Deadly Intruder

The usual nutcase escapes from the usual mental hospital, and the usual Mayberry cops do their usual bumbling as the usual idiots are massacred in the usual style while the usual blonde in the usual peril screams her head off.

The only remotely UNusual distiction of this love-crazed-maniac throwback is the false-protagonist "twist" near the end, and you'll probably see it coming by halftime. There aren't even any especially potent kills in this supplementary, cliché-ridden offering from the high tide of the 80s slasher epoch. The fact that it reaches to Danny Bonaduce for star power should be telling enough that you'll keep your expectations low.

A forgettable, but yieldingly watchable side-dish. 3.5/10.

My review was written in March 1985 after watching the movie on Thorn EMI video cassette.

Deadly dull sums up "Deadly Intruder", an underdeveloped horror picture made last year and too weak for theatrical use, going directly into the home video market.

Stale premise and predictable twist concerns a psycho, escaped from an institution, on the rampage in a small town while local cop (Stuart Whitman, in for a couple of scenes wearing a beard) and his men haplessly try to catch him. A drifter (played by screenwriter and co-producer Tony Crupi) kidnaps the heroine (Molly Cheek), and is mistaken for the real psycho.

Relying on the stalker formula, pic repeatedly sets up situations of gore and mayhem yet tastefully avoids showing the carnage on screen. However, homevideo fans will appreciate the inclusion of several nude scenes, including one of the heroine that is photographed (head always out of frame) as if a body double was being utilized.

John McCauley's direction is mediocre, offering little style and relying upon a self-written musical score heavily indebted.to the repetitive keyboard figures favored by Italian rock group Goblin and America's John Carpenter.

I'll admit this movie isn't original or special, but it has stuck with me since I saw it a long time ago (back when I was watching every horror movie available, so I have seen a lot). Basically, a girl is being stalked by a serial killer that is loose in a small town. There is a drifter wandering around, engaging in violent behaviour, as well as a mysterious newcomer that may be too nice. All in all, it's passable fair if you like the old 80's horror films (although this is more of a thriller than a horror). I must say, I really enjoyed the ending, and the very last shot of the film before the credits roll is excellent.

This film got lost in the glut of slasher flicks that avalanched into the vid stores back in the merry old 80's.

Mental hospital escapee tries to survive outside. And you just KNOW he's going to revert to his old homicidal ways. And of course you've got your lone cop trying to find him before he does.

The dark atmosphere helped a lot here. One got the impression one saw more in the shadows. I kept thinking I missed a few clues.

The acting itself was so-so at its best, but no one was bad, so I guess that's a plus.

The cover art on the video box sucked me in back in '88 or so when I saw this. I never regretted it. There's so much drek from when video got huge. This one is worth remembering.

THE DEADLY INTRUDER (1988)

The setup is fairly simple as a group of friends are stalked and murdered by a mysterious killer before and after a dinner party. It all leads up to a predictable but well done twist and finale. There's not much new here but it's done pretty well. I'm not gonna lie the movie is very low budget and suffers from its constraints but still offers some decent, retro genre fare.

6/10