What is it with Thanksgiving slashers involving twins! There are 2 separate movies about the subject, this and Bloodrage (1987. Reviewed here unfavorably by some doofus)! This is not to be confused with the Kirsty Alley, John Larroquette stinker from 1990.
Trish Everly/Patricia Mickey plays Julia Sullivan a tormented redhead twin with a psychotic, pyromaniac knife wielding sibling.The music by Cannibal/Mondo main music composer Riz Ortolani is outstanding, there are lots of synth bubbles and shrieks. The eerie "Rock a Bye baby" theme is played. I can’t help but hear Marge Simpson singing it.
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| down will come baby toward an endless abyss! |
Madhouse, which I saw on Arrow Video was a title included in the notorious Video Nasty list. This is a film I misremembered seeing, so I figured it was due a rewatch.
If you’re looking for a double feature set in November with mentally disturbed twins, look no further! Ovidio G. Assonitus I’ve mentioned before as the scuzzy producer of such classics as Tentacles(1977), Beyond The Door (1974) and The Visitor (1979) here he's a writer/prod and Director. He’s gone full bore Russ Meyer up in these boobs!
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| Boobs Schmoobs, I'm more of an ass (on-itus)-man! |
During the brutal "Rottwieller eats fat guy" scene we hear identical music from Cannibal Holocaust (1980). I guess Riz recycles!
Julia’s Doctor boyfriend played by Michael Macrae resembles Peter Dinklage with a mustache.The couple make out in a car as disco noises "beep".
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| I have gas that sounds like Atari beeps! |
Every title card mentions Julia’s birthday sort of like a countdown.They introduce sinister preacher Father James played by Dennis Robertson hanging with a deaf kid and they both laugh about San Francisco! I used to defend that city but lately it’s been difficult. More like Meth city USA! Elon Musk, those dumb futuristic self driving cars he invented! Plus now he's the co-President.. Just kill me now!
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| Co-President FOR ME TO POOP ON! |
The Rottweiler strikes again, this time the deaf kid (played by actual child, Richard Baker) is on the menu! Julia immediately traumatizes a classroom full of his peers by telling them the news of his tragic end. They all sign special memories and react in horror.
Julia’s sexy blonde gal pal Hellen is played by Ralph Mouth's wife Morgan Most.
Hellen goes looking through the creepy house while a cat’s neck is snatched! Yank! The feline violence looks staged. Helen's death by the evil sister’s Rot is pretty sickening.
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| Now I know how Emily from The Beyond feels. |
Father James gets scarier and terrifies Julia’s bowl-hair cut friend (Edith Ivey) who hides under a card table! I’m not saying she’s asking for it, that would be cruel! Robertson looks like Bo Svenson to me as he gets more depraved. It all ends with a "Deranged / Happy Birthday to me" table setting littered with corpse victims in party hats. Huzzah!
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| I'm so Happy I could shit! |
I thought this film was quite enjoyable and packs a punch. Yes, it does borrow heavily from other films but that's what Ovidio does. This cigar chomping producer rips off blockbusters and this one is hardly original. Make sure you at least listen to the Cannibal Holocaust score before you watch this one! Otherwise you might associate Riz' melancholy strings with a giant blood thirsty Rot puppet who reminds me (and Kindertrauma.com of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog). Available to stream on Tubi.
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