The Horror Show (1989)

Director:

James Isaac

Writers:

Alan Smithee (written by) (really Allyn Warner) &
Allyn Warner (written by) ...

Release Date:

28 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Go to Hell.

Plot:

Detective Lucas McCarthy finally apprehends "Meat Cleaver Max" and watches the electric chair execution from the audience...

Plot Keywords:

Meat Cleaver | Electric Chair | Execution | Blood | Police

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lance Henriksen	...	Detective Lucas McCarthy
Brion James	...	Max Jenke
Rita Taggart	...	Donna McCarthy
Dedee Pfeiffer	...	Bonnie McCarthy
Aron Eisenberg	...	Scott McCarthy
Thom Bray	...	Peter Campbell
Matt Clark	...	Dr. Tower
David Oliver	...	Vinnie
Terry Alexander	...	Casey
Lewis Arquette	...	Lt. Miller
Lawrence Tierney	...	Warden
Alvy Moore	...	Chili Salesman
Zane W. Levitt	...	Executioner

Also Known As:

Horror House
House 3 (Australia) (video title)
House III (USA) (working title)
House III: The Horror Show (UK) (video title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | USA:R (certificate #29613) | Australia:R (Banned in Queensland) | Finland:K-18 | UK:18 | Norway:15 (DVD) (2004)

Company:

Sean S. Cunningham Films

Trivia:

Brion James (Max Jenke) has said in several interviews that of all the roles he's played, this is his favorite.

Quotes:

Max Jenke: [on being electrocuted] All that did was give me a hard on!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Resident Alien (1990)

Soundtrack:

The Things I Have Done To Our Love

The 'house' takes a back-step.

Just like the first sequel, this second sequel (which used the title 'The Horror Show') would have no relationship with its predecessors and would loose the loony tone of those early films and play it dead-straight as mainly an low-budget unpleasant shocker that doesn't beat around bush. The only inclusion of humor was the dark tongue-in-cheek remarks coming from Brion James's juicily manic (very maniac) villain. James was strangely convincing, despite his hammy attitude (and that snickering laugh!) he manages to remain undeniably threatening. Across from him was a more than focused and stalwart Lance Henriksen as the burned out cop who comes up against James before… and after death. So much commitment from Henriksen, which felt too good for the film. There was so much there to draw upon with the complexities of two main characters, but in the end in barely scrapes the surface and chooses its path promptly. Trashy cheese. The story is the weak point of the production, as James Isaac's acute direction is surefooted, the FX is imaginatively staged, Harry Manfredini's pulsating score holds well and the camera atmospherically shines in passages.

The material is muddled, contrived and becomes ridiculously overwrought. It seems to move too quickly than building upon the many details. Wait for the ending… what was that about?! For some reason as it goes along it loses the hauntingly collapsing momentum it bestowed earlier, but the rapid pace, vicious kick and surreal imagery (and there's plenty of those sequences that are very well executed) don't take a back seat at all. Plus I didn't find it all that predictable. I just wished it kept the bleak and nightmarish tone throughout, that there wasn't going to be a happy ending after all, but the angle we end up with does loosen the impact. The idea is very similar to Wes Craven's "Shocker', which came out the same year.

Rounding off the rest of the performances is the fetching actress Deedee Pfeiffer, a willful Rita Taggart and a colorful Aron Eisenberg. Some other well known faces showing up in minor parts are Lawrence Tierney, Lewis Arquette and Matt Clark.