SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROCK (director: Dimitri Logothetis; screenwriters: Ted Landon/Sandra Willard/Nora Goodman; cinematographer: Nicholas von Sternberg; editor: Daniel Gross; music: Gerald V. Casale/Mark Mothersbaugh; cast: Tom Reilly (Richard Gardner), Nicholas Celozzi (Alex Gerdner), Donna Denton (Carolyn Harding), Toni Basil (Sammy Mitchell), Hope Marie Carlton (Krista Halpern ), Steve Brian Smith (Jack), Tamara Hyler (Jan Squire); Runtime: 90; MPAA Rating: R; producer: Louis George; Sony Video (Arista Films); 1988)
“Music by Devo was this ghastly film’s bright spot.“
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Music by Devo was this ghastly film’s bright spot. It’s an incomprehensible cannibal demon possession teenager horror pic, with some black comedy thrown into the mix. So-so director Dimitri Logothetis(“The Closer”/”The Lost Angel”/”Cheyenne“) tries for every horror pic cliche thrill. There’s also vampires and the attempted rape by an alien of the hero’s girlfriend (Donna Denton). It’s idiotically written by Ted Landon, Nora Goodman and Sandra Willard, and weakly acted by the unknown cast.
College student Richard Gardner (Tom Reilly) is regularly bothered by nightmares of a haunted prison to the point that he can no longer function. Seeking help from a therapist, he’s told to visit the abandoned Alcatraz prison and face up to his fears so he can overcome them. On this mission, Tom at midnight brings along his playful brother Alex (Nicholas Celozzi) and six friends. While inside the empty prison Tom envisions the appearance of a late rock star (Toni Basil), the leader of a heavy metal band, who says the prison is haunted by the cannibal ghost of a US cavalry officer buried underneath it. The rock star has released the imprisoned cannibal, and he enlightens the young visitor further by saying he needs to destroy the demon before it strikes again. In the meantime the demon possesses Tom’s pals and one-by-one starts killing them.
REVIEWED ON 2/4/2015 GRADE: C+
Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DENNIS SCHWARTZ