I demoni della mente

As 80's horror flicks go Cameron's Closet is much better than most. The acting is decent, the effects are quite good and the death scenes are well shot. What more can you ask for? The monster is quite cheesy and you don't get to see much of him, but it somehow works. There's a few nice death scenes which are actually more gory than a lot of 80's horror flicks. I do think things started to slip a bit towards the end, and the ending itself wasn't too amazing.

Cameron's Closet is by no means an essential watch for horror fans, but if you come across a cheap copy you can't go wrong. It's decent entertainment for one night.

A young boy with telekinetic powers unleashes a force set on destroying anything in its path.

We meet Cameron, a child who has the ability to move things with his mind. He likes to play in his closet a lot of the time with his action figures. His father appears terrified of his powers and what something so simple as playing in his room can do thanks to his special abilities. Late one night, the man investigates the closet and is killed by a machete, it's made to look like an accident. The question to the audience is did Cameron control that killing or was it something more sinister?

After the traumatic event, Cameron moves to LA to live with his mother Dory and his rude stepfather Bob. We then meet Sgt. Sam Taliaferro who has been having a recurring daydream, with parts of it very similar to what Cameron has imagined. Meanwhile, Cameron starts hearing growling voices from his new closet which kill his stepfather late one night. With Sgt. Taliaferro on the case, and a psychiatrist who notices Cameron's abilities, can this evil lurking around Cameron be stopped?

There were a lot of mysteries to solve in this one. What was the connection between Taliaferro and Cameron, was Cameron's inner rage responsible for the murders, and who or what is the demonic presence lurking in the closet. The acting ws your average run of mill for a mid 80's horror film. I did think there was great chemistry between Talliaferro/Dr. Haley/Cameron throughout. Mel Harris was a standout.

Cameron's Closet definitely used ideas from other films, in particular Pulse (1988) and A Nightmare on Elm Street. There was a scene in this one very similar to Tina's death in NOES for example. Great special effects with all of the demon scenes, lots of well done gore as well.

Overall, Cameron's Closet is a very average horror film that uses elements from other films out at that time. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel or create suspense with twists and turns. It follows along the same cookie cutter path it's on from the beginning of the movie. The ending and final showdown may have been the most disappointing part of the entire movie. It felt rushed and all too expected for a horror fan like myself.

5/10.

A boy with telekinetic powers, and perhaps other psychic abilities as well as bowl-cut hair lives with his divorced father, a psychic researcher or something. The boy plays in his closet with a He-Man-like action figure, and a odd statuette he calls "Deceptor." His father hears a strange moan, makes an odd phone call to his research partner, and goes upstairs to the boy's room with a machete. He goes into the closet, vandalizes some things, and is in search of something. The machete moves by itself, and the father falls on it, decapitating himself.

The boy goes to live with his mother and her boyfriend. Meanwhile, a police detective who has sleeping problems has a reoccurring nightmare that is bothering him on the job, and is forced to see a shrink. More closet-related bizarre deaths occur. The detective befriends the boy, and the shrink helps him on the case.

The special effects are pretty uneven. The death scenes are fairly good. A pale grinning figure in the closet is pretty spooky. Dead people who reappear as zombies or as a demon appearing like them are pretty well done. The demon exerts its power by psychically dragging someone up a wall, and across a ceiling towards an out-of-control ceiling fan. The demon itself is pretty darn lame, however.

My review was written in April 1989 after a Midtown Manhattan screening.

"Cameron's Closet" is an ambitious but very disappointing horror film. Pic arrived tardily in Manhattan theaters months after its poster went up in subway displays, just in time for its appearance in video stores.

Attempt at a minor league "Exorcist" on a puny budget is a mistake. Levitation and other effects are merely okay and the pic lacks the scope of a horror epic. Gary ("The Howling") Brandner merely has fashioned a convoluted tale of a monster in the closet of little boy Cameron (Scott Curtis).

The kid has been experimented upon (a la Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom") by his dad Tab Hunter, combining psychokinesis with demonology to unleash a monster (a demon worshipped by the Mayans, no less).

Hunter exits early, killed by the demon, and mains tory psychically (and unconvincingly) links Cameon with the police detective (Cotter smith) assigned coincidentally o the serial murder caused by the hellish critter. Smith's real-life mate, Mel Harris of tv's "thirtysomething", is cast as a psychiatrist treating both Curtis and Smith (!), latter suffering from blackouts caused by the demon.

Not helped by flat lighting of interiors and dullish Armand Mastroianni direction, pic plods to several confrontations with the monster, poorly executed by Carlo Rambaldi to look like Batman wearing his cowl. An extraneous near-incest scene is pointlessly thrown in near the end like an audience wakeup call.

Harris adds plenty of class to the proceedings, while Smith is bland and little Curti merely competent. Chuck McCann scores in a non-comedic role as a boozing ex-scientist.

I recently viewed the UK film 🇬🇧 Cameron's Closet (1988) on Prime. The plot centers on a young man with telekinetic abilities who inadvertently unleashes a demon in his closet. The demon, intent on claiming the boy's soul, proves ruthless in its pursuit, stopping at nothing to eliminate anyone who stands in its way.

Directed by Armand Mastroianni (He Knows You're Alone), the cast includes Cotter Smith (Mindhunter), Scott Curtis (Santa Barbara), Melissa Harris (Thirtysomething), Kim Lankford (Malibu Beach), and Leigh McCloskey (Inferno).

Cameron's Closet boasts several redeeming elements that contribute to its overall appeal. The opening sequence, featuring a father armed with a machete in his son's room, sets a chilling tone reminiscent of classic "monster under the bed" tales mixed with slasher. The demon itself is well-designed and exudes a palpable intensity, with impressive makeup and prosthetics enhancing its menace. Notable scenes, such as the humorous "thrown out the window" moment, add an enjoyable touch to the film. The cast delivers authentic performances, and the storyline proves engaging, punctuated by a memorable shower scene. While the kills may not reach peak intensity, the film's conclusion is satisfying and merits attention.

In conclusion, Cameron's Closet stands as an above-average entry in the horror genre, offering a worthwhile viewing experience. I would rate it 6.5-7/10 and recommend watching it once.