Unhinged (1982)

Three young women who crash their car during a rainstorm are taken in by a bizarre family at their large, rural estate.

Director:

Don Gronquist

Writers:

Don Gronquist, Reagan Ramsey

Stars:

Laurel Munson, Janet Penner, Sara Ansley

Cast

Cast overview:
Laurel Munson	...	Terry Morgan
Janet Penner	...	Marion Penrose (as J.E. Penner)
Sara Ansley	...	Nancy Paulson
Virginia Settle	...	Mrs. Penrose
John Morrison	...	Norman Barnes
Barbara Lusch	...	Gloria
Bill Simmonds	...	Carl Penrose
Francine Molter	...	Terry's Mother (voice)
Dave Hood	...	DJ (voice)

Storyline

College students, Terry, Nancy and Gloria are on their way to a rock concert, driving through a torrential rainstorm... only to crash their car, badly injuring one of them. Seeking shelter and aid they come across a house occupied by a man-hating mother and her daughter... our trio soon wish they hadn't.

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Plot Keywords:

mansion | secret | old lady | blood splatter | female full frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

The Nightmare Begins When You Wake Up

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 October 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Demencial

Filming Locations:

Pittock Mansion - 3229 NW Pittock Drive, Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anavisio Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nearly every single person involved with the film were locals from the Portland, Oregon area.

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Quotes

Nancy Paulson: God, can you believe that? I've seen people with aversions before, but Jesus!

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Crazy Credits

The fast-food restaurant chain, "Taco Time" is given a special thanks in the end credits, because of the radio ad that is heard in the beginning of the movie.

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Connections

Referenced in Discovering 'Evil Dead' (2002)

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Soundtracks

PIANO CONCERTO NO. 20 IN D MINOR, K. 466, mvt. 2
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

Worth a look despite it's shortcomings.

This is one bizarre movie. After being treated to an agonizingly long period of opening credits over black screen, the film starts and we are quickly introduced to our heroine in the shower (first of many). She and two friends are off to a rock concert but alas, in these type of movies, they never reach their destination. As they drive down the winding path through an ominous woodsy area they hit a pot hole and total their car. The trio awaken in an old creepy mansion. There, they meet a delightfully quirky mother-daughter team, hiding a sinister secret. Just so happens they're stuck in the middle of nowhere and without a phone. One of the girls is badly injured so naturally they are invited to stay as guests for a few nights by the odd couple. The house is creepy and brooding, darkly lit, quiet and is very fitting I must say. It really gives this already eerie film a nice atmosphere of paranoia and dread. The girls quickly learn just how demented the mother of the household is , what with her hatred of men and how barbarically she treats her daughter (who is also pretty nutty and extremely ugly looking!) Anyway, weird things occur and the bodies start to pile up, all the while cheap synthesizer music blares in the background. UNHINGED is another run-of-the-mill slash flick that followed in the wake of FRIDAY THE 13th. Direction is bland and flat, production values are minimal, acting is stiff and the plot is fairly tired (even by early 80s standard.) But, it is because of these flaws that UNHINGED rises up above the rest and manages to become a downright creepy, unnerving film. The way-out there ending also helps a bit :) There isn't much violence or gore but when a slashing does occur it is quick and mean, in particular the final murder which is damned disturbing. Most wouldn't find any redeeming qualities here and yes it is talky in parts, but I found it all rather good build-up. Look, UNHINGED isn't a fine film by any means but you can literally feel the impending doom in the pit of your stomach from the moment the credits start, and for that I applaud it.