1980s Foreign Horror Part Fifteen

SAVAGE HUNT OF KING STAKH

(1980)

Dir - Valeri Rubinchik

Overall: MEH

 

An adaptation of an adaptation, Savage Hunt of King Stakh, (Dikaya okhota korolya Stakha, King Stakh's Wild Game Chase, The Wild Hunt of King Stakh, Wild Hunting of King Stakh), is based on Uladzimir Karatkievich's novel King Stakh's Wild Hunt, itself stemming from the "Witch Hunt" folklore motif which was first documented in 1835 by German author Jacob Grimm of Grimm Fairy Tales fame.  Byelorussian SSR, USSR-born filmmaker Valeri Rubinchik conducts the proceedings with a keen sense for ethereal atmosphere as an ethnographer finds himself lost in a murky, fog-ridden, Belarusian wilderness and a sprawling estate there that is owned by a once prestigious family with a cursed, aristocratic past.  As it is presented here, the story is low on plot and the lethargic pace makes it difficult to follow, but it is frequently spellbinding from a visual, mood-setting sense.  More otherworldly elements are hinted at then explicitly shown, (at least until the finale when ghostly/skeletal horseback riders descend), but there is a permeating melancholy to the film that is enhanced by turn-of-the-century political aspects and Gothic doom and gloom.  It is also subtly surreal, with few reaction shots and strange images here and there.

 

LE DÉMON DANS L'ÎLE

(1983)

Dir - Francis Leroi

Overall: MEH

 

There are several oddball qualities to director/co-writer Francis Leroi's Le démon dans l'île, (Demon Is on the Island), though the flat presentation unfortunately undermines these qualities.  After arriving on an island as their new local doctor, Anny Duperey does not initially seem all that interested in staying, yet she gradually becomes hellbent on unraveling a bizarre mystery where townsfolk's household appliances seriously injure people at an alarming rate.  Also, the village's previous doctor is still lurking around and though charming, he is also tight-lipped about some shady goings-ons that may be linked to the weirdness afoot.  Besides the aforementioned death scenes involving an oven that slams shut and burns a woman's hand off, an electronic carving knife that does away with a guy's fingers when it is unplugged, and another gentleman's wine glass exploding when he goes to sip from it, there is also a jarring looking kid with a comically elongated head before somebody nonchalantly sinks into the ground during a funeral.  Such tomfoolery aside, all of the performances are played straight and Leroi maintains a more suspenseful tone instead of leaning into the story's inherently ridiculous aspects.

 

ROCK 'N' ROLL NIGHTMARE

(1987)

Dir - John Fasano

Overall: WOOF

 

The directorial debut from John Frasano and his first of two terrible movies to be released in 1987 that feature the word "nightmare" in the title, (he served as writer on Zombie Nightmare which would come out four months later), Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare is a colossally dumb, occasionally hilarious vanity project from Canadian writer/producer/star Jon Miki Thor.  Several hallmarks of incompetent filmmaking are present, (wooden performances, "huh?" plotting, laughably cheap production values, dull pacing, lousy cinematography, etc), but like the "best" crap movies out there, it has a clueless charm that is accidentally enduring.  Most of the running time is bogged down by several dopey non-actors trying to make the most out of the single farm house location, (the movie was shot in merely seven days there after all), but outside of some adorable puppet monsters, wretched musical numbers, and plenty of naked boobs, it really comes alive in the final act where the head-scratching, asinine twist is revealed and Thor awkwardly wrestles a giant Beelzebub that looks as if it was made out of papier-mâché and wire hangers.  In the lead, Thor bounces between having zero charisma to cranking the ham up to eleven and his persistently off-putting appearance is half homo-erotic He-Man action figure and half androgynous Michelle Bauer stand-in.  So yes, this is a Z-rent, heavy metal crud rock that should not be missed.

1980s British Horror Part Nine

THE APPOINTMENT

(1982)

Dir - Lindsey C. Vickers

Overall: GOOD

 

A flawed yet atmospherically chilling work and the only full-length from writer/director Lindsey C. Vickers, The Appointment takes the slow-burn approach to absurd heights.  The elementary plot alludes instead of makes explicit the themes of blossoming womanhood and the tension between father and daughter that such an inevitability brings.  As Edward Woodward has to break it to his fourteen year old that he will miss her much anticipated violin recital on account of a last minute work engagement, (or "appointment" as the title proclaims), the disappointment and frustration that both parties endure is played in a typically British, well-mannered way, hinting at everything from telekinetic rage to otherworldly influences.  The bulk of the film is an incredibly drawn-out suspense sequence that begins with both Woodward and his wife Jane Merrow experiencing premonitions in dream form, followed by perhaps one of the longest build-ups in cinema history.  It detours at a few instances with ominous set pieces that while unsettling are also unnecessary to the narrative, creating some pacing issues in the process.  For the most part though, Vickers treatment of the material is expertly done.

 

SLEEPWALKER

(1984)

Dir - Saxon Logan

Overall: MEH

 

Though it barely constitutes as a feature-length film, Sleepwalker can still be classified as such a debut from Saxon Logan, though unfortunately it is a cynical and ultimately pointless endeavor.  Running merely fifty-one minutes in length, this is a bizarre watch that somehow throws in bitter, middle class scumbags getting drunk and letting fly their disdain for each other, all with nightmares and slasher killings shoehorned in during the final moments.  Aggravatingly underwritten, on the one hand it is a saving grace that we are in and out so quickly since everyone on screen is an odious stereotype of self-centered, Thatcher-era yuppies who would rather be anywhere than where they are while on screen.  At the same token though, the brisk running time understandably gives it a sloppy feel as if key information is lacking so that when the blood-shed erupts in the finale and then the whole thing just as suddenly ends, it comes off as half-baked at best and amatuerishly misguided at worst.  It has some dread-fueled atmosphere and striking cinematography from Nick Beeks-Sanders, but this is hardly enough to make up for such a confused effort.

 

THE COMIC

(1985)

Dir - Richard Driscoll
Overall: MEH

The directorial debut from controversial filmmaker Richard Driscoll, The Comic is a stylistically daring yet confused work that comes off like a low-rent fever dream hybrid of film noir, David Lynch's Eraserhead, and Terry Gilliam's Brazil, except with the worst stand-up "jokes" in the history of mankind as well as top-to-bottom awful characters.  In the lead, Steve Munroe comes off like a cross between David Caruso, Tom Waits, Danny Elfman, and Eddie Izzard, mugging his way through a bizarre portrayal as a desperate comedian who murders his competitor, marries a drug-addicted prostitute, and just keeps going crazy.  Bathed in more fog than most Gothic horror films would ever allow, it was apparently shot on the same 19th century sets as the same year's The Doctor's and the Devils, which is odd since that movie was a period one while this takes place in a dystopian, fascist police state.  Independently financed, it defies genre classification in many respects with a surreal, cynical tone that is visually interesting in its bleak, often garish ugliness that wears its minuscule budget on its sleeve.  It would be a more admirable achievement if it was also not so miserable and inconsistent, but arthouse exploitation fans may at least find it to be a worthy curiosity.

1980s British Horror Part Eight

DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS

(1984)

Dir - Edmund Purdom

Overall: WOOF

 

Derivative, boring, cheap, and stupid, Don't Open till Christmas is arguably even more forgettable than the countless other Holiday slasher movies vomited out during the sub-genre's abysmal heyday.  The only directorial effort from actor Edmund Purdom, (who also appears on screen here as a police chief), the production was problematic as Purdom clashed with producers and ultimately quit during filming, forcing things to shut down.  Shooting resumed with both writer Derek Ford and editor Ray Selfe taking over as director and several actors getting recast before Purdom eventually returned to finish the job.  The kill scenes are lazily uncreative and since the entire premise revolves around some asshole going around killing people who are wearing Santa costumes, said kill scenes are even more predictable than usual for a slasher movie.  In other words, every time that we see someone dressed as Ole St. Nick, we know that a razor blade to the gut, neck, or groin is only mere seconds away.  With no tension or inventive tweaks to the painfully tired formula, the only thing that it has going for it is a hilariously random, half-a-musical number with Caroline Munroe, doubling as her only scene in the whole movie for reasons that only the gods could know.

 

THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS

(1985)

Dir - Freddie Francis

Overall: MEH

 

A throwback to not only period-set Gothic horror but also the often filmed Burke and Hare true story, The Doctor and the Devils was Freddie Francis' penultimate work from behind the lens and one that brings together an assortment of respectable thespians.  Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, Stephen Rea, Julian Sands, Twiggy, and Patrick Stewart deliver melodramatic performances to varying degrees, with Dalton in particular chewing the scenery as the smirking, stubbornly determined doctor of the title who scoffs at legal roadblocks and Christian morality when it comes to advancing science.  Also, Pryce and Rea are appropriately vile as the deplorable body snatchers who pathetically succumb to backstabbing and madness.  Financed by Mel Brooks and utilizing an initial script from Dylan Thomas, it boasts much of the latter's evocative language which the actors seem to be willingly sinking their teeth into.  Unfortunately though, the presentation is dreary and dull in its grimy 19th century London setting and not enough life is breathed into the familiar source material to warrant yet another humdrum interpretation of it, regardless of the meaty performances.

 

DREAM DEMON

(1988)

Dir - Harley Cokeliss

Overall: MEH

One of several A Nightmare on Elm Street knock-offs at least in spirit, Dream Demon has a more muddled narrative that arbitrarily explore its fantasy elements.  Director/co-writer Harley Cokeliss had primarily worked within the sci-fi genre, with this serving as his first exclusive foray into horror.  It also features one of the 1980s favorite stoner character actors in Kathleen Wilhoite who plays a more mysterious and toned-down version of her usual quirky comic relief self.  Though it was technically released theatrically in the UK, it is aesthetically akin to bog-standard genre fodder of the straight-to-video variety with an incessant choral keyboard score, primitive gore effects, Dutch angles, and much fog.  There are some interesting set pieces and it is a plus that a large portion of screen time is dedicated to elaborate nightmare sequences that even done on a clearly modest budget, still produce some weird, macabre results.  The plotting is thin and does not land anywhere substantial, mostly because the story never bothers to establish its supernatural rules let alone follow any.  Viewers will be able to figure out the twist long before the characters do and the ending sacrifices coherency for sheer bombast, as well as a pointless comedic tag just before the credits hit.  Still, it has some fun moments and keeps things plowing along into hellish bizarro land, as it should.

1980s Animated American Horror

THE BLACK CAULDRON

(1985)

Dir - Ted Berman/Richard Rich

Overall: MEH

 

Disney's twenty-fifth animated feature and most expensive to date, The Black Cauldron was also their first to be recorded in Dolby Stereo, use APT, (the animation photo transfer process), receive a PG rating, and feature computer generated images.  Production was delayed for a number of years as it went through various character design phases, with the ending ultimately getting changed to be less frightening for its targeted, younger audience.  The resulting film is lushly animated as well as any from the era with a strong voice cast including John Hurt as the main baddie and highly recognizable, opening narration from John Huston, yet the story is not as engaging as the high-end production deserves.  Part of the reason may be because it is a melding of the first two novels in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series and has a difficult time juggling as well as omitting a multitude of characters and side arcs.  What is left here is simple enough to follow, (good guys want to destroy the evil cauldron of the title so Hurt's The Horned King cannot get his hands on it), but the non-villainous characters are mostly cutesy stereotypes and the actually villainous ones disappointingly one-note and boring.  A pleasure to look at surely, but that is about it.

THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN

(1985)

Dir - Will Vinton

Overall: GOOD

 

The only theatrically released, full-length directorial effort from claymation animator Will Vinton, The Adventures of Mark Twain is one of the most unique in its field.  Written by Vinton's significant other and frequent collaborator Susan Shadburne, it somehow turns a single, famous Haley's comet quote from Mr. Twain into a bizarre, almost anthology-style, hot air balloon-ship trek through several of the author's works.  The details are ingenious as Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, and Becky Thatcher join two different versions of Twain, (one light, one dark), as the story offers up musings on the afterlife and the fable of creation itself.  For horror buffs, the most memorable scene is a thoroughly surreal interpretation of The Chronicles of Young Satan where the gang encounter the fallen angel who takes on the appearance of a morphing theater mask on a stick for a face, with a half-armored, half-earth bound body that proceeds to animate and then murder a small city of clay figures.  There are a handful of other freaky bits as well, plus the entire production is consistently inventive.  Most of all though and typical of Vinton's work, it is visually spectacular and coupled with its singular subject matter and overall presentation, this is easily a fantasy/children's film to be championed.

DAFFY DUCK'S QUACKBUSTERS

(1988)

Dir - Greg Ford/Friz Freleng/Chuck Jones/Terry Lennon/Robert McKimson

Overall: GREAT

Warner Bros. full-length compilation film Daffy Duck's Quackbusters is significant for its horror slant as far as material goes, as well as for being the final theatrical production that the legendary Mel Blanc still provided the voices for.  Two new shorts "The Night of the Living Duck", (featuring crooning from none other than Mel Torme standing in for Blanc), and "The Duxorcist" join other renowned ones from the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies, 40s, 50s, and 60s heyday.  They are all linked by a consistent narrative of Daffy Duck inheriting millions of dollars from J.P. Cubish, (1948's "Daffy Dilly"), and starting his own paranormal investigation business.  With all of the recycled footage from different animators and under different directors in tow, one might think that the thematic through-line would come off like a slap-dash effort.  Instead though, it all melds seamlessly with everything here, making it far more successful as a plot-driven narrative as opposed to merely a loose anthology collection.  The fact that the Warner Bros' cartoon output was exceptional anyway already makes this a fool-proof endeavor, but the writing is still hilarious with the new stuff thrown in and Blanc was of course firing on all cylinders even this late in the game.

1980s American Horror Part Ninety-Eight (Joe Dante Edition)

THE HOWLING
(1981)
Overall: GOOD

As a piece of terrifying, lycanthropian celluloid, Joe Dante's adaptation of Gary Brandner's The Howling is not a particularly shining example.  Yet what it does not attempt in creepy, restrained scariness, it generally delivers in giddy, tongue-in-cheek popcorn horror flare.  That said, the opening segment in a porno booth does get under the skin, particularly when we hear Robert Picardo's voice shift to its disturbing tone.  Also, the deservedly lauded make-up effects by Rob Bottin, (who topped himself and perhaps everyone with his legendary work on the following year's The Thing), are hair-raising, (har, har), at least when they are not briefly abandoned for dated cartoons and stop motion animation.  In typical Dante fashion, there are oodles of in-jokes and references to other horror works, with both John Carpenter and Forrest J. Ackerman having non-speaking cameos, The Woflman playing on TV, and an autographed picture of Lon Chaney Jr. quickly showing up in an office to only name a few.  The script by John Sayles, (which was heavily re-written by Terence H. Winkless), seems rushed and sloppy at times, plus a few blasé performances during harrowing events hardly seem appropriate, but this is still as solid and essential of a werewolf movie as has probably ever been made.

 

TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE

(1983)

Dir - John Landis/Steven Spielberg/Joe Dante/George Miller

Overall: GOOD

 

Most infamous for the unfortunate and controversial on-set murder of actor Vic Morrow and two children who were working against restricted safety guidelines, Twilight Zone: The Movie still manages to be a slightly above average anthology horror film despite its real life tragedy.  The notable crop of directors each remake a different story from the original series and though they predictably vary in quality as much as in any anthology film, they are at least singular from each other.  John Landis does his usual mix of comedy and horror in the brief prologue, but his full segment "A Quality of Mercy" is far more weighty and dark, not least of all because it is the one whose production resulted in the three accidental deaths.  Landis' co-producer Steven Spielberg's version of "Kick the Can" is easily the most forgettable and is nothing more than a whimsical, sentimental presentation of the elderly reliving their youth.  Joe Dante goes surreal with the wacky and disturbing "It's a Good Life", visually the most interesting of the bunch.  It is George Miller though who redoes the most famous story "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" with the best results.  Featuring a manically over the top performance from John Lithgow, it is probably one of the all time best horror shorts ever made and easily elevates the entire collection here.

 

GREMLINS

(1984)

Overall: GOOD

 

Released the same day as Ghostbusters, the collaboration between director Joe Dante, producer Steven Spielberg, and screenwriter Chris Columbus that is Gremlins became yet another benchmark horror/comedy hybrid.  It also single-handedly ushered in the "tiny adorable monster" sub-genre that begat a handful of cheap to moderately successful knock-offs.  The script, (while clever in most instances), does have some questionable logic concerning the title creatures.  Plus, why are children attending school on Christmas Eve in the first place?.  Still, it works exceptionally as one of the best examples of balancing fun, chaotic goofiness with nasty and genuinely suspenseful scares.  The set pieces are exclusively memorable and inventive under such conditions, with most of the praise then lying at Dante's abilities to pull off such a tonal balance, let alone with oodles of animatronic puppets to manage.  Chris Walas' top-notch gremlin design and a committed cast that plays everything appropriately straight both contribute significantly as well.  In the hands of a less talented personnel and/or an insufficient budget, a movie like this would easily be a disaster.  Instead, it is a well-deserving classic which transcends its 80s nostalgic appeal.

 

THE 'BURBS

(1989)

Overall: GREAT

One of several exceptional works from Joe Dante in the 1980s and probably his all out funniest movie along with the following year's Gremlins 2: The New Batch, The 'Burbs is a textbook example of the type of material that the director worked best at.  Comedic elements had always been inherent throughout his filmography and the suburban-set script by Dana Olsen primarily goes for laughs while exploring/parodying a type of neighborhood paranoia run absolutely amok.  Like any clever mystery, the details keep pointing to the impossible while plot elements subvert expectations, leading to a twist that is sufficiently macabre as well as in keeping with the build up.  Filmed on Universal Studio's frequented Colonial Street, the cast is top to bottom fantastic with Corey Feldman playing his usual stoner, Carrie Fisher the level-headed housewife, Wendy Schaal the eye candy, Rick Ducommun the suspicious ring-leader, Brother Theodore as the mysteriously unfriendly foreign neighbor, Tom Hanks the everyman lead, and a scene-stealing Bruce Dern as the gung-ho Vietnam vet.  A dark comedy that keeps both feet in the comedy while still dishing out the dark, every gag works and every creepy bit chills, as is usually impossible to pull-off.

1980s American Horror Part Ninety-Seven

GRADUATION DAY

(1981)

Dir - Herb Freed

Overall: MEH

1981, the year of the slasher continues with Graduation Day; another holiday offering that is even more forgettable than most.  Co-writer/director Herb Freed had a small handful of lackluster genre cheapies under his belt by the time that he jumped on the bandwagon here, churning out a high school gore flick that hits all of the required beats while elevating none of them.  A beloved track and field hopeful dies of a spontaneous cardiac embolism, prompting her older, military sister to return for what would have been her sibling's graduation day and thus setting up the red herring murderer, the actual one of which ends up being revealed in a more lackluster fashion.  A beheading and impaling here or there yes, but none of the kill scenes go for gross-out gasps, plus the acting is of the usual borderline amateur quality for better or worse.  Still, the main issue is the movie's middle of the road aesthetic; it is neither bad enough to be hilarious nor good enough to differentiate itself from other slasher garbage that is both far worse and far better.  A pre-Wheel of Fortune Vanna White makes an appearance though, as does Linnea Quigley's, (of course), naked boobs.

 

TEEN WOLF

(1985)

Dir - Rod Daniel

Overall: MEH

 

"Cutesy" and "harmless" are hardly words that are universally associated with werewolf movies, making the hit Michael J. Fox-vehicle Teen Wolf something of a daft hybrid.  Lycanthropian puberty metaphors had already been done as far back as American International Pictures' I Was a Teenage Werewolf from three decades prior, but the approach here takes out all of the bite and leaves all of the camp.  The quality or lack-thereof is understandable considering that co-writer Jeph Loeb, (turning in his first filmed screenplay), was hired to put something together to be made quickly and on the cheap.  Determined not to offend anyone, (except gay people of course since the word "fag" is utilized as an insult, as was the 1980s teen comedy norm), it puts Fox in wolfman makeup, gives him a gentle and understanding father who is also a werewolf, and follows all of the coming-of-age, high school movie tropes of a bullied nerd reaching their true potential.  Endless montages set to up-tempo pop music help supply the silly datedness and though it is dopey to a fault and about as original as a can of Mr. Pibb, it gets by to a point on its nostalgia appeal and Fox's effortlessly charming performance. 

 

JACK'S BACK

(1988)

Dir - Rowdy Herrington

Overall: GOOD

 

The debut Jack's Back from writer/director Rowdy Herrington plays with the murder thriller mystery framework to a convoluted extent, yet that and James Spader's dark, charismatic performance are what makes it an interesting if flawed watch.  Going against type, Spader is in fact not an unnerving creep here, instead playing a set of identical twin brothers, (that ole gag), with singular personalities from one another.  While Spader spends the majority of the movie as the one with the crooked past, neither sibling is out for diabolic gain and the actor excels as a cold yet determined anti-hero of sorts.  Contemporizing the Jack the Ripper legend with a copycat killer on the loose, such a narrative hook is quickly abandoned and merely provides the groundwork for Spader to simultaneously clear his name and by doing so, avenge his brother's murderer.  There are enough surprises to Herrington's script to keep the pacing up and the viewer on edge, yet the final act is clunky and oversteps its bounds, going for one more elongated suspense showcase and rug pull than is necessary.  Still, the movie's ambition, (be it sloppy ambition), is admirable and the loose ends are just hand-tightened enough to hold the whole thing together.

1980s American Horror Part Ninety-Six

CLASS OF 1984

(1982)

Dir - Mark Lester

Overall: MEH

 

Director Mark Lester's first film of the 1980s was the nasty, exploitation revenge extravaganza Class of 1984; a purposely challenging watch that tackles teenage gang violence in a sensationalized and ugly manner.  Written by Lester, Tom Holland, and John Saxton of all people, the script frustratingly asks the audience to buy into a scenario where high school hoodlums have blatant, free reign of their environment at the cost of no students, faculty, parents, law enforcement officials, or adults of any kind doing anything about it until Perry King's headstrong music teacher shows up on the scene.  It is easy to miss the dark humor on account of the sincere tone, which makes various plot points seem more ridiculous than gripping.  Still, said script also makes one loath Timothy Van Patten's inner city gang of scumbags that much more, so that the comeuppance finale is satisfying enough in its brutality.  A theme song provided by Alice Cooper in his new wave prime, over-the-top punk rock attire, and a wonderful performance from Roddy McDowall, (as well as a minor one by a pre-fame Michael J. Fox), also help the violent proceedings along.

 

ENEMY MINE

(1985)

Dir - Wolfgang Petersen

Overall: GOOD

 

Though it had a troubled undertaking with original director Richard Loncraine being let go early on and then Wolfgang Petersen, (fresh off of The Neverending Story), stepping in, switching shooting to Munich, Germany, and letting the whole thing balloon over budget, Enemy Mine boasts a superb production design and a sincerely-presented science fiction story that explores prejudices and the emotional bonding of isolation.  An adaptation of Barry B. Longyear's novella of the same name, it pits Dennis Quaid's hot-shot, bigoted star pilot against Louis Gossett Jr.s devoutly religious, alien soldier; both party's species at intergalactic war with each other.  Stranded on a volcanic planet for several years, the actor's chemistry is gradually played out as their hostile relationship blossoms into brotherhood.  Maurice Jarre's overbearing musical score sets a cutesy tone at times and some may argue that there are tonal inconsistencies as the third act becomes too disturbingly violent to jive well with some of the more lighthearted moments, but it creates a more dynamic whole that is aided by solid performances from its two leads, excellent make-up and practical effects, plus a fully-realized alien setting.

 

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT PART 2

(1987)

Dir - Lee Harry
Overall: WOOF

 

For his first directorial effort, Lee Harry got a thankless, "trial by fire" assignment with Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2; one of the laziest and cheapest cash-grab sequels in slasher history.  Told by producers to merely re-edit footage from the infamous, video nasty first movie for re-release purposes, Harry instead chose to use the loose change budget in order to cobble together a barely-separate story.  Focusing on the baby brother of the Silent Night, Deadly Night murderer, the first forty minutes here is nothing more than a highlight reel of the last movie, before Eric Freeman's own nonsensical killing spree commences in full.  While it deserves nothing but scorn from any audience member that is rightfully irritated by being presented with merely half of an individual sequel, the proceedings are saved by Freeman's legendarily over-the-top performance.  Chewing the scenery in a way that Robert Englund would even find embarrassing, Freeman is delightfully ridiculous with his fake laughing, incessant, wide-eyed mugging, and of course the "Garbage day!" gag that is merely the tip of the iceberg concerning his cartoonish line delivery.  So depending on how you ask, it is either one of the worst movies ever made or one of the most hilarious worst movies ever made.