TerrorVision

"Terrorvision" is a fun little slab of 80s cheese. With the costumes,(ranging from Yuppie to Metal Head to Cyndi Lauper) slang, set decor, music (including a 5 sec shot of Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P. >:) ) props (including a hi-fi with the one of the first CD players.) this movie doesn't need carbon dating to show it was made in that era. I first came across this film on the Sci-Fi Channel in the summer of 1999 (the defunct Vestron Television was the ones who distributed the edited mess and judging by the edits made for broadcast, this was aired circa the late 80s when FCC restrictions were *really* tight) I kinda threw it off as a bad movie. Years later, I picked up the complete R-rated video at the local mom-and-pop video store and watched it. The 2nd time around was way better than the first. My opinion changed after seeing the full version. If you like classic B-movie material meshed with the 80s, this is your movie.

Sherman Putterman is your standard alien monster film kid who has seen a monster but can't get anyone else to believe him. His grandpa (Bert Remsen in the film's best performance) is a survivalist promoting his lizard tail jerky product (the perfect food because lizards' tails grow back and you can eat it again) and hiding out in his well-stocked fallout shelter.

If it were possible for a complete parody to be called original, "Terrorvision" (1986) would be the first to qualify. This is another cheap Albert and Charles Band (Empire Studios) production, but is not as mindless as something like "Redneck Zombies" and even has a bit of lyrical (yet very silly) charm. Everyone involved is obviously having a good time and the creature is much like something Richard Carlson would have encountered in a 1950's sci-fi film, but with much more slime. Not until "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" would there be a more self-aware genre parody. Although rated "R" because of some off-color humor, it would not be worth denying middle schoolers the pleasure of viewing this film because the overall style and effect is best appreciated by that age group.

Sherman's swinging parents are Gerrit Graham (who played superstitious car salesman Jeff in "Used Cars") and Mary Woronov ("Eating Raoul").

1980's teen queen Diane Franklin plays Sherman's sister Suzy and Jon Gries (of "Pretender" fame) is her boyfriend "O.D." who is really into heavy metal music. Franklin is almost unrecognizable in her mid-1980's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" look.

Although the parody is primarily directed at the excessive cuteness of "ET", "Terrorvision" also goes after Elvira and Vampira with a similar late night horror show hostess called Medusa who wears a wig of snakes, has two enormous talents, and manages a host(ess) of semi-explicit puns.

The real star is an alien house pet whose mutation into a hungry beast forced its owners to send its atoms out into space. The film begins on a distant planet where this mutated pet is being processed at the mutated creature facility. A stray planet causes the creatures atoms to deflect through space until it finally is sucked down to earth by Sherman's father's new satellite dish.

By the middle of the film the monster has chewed and sucked its way through most of the family and their friends when Sherman, Suzy, and OD have an "ET" moment with it. The monster can mimic anyone it has eaten so the other cast members have a couple of post- demise scenes.

We're introduced to a family brimming with all the worst trappings of the 1980's; the clichés have been elevated to the absurd and it's to the director, Ted Nicolaou's, credit that, in 1986, he was able to poke so much fun at the decade without the benefit of hindsight. The result is an off-the-wall comedy that feels like a 1950's monster movie, staring 'Leave it to Beaver', as filtered through 'Adult Swim'.

The daughter, Suzy, played by Diane Frankin ('Better Off Dead' / 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'), has the hair and make-up of an animated Cindy Lauper and an over-the-top valley-girl gab. A very young Chad Allen (you'll recognize him from nearly every family TV show of the late 80's and early 90's), is the war-game-obsessed son. The mother, played by the always fantastic Mary Woronov (Roger Corman's poster girl and star of 'Eating Raoul'), is a distant, self-involved socialite more interested in her exercise videos than her kids. Gerrit Graham ('Phantom of the Paradise' / 'Demon Seed'), hams it up as the swinging (literally) father always on the lookout for the next big thing. Rounding out the family is Grampa, the paranoid vet with a bomb shelter in the basement (Bert Remsen – 'Nashville' / 'Places in the Heart') and Suzy's boyfriend, 'O.D.', the tweaked metal-head dropout played buy 1980's staple, Jon Gries ('Real Genius' / 'Running Scared'). Together, this group inhabits a home that looks like a cross between a sex spa and a Patrick Nagel exhibition on ecstasy.

Wacky from minute one (the theme song being one of the film's high points), the family has just hooked up their new satellite dish while, simultaneously, far across the cosmos, a creature that can only be described as a booger with eyes, is being transported in exile by a humanoid-lizard alien that we don't learn much more about until the film's climax. The monster is mistakenly transmitted to the family's satellite dish and has the ability to escape at will from their TV sets. Nonsense ensues as the monster is able, by transforming its tongue, to impersonate the face and voice of anyone it kills.

The film never really crosses into any straight genre and manages to hover, quite proudly, over 'wonderfully weird'. If all of Hollywood had ostracized, instead of embraced, Tim Burton, this is the kind of live-action cartoon he'd be making.

8 (or more) out of 10 for those of us who like this particular genre. Otherwise it just may not be for you. If you like good comedy timing, some great lines and a well put together cast of characters then this one is for you. The story is pretty original. A stray transportation beam is accidentally caught by the Putterman family's el-cheapo satellite receiver and a large stray pet alien dog-like creature materialises inside the Putterman mansion. The Putterman's are swingers and leave to meet and later invite the 'Man's Man' Spiro, a muscular Greek gay to their residence. While their gone, we meet the kids, grandpa and the pet-thing. The kids try and train the alien pet who unfortunately isn't normal, even to alien standards and proceeds to eat friends, relatives and almost anyone who drops by.

Parts of the film remind me of Eating Raoul, The Big Bus and a little bit of Bucakroo Banzai as it plays like a cartoon. The main theme (Terrorvision) is really catchy. All in all, a movie that you are bound to watch again, just to re-experience some great lines and scenes.

TERRORVISION is a very peculiar horror-comedy that has the word "camp" labeled all over it. This fairy tale tells about a sloppy alien puppet monster who, presumably by accident, enters Planet Earth via a TV satellite dish. This enormous monster appears on the TV screen at first, then, talk about visual effects, it eventually materializes, appearing live, in the flesh! Talk about audience participation!!

Gerrit Graham (PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, THE ANNIHILATORS) and Mary Wodornov (EATING RAOUL) portray the Puttermans, a happily married suburban couple. They do not realize the "realism" of the monster they see on TV, HA! This so-called "couple" leads a VERY dysfunctional family with a military obsessed son and his survivalist grandfather. There is also a crazed daughter who loves heavy metal rock music, and her mentally inept boyfriend, who looks like Kid Rock minus the attitude and pizzazz. There is also a horror movie hostess, Medusa (Jennifer Richards) who fits into this scheme for absolutely no plausible reason. Meanwhile, the monster devours each of the family members one by one...later reproducing their heads when necessary in order to cover up its actions.

Planet Earth is in grave danger, once again and its only chance into stopping this hungry creature is an intergalactic police alien. He explains to everyone that this creature was originally suppose to be disposed of...but instead, it lands on Planet Earth. This interstellar alien cop is the only one who can blast the gross alien creature into oblivion but...well, I'm sure that you are interested in finding out the rest, so go see this movie!

TERRORVISION is a funny, hilarious horror cult film that has plenty of humor to liven this movie up. There are silly one-liners, hokey special effects, and a variety of "eccentric" characters to give this film strength. It is a stupid film at times, and the cast definitely overacts, but if you are looking for a nice, relaxing horror film that offers a very different style from the rest of the horror movies in this genre, then TERRORVISION is recommended for you!

This film was again produced by the one and only Empire Pictures, and you know what that means: cheesy special effects and acting galore! The monster especially is the most ludicrous...hairball-type creature that I have ever seen on screen. The rest of the special FX in this movie are standard fare though, with a elegant touch of cheekiness...

If you are in the mood for a humorously bad movie, then this picture is the perfect candidate for you! In addition to being a delightfully stomach churning horror experience, TERRORVISION is a satire on the media-obsessed suburban middle class family. Hey, these guys make "The Simpsons" look and act like those mature, civilized, and pleasantly lovable neighbors living next door. If you thought that your own family may be "dysfunctional," hey (trust me), the family portrayed in this movie will add new meaning to that word!

For a fine sense of humor that will appeal to cult film fans, TERRORVISION is destined to become that next "special" classic. Beware, if you are not prepared to laugh and be disgusted at the same time, then perhaps you should skip this film...

RATING: ** out of ****.