DEADLY MANOR

That great old house!

DEADLY MANOR (1990). Written and directed by Jose Ramon Larraz. 

A bunch of young people are trying to find a lake when a hitchhiker named Jack (Clark Tufts) tells them it's actually two hours away. Looking for a place to relax before continuing, Rod (Mark Irish) drives down a rutted lane until they come across what appears to be an abandoned old mansion. Outside the house is a wrecked and burned car that seems set up as if it were some kind of a shrine. Helen (Claudia Franjul) is convinced someone lives in the house and runs off in anger, while Jack kicks in the back door. Inside they find coffins in the basement, tons of dust and debris, huge cracks in the walls, and numerous photographs of an attractive young woman. Then the killings begin ... 

cast members of Deadly Manor

Deadly Manor may not be a masterpiece but it isn't as terrible as some would suggest. The young cast members are attractive if a touch amateurish at times, but there is some good work from Jennifer Delora as Amanda and the uncredited actor who plays Alfred. Greg Rhodes is the handsome dude playing Tony -- he figures in a sexy erotic dream sequence -- and Jerry Kernion makes an impression as the rotund, likable Peter. The characters are all likable, which makes the film easier to take as it slowly builds up suspense and a modicum of chills. The location of the old house -- which was torn down when filming was over -- is a major asset to the production, but one wishes the direction had been more inventive and skillful. An inexplicable scene has Tony finding pictures in an album of what appear to be a number of corpses, but he has no reaction to this despite the fact that most people would think they'd broken into the home of a serial killer. Kathleen Patane handles her "final girl" scenes with aplomb. Gore geeks won't want to bother with this film as it isn't terribly graphic. The screenplay for this is not at all bad. Larraz also directed Edge of the Axe.

Verdict: Despite flaws, this is an unusual and fairly worthwhile entry in the slasher sweepstakes. **1/2.  

PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE POISON PEN

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason

PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE POISON PEN (1990 telefilm). Director: Christian I. Nyby II.

Bradley Thompson (David Warner) is a slightly obnoxious bestselling author whose most recent work is a non-fiction study of a murder case that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) worked on, successfully defending the accused. Thompson named a different suspect in his book, which led to the man's suicide. When Thompson is poisoned at a literary conference, there are numerous suspects, one of whom is arrested: ex-wife Martha (Barbara Babcock); author Rita Sue Bliss (Cindy Williams); former protege Michael Garcia (Tony Lo Bianco); assistant Rebecca (Katherine Moffat); bartender Chris Fulmer (Don Reilly); and others. Most of these suspects have secrets, and most of Thompson's output may well have been written by others. 

William R. Moses as Ken Malansky

The Case of the Poisoned Pen is decidedly one of the better Perry Mason movies, with a strong hook, a good plot, and lots of motives. Burr is as excellent as usual as the defense lawyer, and there are especially good performances from Warner, Babcock, and Williams. Theater actor Don Reilly also makes a positive impression. The ever-likable William R. Moses plays private detective Ken Malansky, but he never seems quite as solid as Paul Drake, literally or figuratively -- Bill Hopper had those football-type shoulders after all! However, Moses is good and is still a busy actor today. 

Verdict: Quite entertaining and well-acted. ***. 
 

CHILD'S PLAY 2

Chucky on the attack! 

CHILD'S PLAY 2 (1990). Director: John Lafia.

Two years after the events of Child's Play, little Andy (Alex Vincent) has been placed in foster care while his mother is undergoing psychiatric evaluation. His foster mother (Jenny Agutter) is more understanding of Andy and the trauma he underwent, but his foster father (Gerrit Graham) is not certain he even wants the boy in his home. None of them realize that the crazy Chucky doll has  been (improbably) reconstructed and that it is still infested with the spirit of a serial killer (Brad Dourif) whose goal remains the same: to transfer his consciousness into Andy's body.

Andy overhears his foster parents 

Child's Play 2 is an acceptable sequel to the original, but it does have some problems. Alex Vincent is still a cute kid but he's called upon to be a little more emotional in this and isn't quite up to the challenge. As fellow foster child Kyle, Christine Elise is too perfunctory in key moments. The musical score is so overdone that at times you get the impression you're supposed to be watching a space epic with a huge budget. There are at least as many anti-climaxes in this as in the original. On the other hand, there are some inventive killings, such as one interesting bit with a terrified old lady teacher and a copy machine. One can't quite get over the feeling -- unlike the original -- that this is essentially a moron movie.

NOTE: This was followed by Child's Play 3 in which Andy is now a teen at a military academy and Chucky comes a'callin but picks out a new victim to place his soul into. 

Verdict: Entertaining if imperfect sequel. **3/4.