The Mangler (1995)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Stephen King (short story)
Tobe Hooper (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 March 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Escape is not an option.

Plot:

A laundry folding machine is possessed by a demon from Hell.

Plot Keywords:

Supernatural | Crushed To Death | Severed Arm | Severed Finger | Cult Film

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Robert Englund	...	William 'Bill' Gartley
Ted Levine	...	Officer John Hunton
Daniel Matmor	...	Mark Jackson
Jeremy Crutchley	...	J.J.J. Pictureman / Mortician
Vanessa Pike	...	Sherry Ouelette
Demetre Phillips	...	George Stanner
Lisa Morris	...	Lin Sue
Vera Blacker	...	Mrs. Adelle Frawley
Ashley Hayden	...	Annette Gillian
Danny Keogh	...	Herb Diment
Ted Le Plat	...	Doctor Ramos
Todd Jensen	...	Roger Martin
Sean Taylor	...	Derrick Gates
Gerrit Schoonhoven	...	Aaron Rodriguez
Nan Hamilton	...	Mrs. Ellenshaw
Adrian Waldron	...	Mr. Ellenshaw
Norman Coombes	...	Judge Bishop
Larry Taylor	...	Sheriff Hughes
Irene Frangs	...	Mrs. Smith
Megan Wilson	...	Ginny Jason
Odile Rault	...	Alberta
Ron Smerczak	...	Officer Steele
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ashley Waldorf	...	Paramedic Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Stephen King		(short story)
Tobe Hooper		(screenplay) and
Stephen David Brooks		(screenplay) (as Stephen Brooks) and
Harry Alan Towers		(screenplay) (as Peter Welbeck)

Produced by
Kent Adamson	....	development producer
Rita Marie Bartlett	....	associate producer
Sudhir Pragjee	....	executive producer
Anant Singh	....	producer
Sanjeev Singh	....	executive producer
Helena Spring	....	executive producer
Harry Alan Towers	....	executive producer (as Peter Welbeck)

Original Music by
Barrington Pheloung

Cinematography by
Amnon Salomon

Film Editing by
David Heitner

Casting by
Christa Schamberger

Production Design by
David Barkham

Art Direction by
Zack Grobler

Costume Design by
Moira Anne Meyer

Makeup Department
Scott Coulter	....	key special makeup effects: Los Angeles
Tracy Crystal	....	key makeup artist
Barry R. Koper	....	makeup artist: Mr. Englund, Los Angeles
Lana Levin	....	assistant makeup artist
David B. Miller	....	makeup artist: Mr. Englund, Los Angeles
Scott Patton	....	special makeup effects artist
Lloyd Power	....	key hair stylist
Mark Villalobos	....	special makeup effects technician
Scott Wheeler	....	makeup effects
Scott Wheeler	....	special makeup effects: Los Angeles

Production Management
Brian Cox	....	post-production supervisor: Los Angeles
Lesley Fox	....	post-production supervisor
Genevieve Hofmeyr	....	unit production manager
Paul Janssen	....	post-production supervisor: London
Michael Snell	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen David Brooks	....	second unit director
Graham Hickson	....	first assistant director
Gavin Joubert	....	second assistant director
Diane McCarthy	....	second assistant director
Shane Mohabier	....	second assistant director
Philip Mosoeu	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sean Ahern	....	set builder
Clive Berry	....	assistant set dresser
Shane Bunce	....	property master
Pascal Contos	....	stand-by props
Chris Croukamp	....	assistant set dresser
Hamid Croukamp	....	set dresser
Peter De Jager	....	graphic designer
Jeanne Henn	....	set dresser
Roland Hunter	....	head scenic artist
Rosalind Lurie	....	graphic designer
Loui Polykarpou	....	assistant property master
Marelize Pretorius	....	assistant property master
Marelize Pretorius	....	stand-by set dresser
Della Steenkamp	....	assistant set dresser
Danny Tsatsi	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Dana Austin	....	adr recordist: Los Angeles (as Dana Porter)
Charlotte Buys	....	dialogue editor
Nicky De Beer	....	sound designer
Tommy Goodwin	....	adr mixer: Los Angeles
Akbar Ali Goolam	....	sound transferer
Elinor Hardy	....	adr editor
Raymond Hennessy	....	boom operator
John Isles	....	stereo sound consultant
Sid Knowles	....	adr mixer
Sid Knowles	....	foley mixer
Edwin Lawson	....	sound transferer
Wayne Lines	....	foley editor
Juliet Phillips	....	foley artist
Mark Phillips	....	sound re-recording mixer
Leith Ridley	....	foley artist
Colette Russouw	....	adr editor
Richard Sprawson	....	sound mixer
Warwick Swinney	....	special sound effects
Robert Thorpe	....	sound effects editor
Jeff Tucker	....	sound technical advisor
Nikki Van Kiekerk	....	dialogue editor
Christopher T. Welch	....	adr supervisor: Los Angeles

Special Effects by
David Moffat	....	special effects assistant
Karen Poolman	....	special effects assistant
Max Poolman	....	special effects coordinator
Andrew Robertson	....	special effects assistant
Teri-Lin Robertson	....	special effects department coordinator
Bonnie Wienand	....	special effects assistant
Tony Wilson	....	special effects assistant
Janek Zabielski	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Stephen David Brooks	....	visual effects supervisor
Denise Davis	....	visual effects coordinator: Los Angeles
Paul Lasaine	....	matte painting supervisor
Eric Peterson	....	visual effects artist
Winston Quitasol	....	digital compositor
Wally Schaab	....	digital artist
Carolyn Soper	....	visual effects producer: Los Angeles

Stunts
Roland Jansen	....	action vehicle stunts: London
Gavin Mey	....	stunt coordinator: London
Ashley Waldorf	....	action vehicle coordinator
Ashley Waldorf	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Umberto Adaggi	....	still photographer
Xavier Arce	....	clapper loader
Danny Ben Menahem	....	gaffer
Ewen Bogle	....	focus puller
Derek William Carlow	....	grip
Vincent G. Cox	....	camera operator: second unit
Vincent De Jager	....	focus puller: second unit
Graham Elston	....	best boy grip
Bernard Fani	....	electrician
Simon Francis	....	rigging gaffer
David Gur	....	still photographer
Gavin Horne	....	key grip
Clive Lawrie	....	camera operator: second unit
Pepsy Mahunisi	....	electrician
John Matye	....	best boy electric
Ishmail Moeng	....	grip
Themba Mudau	....	grip
Kenneth Shange	....	grip
Anthony Smythe	....	focus puller: second unit
Rys Vincent	....	focus puller: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rebecca Ferrari	....	wardrobe assistant
Darion Hing	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Nicci Blue	....	second assistant film editor
Charlotte Buys	....	second assistant film editor
Megan Gill	....	first assistant film editor
Hayley Morris	....	first assistant film editor
Lucas Ramosime	....	post-production assistant
Lorraine Salk	....	additional editor: Los Angeles
Jeanine Smal	....	apprentice film editor
Nicci Van Niekerk	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Dave Hunt	....	music mixer: London
Dave Hunt	....	music recordist: London
Toby Wood	....	assistant scoring engineer

Other crew
Gerard Botha	....	production assistant
Maureen Conway	....	script supervisor
Tim Cummings	....	voice effects: Los Angeles
Lionel Glass	....	projectionist
Anita Hope	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Joyce Kurtz	....	additional adr: Los Angeles
Todd Masters	....	prosthetics co-designer: Los Angeles
Sandra Mazzotti	....	production coordinator
Nicola Rauch	....	craft service
Stuart Wentzel	....	armourer

Production Companies

• Allied Film Production
• Distant Horizons
• Filmex Pty. Ltd.
• New Line Cinema

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• New Line Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Cine Plus (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lider Films (1996) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Asso Film (video)
• Astro Distribution (1996) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Cosmos Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Guild Home Video (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Nea Kinisi Video (1996) (Greece) (VHS)
• New Line Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Starlight (1995) (Germany) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (1996) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• London Metropolitan Orchestra  orchestra

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for gory horror violence and language

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | Australia | South Africa

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:18 | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M (unrated version)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Allied Film Production

Trivia:

Larry Taylor's last film.

Quotes:

[first lines]
George Stanner:What are you doing? Not up here. Get back down there. Jesus. Morons.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: Stephen King: O vasilias tou tromou" (2009)

If this is the best he can do, Hooper should retire.

THE MANGLER is further proof that some of the "top" names in horror can make 'em as bad as they come.

This one concerns a possessed laundry press (getting kind of desperate for new ideas, aren't they?) that is turned into a killing machine by a splash of virgin's blood (!) It grinds, smashes and burns workers in a small, grimy New England factory. Robert Englund does some heavy duty hamming as the cruel, greedy owner with white hair, an eye patch and leg braces, who lurches around on crutches, degrades (and has offscreen sex with) his female employees and screams nearly every line of his terrible dialogue.

Even his fans, and fans of Hooper (if he has any left) and Stephen King (whose short story in "Night Shift" this is based upon) will want to steer clear of this dreary, senseless, humorless gorefest with a handful of decent FX. The screenplay (by Hooper and Stephen Brooks) and supporting acting (especially Daniel Matmor as an occult expert) are both terrible.

I've read that this film (produced in 1993) was initially targeted for a wide theatrical release, but only got a limited one before heading off to video world in 1995. Avoid the sequel, too.

I gave it a 2 out of 10 only because it's slightly better than Part 2.