Spookies (1986)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Fresh and Exciting

Absolutely the worst movie.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

This not a 5. That is just overrating it. This is 1. It is not scary. The story line is awful. The acting is awful. The ending is awful. I do not know why people like this movie. It is just an awful movie. The Evil dead is a very scary movie. And this is awful. Do not wast your time. Do not wast your money. Do not see this movie. It is a pooh movie. It should been called the poopies. Because it is pooh. If you want to get scared see Evil dead II. This is crappy crappy pooh. Why did it get a 5 I will never know. It is supposed to be funny?. It is not. It is a big pile of pooh pooh.

I just love this film to death! It's got such a great atmosphere, and I've never known another horror movie with so many different kinds of monsters packed into the story! The theme music isn't much but is nice enough and sets the tone, the smiling skull informing the audience that this romp is purely intended in the spirit of ghoulish fun, and is by no means meant to be taken too seriously! Although, it certainly has its grim moments and there's no shortage of death. The opening demise of the rather brainless Billy is a very chilling and nasty sequence. At first it seems like the drifter's gonna try something funny with Billy until he's killed by the lame gypsy/pirate/werecat who then, after the creepiest damn birthday party I've ever seen, chases down the helpless little boy, slashes his face and buries him alive! 13 was not a lucky number for Billy... ::: I thought Felix Ward as the deliciously sinister villain was great! And not one other acting credit for him ever.. The setup is so epic and cool! Ancient, evil corpse-wizard residing in his abode of the damned, summoning up a mad menagerie of freakish demons to seek out and kill the group of unfortunates that are trapped in his funhouse of doom, orchestrating the fates of victims and a symphony of horrors like a well-played game of chess, all for the sake of resurrecting the idealised lady love who poisoned herself to escape him in the first place! The magnificently Gothic old mansion was a truly excellent setting for classic '80's terror. All the gloomy dark hallways and decrepit rooms make for one superbly nightmarish tone that's spiced-up by the beasties that are constantly appearing out of nowhere, creating a feeling of the unknown around every corner. Most of the cast were admittedly annoying and forgettable, making you wish that they'd just hurry up and die, which in this case was probably a good thing! And that doesn't even matter in a movie like this. That kind of low-budget acting just adds to the charm. The wannabe comedian with the sock puppet especially deserved to die horribly - he really does! Fabulously disgusting and detailed effects in that sequence. I did like the oh-so British "Adrienne."(such a bitch!) Her droll bad attitude was really funny in the bit where she's smoking a cigarette and bossing around her wimpy husband! The music that plays during the scene where she's fighting the snake gremlins is so strange and dramatic. And a very eerie and poignant scene is the one of her gruesome, stop-motion animation death via the electric tentacles of a wailing abomination. And then its unspeakable heart of darkness beats anew... Ha! The muckmen were so easy to kill! They were the easiest out of all the monsters to defeat. I wonder why they 'farted?' Maybe it was swamp gas escaping because they were made outta mud! Even if it's not scary, the silly noises make that part a guilty pleasure. I love the finale with the rocking music blaring as the blushing bride is chased through deep dark woods by the demonic zombie horde! Totally goes on forever, but it was the perfect, over-the-top punchline to the whole movie - creatures of the night, put your claws together!!! ::: Half the film is kind of serious, and the other silly. It's a soup of various horror concepts that somehow to me, all blend together into a joyously macabre work of dark wonder. And regardless of its faults "Spookies" delivers where it counts, maintaining a menacing and surreal tone of dread that keeps the viewer creeped-out until the bitter end. And I do so adore that bad ending! Everybody's freaking dead and buried, the snake survives and the princess is his unwilling prize for all eternity, and his black victory is complete! This picture has something of the old E.C. Grand Guignol magic about it. Cheesy at points, but overall an awesome *spooky* blast to watch! Bloody brilliant!!!

"Spookies" is a well-known title among the horror fans due to its copious creature effects.Set in a dilapidated and spooky mansion it features plenty of different monsters including farting mud-men,small reptilian demons,giant spiders,an arachnid woman,an octopus-like creature with electric tentacles,a skeletal witch,a Grim Reaper statue, a vampiric boy in a monk's habit and a large group of zombies.I must say that I was impressed by fantastic creature effects made by Gabe Bartalos,Arnold Gargulio,Jennifer Aspinal and John Dods."Spookies" along with "The Evil Dead","Return of the Living Dead" and "Demons" is an essence of low-budget 80's horror cinema.8 spookies out of 10.

^^^^This is a quote from the film, and it sums up my opinions on this film perfectly. The difference being that I know it's not art, but I'm not sure what it is.Wikipedia lists 'Spookies' as an Indie movie. As anyone who has followed me for any length of time knows, I'm in the minority in that I actually take some time to decide whether an Indie film is good or not, I don't automatically grant any indie movie a 10 just because it's an indie, I judge it as a movie, what I rate it depends on how good or bad it is. But do not think this means that I HATE indie films, I respect their makers for trying to make films outside of the Hollywood system, I just don't automatically rate any Indie film a 10 in order to defy 'The Man'. People need to learn that there's a fine line between respect and ass-kissing.So what has this to do 'Spookies', you ask? Simple, this film shows it's indie roots firsthand. Rather than relying on the typical mainstream filmic ingredients for what makes a movie; such as Plot, Characterization, Thematic content, Acting, storytelling etc, the film instead offers us in their place these elements: 1) Gravestones that quiver like bed-sheets. 2) A werewolf in effeminate-gypsy clothing that looks like Zacherley in black-face with pointed ears who has a hook for a hand who makes cat noises and puts tree branches in the road for some reason. 3) A 13 year old boy on the lam because no one celebrated his birthday who talks in soliloquies where he explains EVERY single thing that happens who stupidly enters an abandoned mansion he's never been in before thinking his family is waiting inside for a surprise party. 4) A creepy sorcerer who looks like Warren magazines's Uncle Creepy who is trying in vain to bring his dead, preserved, non-decayed wife back to life. 5) A bickering group of teenagers who look so old that you think at first that one couple are their parents. 6) An abusive tough-talking wise-ass Italian-guy named Duke. 7) An alcoholic who can't slam the car door properly. 8) A comedy-relief guy who looks like John Waters who has a hand-puppet he uses to scare everyone with. 9) A cute but whiny broad-shouldered British chick named Adrian with the most British accent I've ever heard in a white business suit who looks like me and shares the same name. 10) A birthday party that appears out of nowhere with a severed head inside a box. 11) A creepy midget in a druid robe with green face-paint all over his face but who has normal flesh-colored hands with which he holds a knife. I can't tell if he's MEANT to be a real monster but has crappy makeup, or is meant to be wearing crappy makeup and is just a normal midget.I've seen all of this in just the first 20 minutes. I think I may have found the greatest WTF movie of all time.And it gets better. There literally are skeletons in the closet, who have Ouija boards in their arms that Duke thinks is a Parcheesi board. 'Spookies', where have you been all my life? Then the zombies come!!!And then it has the greatest line of all time....that I've heard this week: 'I've never met an electrical cord that can get the best of me', but that's not the best part. Guess what's next? Farting wine-soluble mud mummies with pickaxes!!!!!!!!!!! I think this movie just destroyed my brain, and I love it.Go and buy this movie! Now! This may just be the pinnacle of all film! I'm resigning from my job, I'm going to start a church for this movie!!!