SKINNER (director: Ivan Nagy; screenwriter: Paul Hart-Wilden; cinematographer: Greg Littlewood; editors: Fred Roth/Peter Schenk; music: Keith Arum/Contagion; cast: Ted Raimi (Dennis Skinner), Traci Lords (Heidi), Ricki Lake (Kerry Tate), David Warshofsky (Geoff Tate), Richard Schiff (Eddie), Blaire Baron (Gloria); Runtime: 81; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Brad Wyman/Jeff Pollon; A-Pix; 1993)
“Lurid and tasteless serial killer flick.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A lurid and tasteless serial killer flick competently directed by the Hungarian born Ivan Nagy(“A Gun in the House”/”Jane Doe”/”Deadly Hero”). He’s the infamous boyfriend of the scandalous Hollywood madame to the stars of the 1990’s, Heidi Fleiss. It’s insanely written by Paul Hart-Wilden.
Ted Raimi always smiles playing the janitor psychopath serial killer named Dennis Skinner, whose thing is prowling the streets at night to kill prostitutes. The handsome lad skins them and wears their hair. The psycho rents a room in an old house owned by Kerry (Ricki Lake) and her frequently absentee trucker hubby Geoff Tate (David Warshofsky), and falls in love with Kerry. Porn star Traci Lords plays Heidi, a loner dwelling in a seedy hotel room. The depressed morphine addict is deformed, with half her face scarred, and is a pissed victim of Skinner’s who is now obsessed with killing him.
There are many gross-out sicko scenes to keep things always disturbing. The topper was Skinner skinning a corpse. In another gross scene, our boy skins a co-worker black man (Richard Schiff ) and struts around in his skin.
This is a low-budget exploitation film, with great FX work and plenty of weirdo entertainment. It maybe can take solace that a masterpiece horror classic like Eyes Without a Face (1959) also employed the same slasher methods.
REVIEWED ON 4/28/2015 GRADE: B-
Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”
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