Effects (1979) User Reviews

A True Hidden Gem

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 24 July 2017]

Some crew members of a company shooting a horror film begin to suspect that the "killings" in the movie are real, and that they are actually making a "snuff" film.

There are two things about this film that keep it interesting all these decades later. One is the abundance of George Romero-connected people involved: Tom Savini, John Harrison, Joseph Pilato, Pasquale Buba, Nancy Allen (but not THAT Nancy Allen) and others. Filming took place in 1978, around the time that "Dawn of the Dead" was made; it seems that many involved in "Dawn" were making their own film on the side.

The other interesting historical note is how this film for many years just never existed. Although it was shot in 1978 and seems to be copyrighted in 1980, virtually no one saw it in the 1980s or 1990s. Due to a distributor bankruptcy problem, the film never received a theatrical or home video release. It never aired on television, or got passed around as bootlegs either. The October 2005 Synapse Films DVD was the film's first official release anywhere in the world. The American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) is now (2017) releasing a Blu-Ray of the film mastered from a rare 35mm print that was made before the distributor backed out, so it can be discovered by a new generation.

Perhaps due to this film's misfortunes, Dusty Nelson did not return to directing until the "Tales From the Darkside" episode "The Unhappy Medium" (1986). Others involved (Savini and Harrison in particular) achieved great success in its wake. How such a movie went hidden for so long is something of a mystery. If its existence was known, it would be widely sought after. The film was such a secret, we never see it mentioned in interviews or even within in-depth books such as Joe Kane's "Night of the Living Dead".

The most logical reason it would fade into obscurity would be if it was an awful film. But, on the contrary, it actually happens to be quite good. While not the era-defining classic that "Dawn of the Dead" is, it is far better than many other independent horror features of its time. Heck, it even blows away Romero's early works (especially "There's Always Vanilla"). The film-within-a-film is creepy and effective. Dusty Nelson could have been somebody!

A historical footnote: The first known use of the term "snuff movie" is in the 1971 Ed Sanders book, "The Family: The Story of Charles Manson's Dune Buggy Attack Battalion". He alleges that the Manson Family was involved in making such a film in California to record their murders. His allegations were, for the record, false. The idea caught on, however, and we received the film "Snuff" in 1975, as well as this film. The most interesting thing about snuff films is not how they have captured the imagination of people who spread urban legends… it is that they don't exist. While it would be nearly impossible for such a thing to exist as an industry, it seems plausible that at least some killer would record their exploits and at least some of those tapes would get traded on a bootleg market. But apparently not.

The AGFA Blu-ray comes out August 22, 2017, featuring a new 4K scan from the only surviving 35mm theatrical print. We get an archival commentary track with John Harrison, Dusty Nelson, and Pasquale Buba covering their memories of a bygone era. These should be enough, but wait… there is also a "Beastie" short film by Dusty Nelson and a "Ubu" short film by John Harrison. Heck, we even have the "After Effects" documentary with optional commentary track!

Worthy attempt at something different, but slow in spots

[fertilecelluloid · 6/10 · 10 March 2006]

With the exception of "Peeping Tom", this was one the first films to address the subject of snuff movies. Produced in Pittsburgh, it has a few surprises up its sleeve and is reasonably well photographed, but it also has too many slow spots and the actors are unappealing. It takes a film-within-a-film approach and focuses on a bunch of low budget filmmakers who are struggling to make their horror film "realistic". There is a sting in the screenplay's tail and the last twenty minutes really hit a horrific stride. Not great by any means, but certainly a worthy attempt to make something different with limited resources. A black and white snuff film watched by several characters in the movie is potent.

Dreary, boring slasher that doesn't make the best of it's central idea

[The_Void · 5/10 · 14 January 2008]

Effects is based on quite a clever idea - maybe even too clever for a slasher flick. The title, of course, refers to special effects - and that's essentially what the film is about. Effects is a slasher flick based on a bunch of people making a slasher film. The director seems obsessed with blood and gore and a cast member starts hallucinating - although that particular cast member had just been smoking weed. The director later shows his crew a film that may or not be a snuff film, and then the cast start getting picked off, though there's doubt over whether it's real or 'effects'. It really does seem that this idea was too clever for this film because it doesn't pull it off. A potentially interesting idea is turned into a snooze fest thanks to far too much talking by dull characters and a plot line that really doesn't ever get to the point. This film was apparently lost before someone resurrected it for DVD. The last 'lost' slasher film that I saw was A Night to Dismember, and like that film; this one shows that lost slashers really needn't be brought back. The most notable thing about 'effects' the fact that Tom Savini appears and does the effects, although he has had better days in both departments. We don't really get what we came for until the final third of the film and by then I was pretty bored of it. Overall, Effects is a pretty dismal slasher and I definitely don't recommend it.

"This is not in the script."

[Backlash007 · 11 December 2005]

~Spoiler~

Effects is a lost movie from the late 70's that just got an official release, almost 25 years later. Was it worth the wait? You be the judge. The film is about a cinematographer, Dom, who ventures to a secluded spot to film what he thinks is a low-budget horror flick. But it may be a snuff film. It's almost impossible to figure out what's going on for a long time. For the first hour, I was not into it. It was a boring drama where nothing was happening. But something was going on beneath the surface that you may not realize until the end of the film. I sure didn't. I was positive that I was going to hate Effects. The last 30 minutes are pretty incredible and once you piece together this outlandish puzzle, it's a pretty good effort. The whole piece has an experimental feel to it. Dusty Nelson does a lot of things other filmmakers wouldn't dare try. And I feel like he leaves a few things out which may confuse people and limit his audience. But at least he's giving us credit for being smart, a lesson could be learned here. The acting is way above par. Joe Pilato is fantastic in the lead, he's very meek and innocent. A complete turnaround from his character in Romero's Day of the Dead. Tom Savini is another recognizable face who plays a very unlikable character, quite well I might add. And finally, John Harrison (composer for Day of the Dead) plays the director, or the manipulator as the film's alternate title suggests. He's one of the coldest characters I've seen in a long while. Like I said before, the last 30 minutes features the meat of the movie. The frenzied camera-work is perfect for ours and Dominic's bewildered state. After shooting a fake movie, he finds himself being hunted in the middle of nowhere. And they're filming it all. He's gone from cameraman to star. The ending is very disquieting and leaves you plenty to think about. Very few movies make you reflect on everything you've just seen and second guess character's motivations. Some people were in on it, some people thought they were in on it, but only Dom is completely innocent. So I have to give Effects a thumbs up for audience participation. This is not popcorn fluff where you can turn your brain off. So if you're looking for a slasher movie, stay away.

I smell bad snuff-stuff

[Coventry · 3/10 · 1 February 2010]

This movie seriously had me worried that I might be autistic! Forty-five minutes into the film and there still wasn't the slightest sign of plot development and/or essence. I don't know about you, but especially when dealing with early 80's low-budget horror flicks, I like to know if it's at least going somewhere. I was slowly starting to behave like Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man"; continuously repeating 'I need a plot … I need a plot …. I badly need a plot". "Effects" is a long, slow-moving, incoherent and visually exhausting movie and I honestly regret to say that because I'm a devoted fan of the genre and usually I really, really, really support obscure horror titles like this. Sadly, however, "Effects" is amateurish nonsense with sequences that are endlessly stretched and a story that literally never shifts into gear in spite of its great rudimentary potential. The crew of a cheap horror film, well … actually just the effects guy and the lighting girl, notice that the director is behaving very suspicious on set. They're right, too, because that sleazy bastard is actually planning to turn his little film project into a genuine snuff movie with the cast and crew members as the unaware and probably very reluctant lead players/victims. Sublime idea for a bona fide 80's shock feature, if you ask me, but the execution of the film is horrible. All of a sudden, I'm not even surprised anymore to find out this film was apparently "lost" for 20+ years. Even with Tom Savini and Joe Pilato (the latter giving a terrific performance and totally unlike the role in "Day of the Dead" that made him famous) in the cast, this is an infuriatingly lame movie. There's actually very little gore in the film and if you were, by any chance, hoping to learn some "kitchen secrets" about the special effects industry, you'll be sorely disappointed as well. "Effects" only specializes in overlong and pointless padding footage – especially the chase through the woods seems endless – and oppressed slasher ideas. Another extremely disappointing snuff-themed thriller, joining the same list as Roberta Findley's "Snuff", "Live Feed", "Snuff-Movie", "Vacancy" and Larry Cohen's "Special Effects". For good snuffies, stick to the Spanish "Thesis", the massively underrated "Mute Witness" and the legendary classic "Peeping Tom".

Not many ones out of 10 but Effects is deserving of a 1!

[mm-39 · 1/10 · 19 November 2022]

Not many ones out of 10 but Effects is deserving of a 1! I was suggested to watch this dog of a movie on tubi. Well it's not the fluffy dog you like, but the neighbors dog that just pooped in your back yard! Drown, sigh, Effects is the down load you watch on fast forward. Watching, characters back and forth shoot a movie, argue, have beers, is like watching films of someone building a fence! Slow and monotonous and what's worse is the filming looks like community access television. The acting is comparable to a high school play. The true horror is the three prong attack of bad acting, bad budget, and horrible direction makes a truly one out of ten. Maybe, I would have to watch it twice to get what I left out, but Effects is like an un readable book from university English lit class. You get the point, but the experience is torture. The plot twist of a movie with in a movie is the big point, but even the twist had no punch. Tried to be like Texas Chainsaw Massacre collage production, but the high risk is a miss. The true Effects is the effect of boredom. One stars out of ten.

Not so special.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 2 June 2019]

Starring Dawn of the Dead special FX guy Tom Savini, Joseph Pilato (Captain Rhodes from Day of the Dead) and John Harrison (who gave us the haunting score for Creepshow), this low-budget Pittsburgh horror has virtually nothing else in common with those Romero classics: it's a dreary, badly directed mess of a movie that does little justice to an admittedly intriguing premise.

Pilato stars as cinematographer Dominic, who is hired to work on a horror movie, unaware that director Lacey Bickel (Harrison) is secretly filming his own cast and crew, planning to turn them into the stars of a snuff movie. The vast majority of Effects comes across as an unscripted mess, such is its shoddy nature, and proves extremely wearisome, as the film-makers shoot the breeze, get into fights, and do drugs. It's all so haphazard and shambolic that it is hard to tell what is the movie, what is the movie within the movie, and what is being filmed by Bickel for his snuff project.

Only in the closing moments does anything start to make any sense, but it's far too late: I imagine that most people will have lost the fight to stay awake by then. Anyone looking for an insight into the world of practical special effects will also come away disappointed: barring one or two brief scenes, there's little to be learnt about the art of creating realistic blood and guts.

2.5/10, rounded up to 3 for the opening shower scene-a promisingly trashy start to a really lousy movie.

Self aware you say?

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 26 June 2020]

I am or was when I watched this, quite pleasantly surprised. The production values may not be the best (low budget and all), but the story of a movie being shot and the suspicion being there might be something real to the violence going on ... well while this may not seem like revolutionary or even new if you think about movies you've seen, but I would assume it was back then.

And it aged quite well, which has to do with quite the tight script. Some dialog and acting exercise may not feel "real", but it can be easily excused if you let yourself enjoy the movie for what it is and what it's supposed to represent. Horror movies could and did try to shock in more than one way ...

effects is not effective

[drdeathforpresident · 3/10 · 2 April 2013]

you guys need to change the name to: "Cocaine Snuff." That's pretty much the whole movie in a nutshell. Dominic is a special effects artist working on a low budget horror film. The rest of the crew are doing blow and getting hammered, especially Nicky, played by Tom Savini. The other cast members sit around playing poker and, you guessed it, snorting drugs. In one scene, Dominic, Lacy The Director, the two comic reliefs Lobo & Scratch, are doing some lines when Lacy plays them a short snuff film. The snuff film is by far the best part of this film and is the reason I gave this piece of trash 3 stars. A lady is tied up to a chair and is sliced and diced by a fat bastard wearing an executioners mask. To the rest of the crew this is all too real so be careful what you wish for as the film within a film slowly becomes a snuff thanks to Nicky being whacked out of his skull on crack he agrees to kill the cast and I've said to much so.....you be the judge.

Mildly effective snuff horror thriller.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 7/10 · 25 July 2008]

A low-budget horror film is being shot in a secluded mountain area by a hard-working crew and a cast of bewildered actors.However it soon becomes apparent that another crew is shooting the making of the horror film and their intentions are evil.They intend to make the ultimate horror film with real victims,real blood and real death-a genuine snuff movie."Effects" is pretty hard movie to recommend.There are plenty of dull moments where nothing interesting happens.The acting is fairly decent and there are some memorable moments including the director showing 8mm snuff film to his crew,the hunt for Dominic in the woods and startling final twist.It's a shame that the pace of the film is so sluggish.Worth a look for fans of snuff phenomenon.

More Pittsburgh Horror

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 5/10 · 28 August 2017]

Horror fans know already what it means when you hear the words Pittsburgh and horror in the same sentence: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Yes all of the zombie films created by director George Romero were created and filmed in that area. But he wasn't alone.

Alongside Romero were a group of friends who decided that if he could make a feature film they could do so as well. They had worked with him and watched how it was done. Now to make a movie on their own. With local make-up legend Tom Savini, who had done the special effects make-up on Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD and the movie MANIAC, what better topic to use than effects? In addition to that at the time in the early 80s there was a large amount of attention being paid to "snuff" films, movies that were supposed to have filmed actual murders and seen only by viewers willing to pay the high price to watch them. Not to mention being some sick individuals.

The story here is of a low budget film crew working on a horror film in a remote location in Pennsylvania. As viewers we would think that something is amiss right away as scenes are combined that would not have been shot a particular way but that would have been edited to appear as they do. But the film makers here have decided to set that aside for the moment.

As the movie progresses we realize that there is a movie being shot within the movie as well. The director of the initial movie, Lacy (John Harrison), is shooting behind the scenes with hidden cameras placed all over the house and area. A trip to a secluded basement area finds him meeting with the crew he has watching over what happens on various monitors.

The story takes several turns and twists as we begin to wonder just how far Lacey is willing to go for either of his movies. Is he just shooting items for a making of type special or does he have something more going on? When he sits with the cinematographer of the initial film Dom (Joe Pilato) to unspool for him an actual "snuff" film, we start to wonder if perhaps that isn't his goal in the end. With that in mind the questions of who will survive and who is in on the whole thing come to mind.

The main question becomes is the movie any good or not? Well yes and no. The quality of the film is much in tune with low budget films from the time period. Colors seem washed out at times and no amount of restoration can change some of the filming that was done. The acting ranges from quite good to passable. The effects are very bad, which is odd for a movie called EFFECTS. Few effects are used in the film if at all and when they are its most often to show how the effects would work in the initial film.

What makes the movie interesting from a fan point of view is that it comes from what could be termed the Romero school of film making. The methods used here were the same he used and he even gave advice to them while they were making the film. An extra included here has footage of the cast members talking about making the movie, some at what appears to be a backyard part for them to get together at which Romero appears to have attended.

In the end I couldn't whole heartedly recommend this film for everyone. But fans of Romero and the type of guerilla film making he did early on will want to check this out. Horror fans will want to give it a look. And completest will want to add it to their horror collections.

May go over some people's head- may be too intelligent for some fans

[ericdetrick2002 · 8/10 · 2 November 2005]

I knew nothing about the film "Effects" going into it. I'm glad I avoided reading any reviews or summaries because in the end I walked away from it feeling like I had not watched just another 70s exploitation or slasher flick- and those are most of my collection by the way.

I have a feeling that there will be a large number of Tom Savini gore fans who will go into it expecting a slice 'em up blood fest in the tradition of Maniac or Dawn of the Dead. Instead, what you get is a film that resembles more of a drama about a group of people making a low budget horror film. It isn't really until the 3rd or 4th quarter of the film where the true horror begins; and it throws the story into a spin. This is why i'm glad I didn't research this film and spoil it. I was really impressed with the way these actor performed. This film could have easily given any "high brow" dramas a run for there money. For you Day of the Dead fans, Joe Pilato doesn't play an "out of his mind" military man in this one. Instead he plays one of the main characters, and his performance is on the mark. He is a likable guy in "Effects". That is one of the strengths of this film; there is a decent amount of character development. What may confuse people is that a few of the characters in this movie are also actors in the horror movie they are shooting. So you get sort of a duel role from the same people. So for all you pot smokers or slow people out there, this may mess with you- LOL.

All and all this is a much better film then a lot of horror fans may give it. And if it rubbed you the wrong way the first time, give it another try. If you want to watch a zombie-slasher movie with lots of blood and guts, then pick up any of the classic zombie flicks- hey Cannibal Holocaust just got re-released on DVD!

Clever & twisted at its best, though rather rough around the edges

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 11 September 2023]

Not that there's a specific shortage, but it's surprising sometimes that there aren't more thrillers and horror flicks that toy with film production; the possibilities are endless when the line blurs between fiction and reality. It's also surprising, perhaps, that such a low-budget and independent production should pursue such a tack, but then again, everyone involved in creating this already had considerable experience in the industry. Set these facets aside, and what's striking is that while we do get some keen horror-thriller flavors early on, there is no meaningful plot development until we hit the halfway mark. We're more than three-quarters through before the turn comes, and at that, comes from out of nowhere. Ultimately the premise is fulfilled and we get what we came for - in a manner that's unexpectedly shrewd and even more sinister than anticipated, especially as the story had seemed at first to be a little more plainspoken. I dare say the strength of the last stretch, and the revelations that it bears concerning all the preceding length, definitely help to elevate the whole and pick up the slack. I'd also be lying if I said this weren't very rough around the edges, and 'Effects' surely won't meet with significant favor from many viewers.

I don't know precisely what the history of the picture is, though I rather assume that given the overall heady, meta, if lo-fi approach to the conglomeration, larger production companies wouldn't have touched this anyway as being too unorthodox, and too risky a venture. That's unfortunate, because all told Dusty Nelson whipped up a(n adapted) story and scenario that's deliciously twisted, and if this had been produced in subsequent years I've no doubt it would have found greater financial support. This falls into that category of horror that's not scary, or even "fun scary," but which instead inspires giddy delight as the underhanded deviousness is unveiled. The foundation is very strong, and this boasts a lot of value in other regards, including excellent stunts and effects. To that point, the enthusiasm that everyone obviously had for the project is quite matched by the skill they contributed. The cast is terrific, all fully embracing their varied roles; Carl Augenstein and Toni Semple's cinematography is unrefined (likely just a reflection of the budgetary limits), but very capable and well done. Nelson's direction can probably be described in those same terms, for that matter, and Pasquale Buba's editing is very sharp. Broadly speaking this is well done.

Well done - but unpolished. It's very noteworthy that the writing effectively shoves all its plot and horror thrills to the last quarter. There's nothing wrong with this; plenty of other titles do the same, and in this case especially I don't know how the material could have been approached in any other fashion and still landed the same way. What's troubling, however, is how brusque and abrupt the shift is, for the incidents of violence in the last portion come so suddenly that if one were shaping 'Effects' as a parody then there might not be any need to drastically change anything. Prior to that, the dialogue is sometimes less than convincing if not just plain bad (note the passing and absolutely unnecessary tinge of homophobia), and the scene writing is variable. For all the good ideas that there are on hand, in the first half especially there's also a fair amount of frivolous nothing that makes one wonder when something is going to happen - an emptiness that only exacerbates the suddenness with which the plot kicks up at long length. I think the feature needed more discrete substance outside the major story beats, something to uplift the front end especially: more emphasis, perhaps, on the dynamics between the characters; subtle bread crumbs pointing toward the turn; more use of the multilayered framing to give us red herrings.

Again, this is all made better by the revelations to come in the last stretch, and overall the result is solidly entertaining. It's just that the last stretch shouldn't have had to do this much heavy lifting, and with a few tweaks, it wouldn't have. Of course, it's also possible that I'm just being overly critical, and nitpicking. All I can say is that I very much enjoyed this when all is said and done, with the caveat that I had a hard time even keeping my eyes open for a sizable portion of the runtime. Unless you're a diehard fan of someone involved, Pittsburgh-area film production, or maybe horror-thrillers that play in similar spaces, I don't think this is anything one needs to go out of their way to see, and I must repeat that the rough spots are an issue. Still, when you get down to it 'Effects' is clever, and a pretty good time, and it's worth checking out if you have the chance.

Maybe for some, but not worth the time.

[vjimw · 3/10 · 15 August 2006]

I am sure for some folks this movie is the cat's meow because of the cast and crew, but unfortunately, it's pretty boring. It's not a horror movie (although they are making one in the film) and it's certainly not a thriller because there is little to no suspense. It's the late 70s and they're doing coke in a farm house while making a movie.

The concept is interesting (what's the difference between making a movie where it looks like the people are getting killed and a movie where the people are being murdered on screen?), but it gets dulled down watching them do coke and putzing around in general. It's kind of like some pre-cursor to a bizarre reality television concept.

eh. kind of a waste.

Interesting Story But Lackluster Results

[Michael_Elliott · 30 July 2017]

Effects (1980)

* (out of 4)

The film takes place in Pittsburg as a crew of low-budget filmmakers are making a horror film. Before long some members start to think that it's not a fake movie but instead a snuff movie.

EFFECTS is a rather interesting film. It was shot by people in Pittsburg who were in one shape or another connected to George A. Romero. This film appears to have been in production around the same time as DAWN OF THE DEAD but it would never get an official release. It played a few showings back when it was completed and then basically disappeared. Seeing that Tom Savini and Joseph Pilato (DAY OF THE DEAD) were in the cast, it kept fans guessing at the movie and then it would eventually get an official release thanks to Synapse.

For the most part I really didn't like this movie. I will say that the story itself was quite interesting and especially how the film bounced back and forth as to if what you were watching was real or fake. The "movie within a movie" was an interesting take on the subject and there's no question that the story is years ahead of its time and especially when you consider where reality TV is today. I think the filmmakers deserves a lot of credit for the interesting story and that they didn't just try to go for gory violence.

With that said, perhaps some gory violence would have helped matters because in the end the film just didn't work for me and I honestly thought the 84-minute running time dragged quite badly. For starters, the film just had a very hard time getting me interested in anything going on. The first forty-five minutes or so are basically us just watching this film crew shoot a movie. After a while we finally get to a snuff movie being shown and this sequence was actually very well done. It was creatively shot and there's no question that it's the highlight of the picture.

The finale also works well enough and leads to an ending that you really wouldn't expect. The cast and crew are full of Pittsburg natives and it's certainly fun see Savini and Pilato here. The film has a couple gore effects but one shouldn't see Savini's name and think you're getting something like DAWN OF THE DEAD or MANIAC. I really think this is one film that could benefit from a remake and especially in this day and age.

This should have stayed lost

[jklein8787 · 2/10 · 28 October 2005]

Being a fan of Tom Savini, I was excited to see this old film of his that he did the effects for. Now, think of this: Tom Savini, Joe Pilato (Rhodes from Day of the Dead) John Harrison (the composer of Romero films like Creepshow and Day of the Dead) in a movie about a making of a snuff film! Sounds like good ol' 70's exploitation horror, right? As Arnold said in Terminator "Wrong!" This boring suspense drama is about...well, not too sure since there was no plot. But something about a crazy director who secretly video tapes his cast and crew have sex, snort cocaine, talk about George Taki's sex life, and then tries to kill his cinematographer for no reason. Tom Savini is funny as a scumbag stunt man who loves his women (basically Tom just played himself). But there is no blood or gore, there is nothing scary about the film, and the editing is really poor. I would rather see midgets shoot their little people pee all over a bag of Dorito's for 90 min. Now that would be an effect! I would rather see mentally challenged people drool all over bare breasts for 90 min. That would be an effect! Watching Joe Pilato mope around and fall in love with a female gaffer on some cheap movie is not an effect! Effect rhymes with erect.

Pittsburgh history

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 16 October 2019]

Pittsburgh is more than just my hometown. If you believe a source as vaunted as Joe Bob Briggs, we're also the birthplace of modern horror, thanks to George Romero and friends creating Night of the Living Dead right here (well, actually Evans City, 45 minutes north of the city).

Horror may have laid dormant for a decade or so, but the 70's and 80's were packed with genre-defining creations made right here in the City of Bridges. There's Dawn of the Dead, Martin and Day of the Dead just to name a few.

Then there's the 1980 film Effects, made by several of Romero's friends and all about the actual process of making a scary movie and the philosophy of horror. Much like every fright flick that emerged from the Steel City - let's not include 1988's Flesh Eater, a movie I'm not sure anyone but S. William Hinzman has any pride in - it goes beyond simple shocks to delve into the complex nature of reality, man's place in the world and what it means to be afraid.

Pittsburgh is a complex city, one that started last century as "Hell with the lid off," died in the late 1970's and rose, much like the living dead, to become a hub for tech many years later.

Joe Pilato (Captain Rhodes from Day of the Dead) stars as Dominic, a cinematographer who has travelled out of the city to the mountains - around here, anything east of the city is referred to as "going to the mountains" - to be the cameraman and special effects creator for a low-budget horror movie.

In case you are from here, he's going to Ligonier. For the rest of the world, imagine a rural wooded area, the area where Rolling Rock beer once came from - yes, I know it's Latrobe yinzers - Anheuser-Busch bought it, moved the plant to Newark, New Jersey and stopped making it in glass-lined tanks. As a result, it now tastes like every mass-produced beer out there. It's also a place with a Story Book Forest theme park.

I tell you that to tell you this - imagine a team of horror maniacs descending on this quiet little town to make a movie about coked-up psychopaths making a snuff film in the woods.

Director Lacey Bickle (John Harrison, who created the music for many of Romero's films and directed Tales from the Darkside: The Movie) is a strange duck, one who wants to push his crew to film scenes days and nights.

Luckily, Dominick meets Celeste, a gaffer who is disliked by the rest of the crew. They quickly fall in love at the same time as our protagonist discovers that an entirely different film is being made, one whose special effects don't need any technical wizardry. As secret cameras begin to roll, what is real and what is Hollywood by way of Allegheny County wizardry?

Dusty Nelson, Pasquale Buba, and John Harrison - the three main filmmakers - all met at public TV station WQED, the home of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and all worked together on the aforementioned Martin. Inspired by their work on that film, they started an LLC and raised $55,000 from friends and family to make this movie.

Due to a distributor problem, Effects was never released in theaters or on home video. Its lone theatrical screenings were at the U.S. Film Fest - which is now the Sundance Film Festival - and it had its world premiere at the Kings Court theater in Oakland, right down the street from Pitt, on November 9, 1979.

According to the website Temple of Schlock, Effects was picked up by Stuart S. Shapiro, a distributor who specialized in offbeat music, horror and cult films like Shame of the Jungle and The Psychotronic Man. His International Harmony company distributed the film, but it played few, if any, theaters. Shapiro would go on to create Night Flight for the USA Network. In October 2005, Synapse would finally release this film on DVD for the first time ever.

Pittsburgh is a lot different now. The Kings Court, once a police station turned movie theater transformed into the Beehive, a combination coffee shop movie theater, is now a T-Mobile store, a sad reminder that at one time, we rejected the homogenization of America here in Pittsburgh. Nowhere is this feeling more telling than at the end of this film, where the movie within a movie has its premiere on Liberty Avenue. Now in the midst of Theater Square, this mini-42nd Street went the very same way, with establishments like the Roman V giving way to magic and comedy clubs. As a kid, when my parents drove down this street, I was at once fascinated and frightened by dahntahn. But no longer.

Great Movie. Joe Pilato is fantastic.

[jasempre-1 · 10/10 · 17 September 2007]

I bought this movie because I am a fan of Joe Pilato. When I bought it, I actually expected him to be a little like Capt. Rhodes (DAY OF THE DEAD). I was very wrong. This movie and his performance blew me away.

Joe Pilato plays Dom, a very likable cameraman. He's basically an every day guy. He is even funny at times. And he falls in love with his gaffer, Celeste (Susan Chapek). He is just an average guy. He wasn't the ***hole he was in DAY OF THE DEAD. Instead, the ***hole of the movie is Nicky (Tom Savini).

He is also the only one in this movie who is completely innocent.

After watching a home-made murder movie from the director, Lacey (John Harrison), he suspects the murder was real. Even after Lacey tells him it isn't. He gets very suspicious. It turns out Lacey is directing two movies. The low-budget horror movie with the set of actors. And a real horror movie with real horror and murder. It is all up to Dom to make sure that it doesn't happen.

Effects

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 30 March 2008]

A cinematographer/special effects man(Joseph Polito, Capt. Rhodes of Romero's "Day of the Dead")finds himself caught in a real snuff film, a tragic example of life imitating art.

A demanding director, Lacey(John Harrison)secretly puts in motion a planned real snuff film, having his camera and f/x pro Dominic(Pilato)and gaffer, Celeste(Susan Chapek)a major part of the central horror. Dominic believes he's finally arrived in film-making having taken the position with his director as they currently work on a slasher film. We see how the cast and crew participate behind-the-scenes as they prepare for various scenes in the film they're working on. A troubled married couple, Barney(Bernard McKenna)and his wife, and the supposed star, Rita(Debra Gordon)portray the couple on the film and we see how their relationship off-camera is crumbling. Dominic believes he has a chance at romance with Celeste, but has no clue that she is portraying a role. Dominic is indeed the tragic character of the film for he's completely in the closet about the REAL movie being made. He brings up a point to his director about slasher films..he complements his director yet complains that in order for the film to really capture an audience there must be a chase scene. He doesn't even have an idea that he would be a part of that exact argument. We bare witness as the director has a hidden film crew operating in a secret room within the house they're shooting. The director even has his effects man(..and true star)Dominic watch a snuff film reel he claims he made himself as a film student..this is both macabre and clever for the director openly admits, in a way, to having made the film, with Dominic shell-shocked at it's realism. Lacey has shown Dominic an example of what he's capable of creating..in a grand sense of irony, Dominic will be the part of a snuff film, only on a much larger stage.

I have to respectfully disagree with others who have commented on "Effects", a small independently produced, acted & directed horror flick from Pittsburgh talent, that it should've stayed lost. I personally thought it was a nifty, well crafted take on "guerrilla" film-making. The closing scene at the end, the name of the real movie being made, adds a nice little sick twist to the proceedings. I think many will indeed, as some user comments attest to, find this film a laborious, often confusing, film to sit through, but I think everything comes together quite neatly by the end. I also thought it was exceptionally photographed..this explains that independent films can have cameras which don't shake like crazy giving their audiences nausea. The opening of "Effects" pleased me because I'm a movie buff, and I was truly satisfied as the whole film, from director Dusty Nelson, comes together explaining certain odd actions(..and behavior) from our director, not to mention, why Dominic and Celeste were being shot in blue hidden from within the woods, and how it spies on them. Little moments Nelson provides us informing the viewer that something completely sinister is amiss. This might work for Backwoods horror fans, specifically the ending as poor Dominic runs for his life having no clue that there are cameras everywhere capturing/covering every move he makes, except inside one particular house. The most creepiest scene for me is the reveal of Lacey's snuff film to Dominic..it's quite masterfully staged(..a hint as to who the masked man cutting the tied female might be can be seen at the BBQ camp fire, by recognizing how the person sticks the knife into the floor)in B&W with the film stock quite shoddy displaying scars and jumps. There's a unique film score put to the film, by actor Harrison on piano he dubs "neo-classic", along with a chilling melody which shadows Lacey's scenes where his face is lighted(..while Lacey remains blanketed in darkness like a sneaky thief cautiously peeking from within a closet on the verge of snatching jewelry), and a series of drum beats during Dominic's terror in the woods. Debra Gordon has a nicely gratutous shower scene where the camera glides down her body following the soap as it travels. Violent film, but ultimately not gory.

I think the character of director Lacey is the key factor in "Effects". He seems mysterious for a reason. Too quiet..there's something not quite right about him. You know the feeling where you come across someone with a hidden agenda you can't quite put your finger on. Tom Savini(as Nicky)has a crucial part, masked in secrecy which comes out at the end..he seems, at first, to merely cause trouble to Dominic and Celeste always bringing up to his director a certain role he plans to play wondering when it would be time. In hindsight, he's ALWAYS been playing a role. Charles Hoyes portrays Lobo, a crew member who also plays a part at the end.

A DECENT DARK LITTLE MYSTERY THRILLER "GEM" WITH A GREAT JOE PILATO PERFORMANCE

[lukem-52760 · 8/10 · 14 March 2020]

I searched this long lost & forgotten Thriller because I'm a Joe Pilato fan (R.I.P) & also i like Tom Savini, so had to check this out. "Effects" is above a small film crew working up at a cabin & a house near some woods, where they are shooting a low-budget Horror movie. Here you do get a look at what it was like to be on the set of a crew making a low-budget film back in the day & i liked the Pittsburgh setting during Autumn & the Atmosphere is very creepy & unsettling.

Horror great, Joe Pilato (Day of the Dead) is the special fx guy & also a camera man, named Dominic. Now, Pilato does give a good solid performance as Don & comes accross as a nice & chilled-out type of blue collar guy whose just doing his job the best he can. Pilato here is nothing like his Iconic performance as the unhinged "Captain Rhodes" from George Romero's Zombie Masterpiece "Day of the Dead" but his performances here is still very good & easily the best performance in this film. Horror legend & special fx wizard, Tom Savini (From Dusk Till Dawn) stars as a weird creep who is apart of the film crew & is just a weirdo, so no real great performance as his role is just being strange & abit cocky as Nicky. The Director of the movie within a movie is Lacey Bickel, played by John Harrison & "Lacey" is another really weird guy, infact everyone in this film is really weird except for Joe Pilato's Don!!! There's also the main star of their Horror film, called Caleste & a few other's of their small crew. Now, this is a gritty & very dark & moody Mystery Thriller with some Slasher elements but it's more a "Thriller" & is about a Snuff film actually being made & not their Horror possession flick & Dominic doesn't realise this but most of the crew are secretly in on it. There's a very creepy & disturbing scene where the main guys of the film crew are all "Coked-up" & watching a real Snuff film late at night that the director (Lacey) wanted to show his crew as inspiration for the kind of "Realism" he wants for his movie!!! It's a very uneasy scene & Pilato looks so uncomfortable & reacts how a normal person would. That scene is a standout part to this flick & also a hunted scene near the end where Dominic is aware of his deadly situation & must fight to survive before he becomes a victim of the secret Snuff film. It's got some good tension & a very dark & sinister look & mood but there's also a few too many of very boring, dull & just weird scenes where nothing happens & the cast talk & sit around & it's very weird, intentional or not? This also had a nice cold Autumn setting & definitely a dark & raw feel to the whole thing. "Effects" is a good solid little gritty Thriller & i felt that the 90's Nicolas Cage Snuff Thriller "8MM" was a distant cousin to this film as both are very similar but this is a little Sub genre anyway & before these films there was the disturbing 70's "HardCore" that fits into this sub genre too. "Effects" is a good film & i liked it even though i didn't get the ending i wanted, it's still a solid forgotten Thriller "gem" with a great performance from Horror legend Joe Pilato. I wish Pilato made it bigger & had much more roles, especially lead roles because here he's the main role & he's great.

The cast is legendary

[ISellDeadPeoplesThings · 10/10 · 28 January 2023]

No spoilers, this cast is awesome, great dialogue, and a inside look at special effects of the late 70's early 80's. Locations are a real throwback, I love the scenery. This movie could Use the 4k upgrade, to preserve the greatness and to introduce it to a newer generation of horror fans. Tom Savini looks the same in this as he does today it's amazing he hasent aged at all. The music is from a time of getting loose and reminds me of other films out there. It has all the requirements to be a classic, so glad I found this tonight. All carpeting is shag carpeting and that reminds me of growing up in this time period. Classic.

REALLY REALLY REALLY SLOW

[AngryCrow1991 · 10/10 · 1 April 2021]

AND NOT ENOUGH GORE TO PAY OFF FOR THE UNIQUE PLOT TWIST AT THE END

TOM SAVINI IS IN THIS

ALSO A FAKE SNUFF FILM AS WELL, THAT ISN'T REALLY GOOD.

Tom Savini isn't enough to save this nothing "film."

[TokyoGyaru · 2 February 2021]

The director just filmed scenes. They obviously forgot to write a script. It's just a bunch a long, boring scenes of people hanging out, doing drugs, and arguing in very few locations. What even was the point? I could only make it 30 minutes because my time is valuable. Too bad, cause the premise (at least what the description promised) was interesting. The movie couldn't have been less interested in it, however.