Killer Workout (1986)

Director:

David A. Prior

Writer:

David A. Prior (writer)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The workout will kill you!

Plot:

Two years ago, a young woman named Valerie was burned after entering a tanning salon. Now, her twin sister, Rhonda runs a local gym where all of a sudden, people are being murdered. |

Plot Keywords:

Gym | Psycho Spoof | Safety Pin | Aerobics | Throat Slitting

Cast

Marcia Karr	...	Rhonda Johnson
David James Campbell	...	Det. Lt. Morgan
Fritz Matthews	...	Jimmy Hallik
Ted Prior	...	Chuck Dawson
Teresa Van der Woude	...	Jaimy (as Teresa Vander Woude)
Richard Bravo	...	Tom
Dianne Copeland	...	Debbie
Laurel Mock	...	Diane Matthews
Lynn Meighan	...	Cathy
Teresa Truesdale	...	Rachael McClee
Denise Martell	...	Marsha
Michael Beck	...	Curtis
John Robb	...	Weightlifter #1
Joel Hoffman	...	Weightlifter #2
Larry Reynolds	...	Officer Peterson

Also Known As:

Aerobi-cide (UK) (video title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | West Germany:18 (cut) | USA:R

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

Soundtrack:

Dust It Off

Oh, the horror of the 80s.

Set in Rhonda's Work-out, an L.A. aerobics gym where the only the gorgeous are welcome (well, with the exception of a token fatty on an exercise bike, presumably there for the hard-bodies to make fun of), Aerobicide sees a killer hacking through the establishment's clientèle with a giant safety pin (!). Meanwhile, police detective Lt. Morgan (David James Campbell) and private investigator Chuck Dawson (Ted Prior) attempt to uncover the identity of the murderer, and gym owner Rhonda Johnson (Marcia Karr) tries to prevent her customers from cancelling their memberships.

As a slasher film, Aerobicide is a complete failure, devoid of scares, tension, or decent kills (there's very little in the way of gore); however, as an opportunity to ogle hot 80s women flaunting their flawless, toned bodies in skimpy lycra outfits, it can't be beat.

With the 'horror' regularly punctuated by cheesy 80s dance routines, fans of the female form are guaranteed plenty to enjoy: shapely butt's gyrate, groins thrust, and big breasts jiggle to a hi-energy disco soundtrack, and additional titillation comes in the form of a nekkid bird who gets grilled like a cheese toastie in a sun bed, tasty Teresa Van der Woude whipping her top off during a dream sequence, a victim being killed whilst taking a shower, and buxom Dianne Copeland flashing her ample charms in a bikini that is quite clearly struggling to contain such a well developed physique.

Fans of trashy 80s nonsense should also get a kick out of an unbelievably hideous gold and black outfit worn by Rhonda, a couple of ridiculous punch-ups between the gym's beefcake male instructors, one of horror cinema's silliest jump scares in the shape of a spring-loaded rubber arm (which pops out a locker not once, but twice), and a seriously unconvincing wig (to explain more would be to spoil the film, but you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it).

If you've watched and enjoyed similarly themed slashers Death Spa and Murderock, then this voyeuristic piece of low-brow entertainment from the days when big hair and leg-warmers ruled the world will no doubt also hit the spot.