exploitation starlet Roberta Collins.

It might be silly and infantile, but that's not always necessarily a bad thing, and this could appeal to any horror fan who saw it as a kid, or the young at heart.

Six out of 10.

I was at my dad and step moms house, one day at like 7 or 8 years old. As usual I was flipping through there endless amount of video tapes. Well I came across Saturday the 14th...I love horrors, so I poped it in...thinking it would be a scary movie. Wrong...of course like the title suggests...it's going to be a comedy, and was. Well needless to say, everytime I would spend the night at dads house, it seems like I watched this movie. The charectors are kooky the monsters are silly and the family of the main charectors is hilarious to watch them bumble around the house dying off. Jeffery Tamboure (sp) is great in it...I liked his dark sarcastic attitude. And his wife is hilarious. BUT, on the other hand, in the 80's this movie would of been the bomb to a 7 year old. Today though, I seriously doubt it...with children spoiled of special effects. Thus I say, I love this movie for it's nastalgiac qualities...it brings back those priceless child hood 80's days that are long gone! Go rent it, see for yourself how wakcy this movie really is. Don't expect some horror, or block buster. It's only fun and slightly scary.

Horrible. Worse than Pandemonium, Scary Movie, and Titanic combined. Absolute stupidity. All the actors in the movie should be ashamed. I was ashamed for them. Followed by a sequel...which wasn't as bad, but still not good.

Very good movie, if you enjoy low-budget, early 1980's films. It is cheesy, the acting is SUPPOSED to be bad, as are the effects. The movie is intended as a family film, so its pretty mild, however if you've watched a lot of old horror films, especially low budget ones, you should love this. It is a good indication of at least some of the inspiration for newer movies such as the "Scary Movie" series. If you watch it, please keep in mind, it was made in 1981, even the movies that were well-funded and serious at that time appear campy to us now, so keep an open mind and a sense of humor and don't take the movie, or yourself, too seriously.

Unfunny and boring horror comedy. A few good makeup effects (the severed head looks very real!) and the hot daughter (the actress was 20 at the time, so I can say it!) cannot save it. It's a total time-waster. *1/2 out of 4.