Saturday the 14th

This movie was made as a spoof at a time when it was at about the same quality as what it was spoofing. On other review on this page says that the jokes and costumes are outdated and cheap. Well, maybe if you watch the current horror films. Personally, I prefer the old horror movies, from the black and white to the corny 70's gorror films. This film really does work, but you have to have a certain taste in film and comedy, so it isn't for everyone.

If you like Evil Dead, the original Friday the 13th, The Birds or those old, grainy horror films, I suggest that you at least watch it and see if you like it. You won't lose anything and you'll probably get a few laughs out of it. The worst thing about this movie, the one thing that drives me up the wall about it, is that it's usually very hard to find. It's not incredibly popular and it's rather old. Sometimes you can find it from a video retailer or one of those subscription/mail-in DVD dealers, but you're really basing it a bit on luck. As an overall, something to seriously check out, if you can find it. I hope you enjoy it.

This movie was telecast on TV in my part of the world (India) in the early Nineties when the cable TV boom hit India. It was released as Friday THE 13th IS BAD, Saturday THE 14th IS WORSE. With a catchy title like that how can we miss this scary movie. At that time I had heard about the Friday the 13th horror series- but had not seen that movie. My brother and I waited with baited breath for this movie which we expected to be much, much, much more terrifying than Friday the 13th. but what we saw was a mild movie; a movie which just about gets a D- grade among horror movies. At that time id dint know that this was a spoof, or that its one not to be taken seriously. now thinking back- did i enjoy that movie- yup- and its another golden oldie which i treasure of my childhood.

Oh god, another horror spoof?! Yes, but you gotta love this one. I get the feeling that they made "Saturday the 14th" for fun, and cast Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss to give the flick a less than totally silly feel. Benjamin and Prentiss play the parents of a typical all-American family who inherit a deceased uncle's house. Right after they move in, the son comes across a Book of Evil. He opens it, and sure enough, the house is soon swarming with monsters that the dad for some reason never notices (why don't parents pay more attention to what their kids say?). Meanwhile, husband-and-wife vampires are looking to gain control of the house.

This film definitely constitutes nice, silly fun. I wish that they'd shown just a little more of the daughter in that one scene, but the censors probably wouldn't have allowed that. But overall, the movie shows that my generation should acknowledge the careers of Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss as my parents' generation did. Also starring Jeffrey Tambor.

If I may add one thing, the last few months of 1981 saw some varied but fine cinema: aside from this movie, there was "Das Boot", "Gallipoli", "Mommie Dearest", "Mephisto", "The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie", "Ragtime", "My Dinner with Andre" and "Reds". Impressive.

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.

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.