TerrorVision

Charles Band and Albert Band's Empire pictures have made some fun productions and "Terrorvision" happens to be one of those inclusions. Wacky sci-fi horror comedy with a terrifically animated cast featuring Mary Woronov, Gerrit Graham, Diana Franklin and John Gries with vividly chintzy special effects by John Carl Buechler. The cartoon-like premise is quite original and mock-serious in its approach, which sees the Puttermans a suburban family getting a new satellite TV which draws in a hungry outer space monster (which looks great). This monster then goes about eating the family, by transporting its self from one TV to another. Everything is done in a comical manner and purposely so, from the flamboyant performances to the colourfully cheap sets and then the creatively grotesque make-up effects. It's downright goofy and surreal, but still far from light-hearted with it streaming with numerous oddball sexual innuendo (especially since Woronov and Graham are playing swingers) and an Elvira like character known as Medusa. Director Ted Nicolaou does a capable job. Diana Franklin is cute and Chad Allen is likable as the young boy who goes up against the beast. While short-lived, it's a constantly amusing tongue-in-cheek outing that's fairly unpredictable, while at the same time haphazard. Despite the fair share of hate, I found it hard not to like this camped-out medium.

"What you looking at you creep".

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.

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.

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 ****.

This is a movie I've kind of been wanting to see. I am ready to add this to my list of personal favorites after watching it for the first time, so I know they did some stuff right. While it's still fresh in my mind, there are some things I definitely want to say. First off, I am extremely surprised that this doesn't seem to have a cult following to it. "TerrorVision" is a great film that should have definitely achieved cult status. From the start (after some credits set to music by Siouxsie and the Banshees imitators!), this has a definite John Waters look and feel. When the fast-paced story moves into grotesque monster territory, it gets even better. And, regardless of how goofy it is, I dig the commentaries the filmmakers are sprinkling all throughout this movie, the main one of all being the most obvious: television giving birth to monsters. This is definitely one of those wild movies that gets weirder and more bizarre as it moves along. As for people quoting favorite lines from Bert Remsen's "Gramps" character, I love it when he refers to MTV as a secret conspiracy to rot the brain. "TerrorVision" wasn't as gory as I've heard, relying more on gooey FX than gory ones, but there are no complaints here. I love this, it was a real upper of a flagrant horror satire. I am so glad I saw this, and I would give it no less than a definite 9 on a scale of one to ten. In fact, I'm tempted to give it a full 10.