L'arme du clown

At a phone sex hotline called "Suite Nothings", a killer known by the alias of "Bobo" begins stalking and killing the women while wearing a clown mask. Lt. Frank Meyers (Tracey Walter) investigates the killings in order to identify and stop the killer.

Out of the Dark is a 1989 slasher film written by J. Greg De Felice and Zane W. Levitt the two were inspired to work on with the prevalence of premium 976 telephone numbers. Originally written under the title of 976-KILL, the script was acquired by Paul Bartel and produced by CIneTel Films which changed the name to avoid confusion with 976-EVIL which they had also produced. The film largely went ignored on its theatrical release making only around $900,000 against a $1.6 million budget, but it most likely did better on cable TV on video stores where this kind of film tended to thrive. While Out of the Dark doesn't strive too far from established tropes of the genre, it does get a bit more stylish and ambitious than other slashers of the time.

What makes the film work is definitely in the interesting cast of characters that are assembled who are played by noted character actors like Karen Black, Bud Cort, Tracey Walter, and even a cameo from Divine (in what was his last role before his death of heart failure). The movie has a nice air of sleaze to it coupled with a mixture of dark humor such as a sting operation where the cops are listening to the phone sex line trying to trap the killer and are clearly getting "hot and bothered" by the language the girls are using. The movie does a good job of making the phone sex operators likable characters many of whom are actresses just trying to make ends meet (one even has it on her resume that she played Ookla the Mok on Saturday morning cartoon The Barbarians). The movie is nicely shot with some visually memorable scenes that strive for a De Palma or Hitchcock feel (De Felice and Levitt even said this was their inspiration) even if the actual "mystery" probably won't surprise you especially since it relies on some pretty flimsy logic.

Out of the Dark is a fun sleazy slasher and it's definitely worth a look for fans of the genre, the actually content isn't far beyond what you typically associate with the genre, but there's some good style and sleaze at play.

For a grade-B slasher, this isn't too awful. Tone down the forced nudity and dopey killer and they could've had something even better. As it is a clown-masked nut is dispatching the hot chicks of a phone se....uh, phone *fantasy* hotline. The mystery aspect is very well executed, which is why I say this could've been a lot more if they went for realism. Instead it's a giddy killer, Freddy Kruegering his way through some routine murders. "Don't call me, I'll call you!" he groans after strangling one of the girls. Then all of a sudden the director goes for nasty gore when a hooker is dismantled and left in a bloody bathtub. The cast is really above par (the girls are gorgeous), with some unknowns turning in good performances, along with veteran journeymen (and women) such as Black, Owens, Cort, and in his one big part I've ever seen, Tracey Walter. Long ago infamous crossdresser Divine even shows up for a scene. And Paul Bartel (who ex. prod.), too! Danielson and Dye carry the film well, and have maybe the most steamy sex scene I've ever watched (even moreso than say, "Fatal Attraction"). The ending provides a good shock and makes this not totally useless. So if you can find it, give it a shot. "It's time for Bobo!"

This was more of a thriller/mystery than a horror. Don't get me wrong, it does have its horror and slasher elements, but these come in more towards the end. There was a lot of unnecessary padding by the way of sex scenes which seemed to drag forever. The best parts are at the end when the killer is unmasked. And there's also the classic Haloween style ending which is quite cool. There are moments of tension when the woman is being stalked down a flight of stairs too.

Overall though this film is nothing special and I wouldn't say it lives up to how good it sounds (ie. phone sex workers being stalked by a killer in a clown mask). Watch it if you love clown type killers, but this is not essential viewing if you are a horror/slasher fan.

I love killer clown movies. I love mysteries. A murder mystery about a killer clown....HELL YEAH! To be honest. I liked this film. I really enjoyed it. The movie had a lot going for it. Some well known faces, a downright scary killer, some great visuals. A good amount of humour and overall a fun time was had.

Acting:

Cameron Dye: was very good as the protagonists boyfriend, He gave an enjoyable performance and I liked him onscreen.

Lynn Danielson: I don't know really. There were moments when her dialogue felt embarrasingly forced and OTT.

Karen Black: Black doesn't really need to do much here but what she does is certainly not bad.

Tracey Walter: The guy came across hilarious as the smart alec main cop of the film. His sarcasm was a hoot.

As for the film being scary or gory the version I saw was certainly not gory apart from one scene but as far as scary goes it depends on how scared of clowns you are. The site of a clown driving slowly after you at night time may freak you out if you suffer from coulrophobia

The mystery of who was behind the clown mask was good. Though I have read reviews which claim the identity of the killer is very obvious I don't know. If I hadnt had the film spoiled for me before I saw it I am not sure if I would have correctly guessed the culprit. Bobo was cool. He had a creepy deep voice and I LOVED his clown mask! (wish I had one like that) it was just very unnerving. The copy I own is obviously heavily cut because there is only one sex scene. (Very steamy I must add)

Be warned! In no way is this film original. In fact it is very cliched and follows some obvious nods to other films (Black Christmas, Halloween.

The film does what it is supposed to. Entertains you for the time its on.

Enter the world of phone sex. Yeah, that was a thing back in the day, before the Internet.

Kristi works for a phone sex business, Suite Nothings, owned by Ruth (Karen Black). Her boyfriend is Kevin, who works as a photographer, taking sensual images of the girls working for Suite Nothings. Off course, being a film about a phone sex business AND being an 80's slasher, there's no surprise in this being sexploitation. Yup, nude girls and boobies, boobies, boobies.

Bobo, a guy with a clown mask, stalks and kills the girls working for Suite Nothings. Being a whodunit murder mystery, the film tries very hard to set up possible suspects, but it is rather obvious who the killer is. I had my suspicions from the very beginning, and I was right.

While detectives try to solve the murders, Kristi and Kevin do their own investigation as well. 'Out of the Dark' is not a bad entry to the 80's slasher repertoire, but I'm not sure I'm going to remember it by its title.

Look out for a guest appearance by Divine, whom I hardly recognized without his trademark make-up.