Review: Scary Movie

Blu-ray: Scary Movie (1991)

101 Films have released yet another great AGFA title, fuelling my obsession for low budget indie films.

Their latest title is 1991’s Scary Movie, starring an early performance from Academy Award nominee John Hawkes as wimpy nerd Warren.

After awakening from a particularly scary nightmare, Warren’s premonition appears to be coming true, as an escaped homicidal madman is on the loose and could well be hiding in a Halloween House of Horrors that is the main attraction at a Halloween event that Warren and fellow teenagers are attending.

With everyone playing their parts very tongue in cheek throughout, it’s the characters themselves which carried me through the short 82 minute running time, rather than the situations and scares.

Hawkes is very watchable as the nerdy Warren, eliciting empathy for him as his peers pick on him and play cruel pranks…we of course all know that Warren will be the hero of the day and a lot of those picking on him will be picking up their own body parts before the end credits roll.

Director/co-writer Daniel Erickson does a decent enough job with the budget he’s given, using some interesting camera angles and moves to make the most of a very limited production space. Though it does at times simply become a series of scenes following a scared Warren from one room into another.

While not as over the top or humerous as a Troma movie, this will definitely appeal to anyone who is familiar with Uncle Lloyd’s work and wants to discover titles in a similar vein.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• 2K preservation from the original 16mm camera negative
• Commentary with director Daniel Erickson and Joseph A. Ziemba of AGFA
• MR. PUMPKIN and LITTLE HERO short films by Daniel Erickson
• Original theatrical teaser trailer
• Behind the scenes photo gallery
• Reversible cover art with illustration by Charles Forsman

Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by 101 Films.