TerrorVision (1986)

A family's new satellite TV system starts receiving signals from another planet, and soon it becomes the passageway to an alien world.

Director:

Ted Nicolaou

Writer:

Ted Nicolaou

Stars:

Diane Franklin, Mary Woronov, Gerrit Graham

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Diane Franklin	...	Suzy
Gerrit Graham	...	Stan
Mary Woronov	...	Raquel
Chad Allen	...	Sherman
Jon Gries	...	O.D. (as Jonathan Gries)
Bert Remsen	...	Grampa
Alejandro Rey	...	Spiro
Randi Brooks	...	Cherry
Jennifer Richards	...	Medusa
Sonny Carl Davis	...	Norton
Ian Patrick Williams	...	Nutky
William Paulson	...	Pluthar
John Leamer	...	Chauffeur

Storyline

Stan installs satellite TV for his family, but, soon, he picks up a signal from another planet and his television system becomes the gateway between the 2. A creature comes to his apartment and only their son Sherman sees it, but his parents don't believe the boy.

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Plot Keywords:

television | satellite dish | alien | telephone call | female horror host | 

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Taglines:

People of Earth, your planet is about to be destroyed... We're terribly sorry for the inconvenience.

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The poster for this movie was designed before the script was written.

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Goofs

When Pluthar is talking to Suzy and Sherman, his skin is glossy and reflective of light. Upon learning that the "beast has ingested earthlings," cutting back from Suzy and Sherman, his skin appears dull and muted.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Raquel Putterman: [Raquel watches her exercise program while Stanley works on the satellite dish] Stanley! Stanley! Quit screwing around... Stanley! Stanley, I'm right in the middle of my program. For Christ's sakes, Stanley!
Stanley Putterman: Lay off me, Beautiful. I almost got this baby wired.

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Connections

Referenced in The Ring (2002)

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Soundtracks

Stan's Theme Song
Sung by Hal Negro
Produced by Ron Goudie
© 1986 Smell Brain / Amgine
Administered by Bug Music

User Reviews

Lyrical Silly Charm

Sherman Putterman is your standard alien monster film kid who has seen a monster but can't get anyone else to believe him. His grandpa (Bert Remsen in the film's best performance) is a survivalist promoting his lizard tail jerky product (the perfect food because lizards' tails grow back and you can eat it again) and hiding out in his well-stocked fallout shelter.

If it were possible for a complete parody to be called original, "Terrorvision" (1986) would be the first to qualify. This is another cheap Albert and Charles Band (Empire Studios) production, but is not as mindless as something like "Redneck Zombies" and even has a bit of lyrical (yet very silly) charm. Everyone involved is obviously having a good time and the creature is much like something Richard Carlson would have encountered in a 1950's sci-fi film, but with much more slime. Not until "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" would there be a more self-aware genre parody. Although rated "R" because of some off-color humor, it would not be worth denying middle schoolers the pleasure of viewing this film because the overall style and effect is best appreciated by that age group.

Sherman's swinging parents are Gerrit Graham (who played superstitious car salesman Jeff in "Used Cars") and Mary Woronov ("Eating Raoul").

1980's teen queen Diane Franklin plays Sherman's sister Suzy and Jon Gries (of "Pretender" fame) is her boyfriend "O.D." who is really into heavy metal music. Franklin is almost unrecognizable in her mid-1980's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" look.

Although the parody is primarily directed at the excessive cuteness of "ET", "Terrorvision" also goes after Elvira and Vampira with a similar late night horror show hostess called Medusa who wears a wig of snakes, has two enormous talents, and manages a host(ess) of semi-explicit puns.

The real star is an alien house pet whose mutation into a hungry beast forced its owners to send its atoms out into space. The film begins on a distant planet where this mutated pet is being processed at the mutated creature facility. A stray planet causes the creatures atoms to deflect through space until it finally is sucked down to earth by Sherman's father's new satellite dish.

By the middle of the film the monster has chewed and sucked its way through most of the family and their friends when Sherman, Suzy, and OD have an "ET" moment with it. The monster can mimic anyone it has eaten so the other cast members have a couple of post- demise scenes.

Details

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

TerrorVision

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$320,256, 17 February 1986

Gross USA:

$320,256

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$320,256

Company Credits

Production Co:

Empire Pictures, Altar Productions, Lexyn Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1