Jun '19
This aired on TCM Underground last night. Unlike most of what they run on there, I hadn't heard of it before.
It starts with a couple leaving their young son, Billy, with his Aunt Cheryl before they take a road trip. This is the last they see of each other because his parents soon die in a freak accident.
Fourteen years later, Billy's a high school senior with a girlfriend and he's a great basketball player with a chance to earn an athletic scholarship. He's also still living with Aunt Cheryl, who isn't handling Billy growing up well at all.
There isn't anything Aunt Cheryl won't do to keep Billy under her roof, including commit murder. I actually thought she might try to fuck him at one point, due to both her words and actions, but things never go that far.
Aunt Cheryl is portrayed by Susan Tyrrell. Not an actress I'm familiar with, but it sounds like she had some interesting roles over the years.
Bo Svenson is an unlikable detective who tries to make Billy's life hell after the first murder. Another actor I'm not too familiar with, although I've wanted to see his "Walking Tall" sequels for a while.
Then there's Britt Leach as another cop. Not a name that rings a bell? He's the toy store owner in "Silent Night, Deadly Night". He's also apparently the guy in "The Great Outdoors" who was struck by lightning sixty-six times (in the head!).
And last but sure as fuck not least is Bill Paxton in a small role as another basketball player and Billy's main rival at school. This was his first horror film.
I just realized that this is a video nasty. In terms of violence, it's one of the weaker video nasties I've seen. Still, it's pretty good. 7/10
It starts with a couple leaving their young son, Billy, with his Aunt Cheryl before they take a road trip. This is the last they see of each other because his parents soon die in a freak accident.
Fourteen years later, Billy's a high school senior with a girlfriend and he's a great basketball player with a chance to earn an athletic scholarship. He's also still living with Aunt Cheryl, who isn't handling Billy growing up well at all.
There isn't anything Aunt Cheryl won't do to keep Billy under her roof, including commit murder. I actually thought she might try to fuck him at one point, due to both her words and actions, but things never go that far.
Aunt Cheryl is portrayed by Susan Tyrrell. Not an actress I'm familiar with, but it sounds like she had some interesting roles over the years.
Bo Svenson is an unlikable detective who tries to make Billy's life hell after the first murder. Another actor I'm not too familiar with, although I've wanted to see his "Walking Tall" sequels for a while.
Then there's Britt Leach as another cop. Not a name that rings a bell? He's the toy store owner in "Silent Night, Deadly Night". He's also apparently the guy in "The Great Outdoors" who was struck by lightning sixty-six times (in the head!).
And last but sure as fuck not least is Bill Paxton in a small role as another basketball player and Billy's main rival at school. This was his first horror film.
I just realized that this is a video nasty. In terms of violence, it's one of the weaker video nasties I've seen. Still, it's pretty good. 7/10
This has a good cast of well known character actors. Susan Tyrell was well known for "going bonkers" roles. She was also in the excellent and sadly short lived early 80s sitcom Open All Night. Svenson was practically a staple in 70s TV movies including Snowbeast. Leach was also a very familiar face, way before Weird Science. There's also Julia Duffy who was well known for being on The Love Boat.
I wouldn't rate this quite as high as Sleepaway Camp, but it certainly had a more well known cast than that one. I'd give it probably 8/10.