THE KILLING HOUR

Norman Parker and Perry King

THE KILLING HOUR (aka The Clairvoyant/1982). Director: Armand Mastroianni. 

The corpse of a handcuffed prostitute is found in the Hudson river, and then a series of men, also handcuffed, are murdered in various ways. Detective Larry Weeks (Norman Parker) and his causal friend, TV journalist Paul "Mac" McCormack (Perry King), both try to unveil the killer using different methods. Each man gets involved professionally and romantically with an artist and psychic named Verna (Elizabeth Kemp), who has visions of the murders which she transposes into artwork. But once the killer finds out about this ability, will she become a target?

Elizabeth Kemp with Perry King

Although The Killing Hour can be slow-paced, it does have an interesting storyline and works up some suspense towards the end. One could argue, however, that the revelation of the killer's identity makes this person's actions a little inexplicable. Parker and King both give very good performances -- the detective is also an aspiring stand-up comic and there are scenes at New York's Comic Strip nightclub  (which is still open today). Kemp and other cast members, including Kenneth McMillan as a grumpy chief detective, give okay performances. The murder sequences are bloodless and tasteful (almost too much so), and one especially diabolical trap has a man handcuffed by the ankle to a ladder in a swimming pool, causing him to drown. 

Verdict: Passable suspense thriller with some good performances. **3/4.  

HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH

Stacey Nelkin and Tom Atkins

HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982). Written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. 

When her father is murdered under very strange circumstances, Ellie Grimbridge (Stacey Nelkin) teams up with Dr. Daniel Chalis (Tom Atkins) to discover the truth. Their investigation takes them to the town of Santa Mira -- a reference to Invasion of the Body Snatchers -- where the elder Grimbridge bought Halloween masks from the Silver Shamrock company, a firm run by one Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy). What the couple uncover is a bizarre plot that encompasses a stolen slab from Stonehenge, a bunch of homicidal, super-strong robots, and colorful masks with highly unusual  -- and deadly -- properties. 

Dan O'Herlihy

The third installment in the Halloween franchise did away with Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis and brought in British sci-fi author Nigel Kneale (and others) for something entirely different and possibly bleaker than a mere slasher film. True, there have been other films with sinister conspiracies, strange small towns, weird corporations and the like but it still adds up to something more interesting than Michael Myers on a rampage. One could argue that Halloween III is not the most logical of films, but it is creepy and entertaining, with a decidedly downbeat conclusion. The actors are all good, and O'Herlihy is simply superb. There are some gruesome make-up effects in this and some ghoulish bits of business as well. 

NOTE: Tommy Lee Wallace has just come out with a book entitled Halloween 3:"Where the Hell is Michael Myers?" The Definitive History of Horror's Most Misunderstood Film from BearManor Media. 

Verdict: Another fine O'Herlihy performance in a notably odd horror film. ***. 

FORBIDDEN WORLD

FORBIDDEN WORLD (aka Mutant/1982). Director: Allan Holzman. Produced by Roger Corman. 

Commander Mike Colby (Jesse Vint) is sent to an isolated  scientific research station on the planet Xarbia. There he is told by Dr. Gordon Hauser (Linden Chiles) that "subject 20," a "metamorphic mutation" -- a genetic fusion of Proto B cells and human being -- has destroyed all of the lab animals and still remains a threat. Naturally the creature breaks out of confinement and begins chomping on people. Consisting mostly of a huge maw and gigantic teeth, the creature resembles the monster in Parasite, and may well be the exact same mock-up. Forbidden World isn't a very good movie, but it's fun in a limited way, and the gooey make-up effects are well done. It also has a low-budget but effective production design borrowed from Galaxy of Terror. And then there's the acting ...

As the nominal hero, Jesse Vint is professional as is Linden Chiles -- along with Ray Oliver and Scott Paulin -- as other workers in the research facility. Fox Harris is generally awful  as Cal, the Chief of Bacteriology, acting as if he thought he were in a parody of a monster movie on The Carol Burnett Show. Michael Bowen, who is adept enough as Jimmy, the first victim in the movie, went on to better things. As for the two women in the cast, who shall remain nameless, they are so insufficient that I've no doubt some audience members wondered if they were dragged in from adult films! They don't seem even remotely like scientists, but they do get to have tedious sex scenes with Jesse Vint and his -- or the commander's -- scarred body. This is yet another clone of Alien. 

Verdict: Worth one look in a weak moment and no more. **1/2. 

PARASITE (1982)

Robert Glaudini in 3D

PARASITE (in 3D/1982. Director: Charles Band. 

In a future world where the U.S. apparently fell in an atomic war and the government is controlled by sinister men called "Merchants," scientist Paul Dean (Robert Glaudini) is forced to create parasitical monstrosities. One of these creatures accidentally gets inside him, and he runs off with another of the parasites in the hopes that he can find a way to destroy them. Entering a small and ramshackle town, he is befriended by bar owner Collins (Al Fann), pretty and feisty resident Patricia (Demi Moore) and vain, aging landlady, Elizabeth (Vivian Blaine). In addition to the parasite, Paul has his hands full with creepy psycho Ricus (Luca Bercovici), his buddy Zeke (Tom Villard), and their cohorts. But the true menace may be a merchant named Wolf (James Davidson) who is out to kill Paul and reclaim the parasite. Then stupid Ricus lets the damn thing loose ... 

With a fairly brisk pace Parasite emerges as a minor, somewhat illogical, but often entertaining horror film. The parasite resembles a tadpole with teeth, and it is more comical than frightening, but there's a great and funny scene when poor Elizabeth looks up from her mirror only to have the monster jump down on her face. (How it manages to get inside her head while leaving the head intact -- before it bursts out of the front of her face -- is never really explained.) I actually managed to watch this in 3D with a pair of red and blue plastic specs, and found the three-dimensional effects as eye-straining and essentially mediocre as they were in the movie house. At least the acting is generally adept, with a vivid Bercovici and very nasty Davidson making the best impression. Vivian Blaine as the blowsy landlady is a far, far cry from Dollface!

Verdict: Not exactly Alien, but fun enough. **1/2. 

PRIME SUSPECT

Cartwright and Farrell

PRIME SUSPECT (1982 telefilm). Director: Noel Black.

Frank Staplin buys a couple of boxes of cookies from a cute little girl scout, Sharon (Elizabeth Hoy), who later goes missing. A series of little girls have been kidnapped and murdered by an unknown suspect, but Frank becomes high on the list as far as detectives are concerned and simply can't prove his alibi. Frank is eventually let go due to lack of evidence -- although he is still the prime suspect --  but feels he was tried and convicted by the media, especially reporter Amy McCleary (Teri Garr), of one "happy news" broadcast. His boss (Charles Aidman) suggests that he transfer to another office and change his name! Eventually a repentant Amy tries to help Frank with his alibi and comes into conflict with her boss (James Sloyan) because of it. 

Farrell and Cartwright

Prime Suspect focuses solely on Frank and his family, including wife Janice (Veronica Cartwright) and eventually Amy, but there is no attempt to create any suspense over the identity of the true murderer. Farrell and Garr give acceptable performances, although Cartwright, who always seems angry whether the script calls for it or not, is just plain odd. There is virtually no attempt to generate any pathos over the missing and murdered children and for all you know Frank and Amy could be discussing his being accused of, say, embezzlement. Prime Suspect enters a twilight zone territory of unreality when Frank simply decides that he's not going to let this get to him and everyone warmly and happily welcomes him back into the office despite the fact that at that point he is still the prime suspect. The ending is a mere anti-climax as by this time you don't really care about Frank -- who never really expresses much feeling over the children -- or anyone else. Noel Black also directed Pretty Poison. 

Verdict: Minor and insubstantial telefilm with some insufficient acting. **.