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The Chair (1988) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
3.2/10   95 votes
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Release Date:
December 1989 (USA) more
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Plot:
A psychologist, a psychiatrist and a prison warden open up a long-closed prison, unaware that the ghost of an electrocuted convict haunts it. | add synopsis
User Reviews:
Fizzled! more (6 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
James Coco ... Dr. Harold Woodhouse Langer
Trini Alvarado ... Lisa Titus
Paul Benedict ... Warden Edward Dwyer
Gary McCleery ... Rick Donner
Stephen Geoffreys ... Roach
Ron Taylor ... Tiny
Mark von Holstein ... Mazzini
Calvin Levels ... Wilma

Brad Greenquist ... Mushmouth
Paul Calderon ... Pizza
Antonio Aponte ... Romeo
Jihmi Kennedy ... Walkman

Mike Starr ... Wilson
Jaime Tirelli ... Luis
Daryl Edwards ... Bob
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Hot Seat
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Runtime:
100 min
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Fun Stuff

Trivia:
James Coco's final movie. more

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful.
Fizzled!, 10 May 2008
3/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.

An idealistic psychologist Dr. Harold Woodhouse Langer re-opens an abandon prison to hopefully change the mindset of some hardened criminals. Warden Edward Dwyer thinks very little of the program, but begins to be haunted by the prison's horrific past which he personally knows about. Soon the prisoners break into fear with the strange things going on, but Dr. Langer doesn't believe them.

Soon after the Renny Harlin's 1988 horror flick film 'Prison', came this very cheap, uneven and non-effective prison supernatural horror yarn. It never breaks away from the overall silliness, to storm up anything that resembles thrills. The problem was I don't know if it was trying to be humorous or not, because of how quirky the story and performances came across. Too bad it wasn't funny either. What was the deal of that over-extended opening sequence with that weepy blues song? I had to check the video again to make sure I was watching the right film, because it felt totally out-of-place. This can be said the same for Eddie Reyes' makeshift (carnival sounding) music score, which would go out of its way to butcher some scenes. What drag it out was that it had a slim, ponderous plot that takes ages to get going, and when it does its rather anticlimactic. The talky script might want to be character-based, but it couldn't have been anymore redundant and vapid in detailing the characters and their plights. Batty acting amuses, with the likes of Paul Benedict, Mike Starr and Stephen Geoffreys. Holding her own is Trini Alvarado. Director Waldemar Korzeniowsky clumsily stages it with nothing but routine tools and techniques. The special effects are sparse, but the execution is goofy. I could've gone without it. Very weak.

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