HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE

Caitlin O'Heaney and Don Scardino

HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE (1980). Director: Armand Mastroianni.  

Amy Jensen (Caitlin O'Heaney) is about to get married to a man named Phil, but her ex-boyfriend, Marvin (Don Scardino of Cruising), keeps hanging around and insisting she should marry him. Amy is clearly torn between two men but she has worse problems: a maniac (Tom Rolfing) has been stalking and killing new brides and others and Amy is the next on his list. Meanwhile Detective Gamble (Lewis Arlt), whose fiancee was the first victim, does his best to catch up with the killer before he can murder anyone else. 

Tom Rolfing and O'Heaney

He Knows You're Alone has serious script problems, to put it mildly, and seems as if it were very hastily cobbled together. As there's no attempt to hide the identity of the killer, I can tell you that you never really learn anything about him or his motives (although it's hinted at in the dumb epilogue). Most of the characters, including the cop on a mission of vengeance, are one-dimensional as well. The lead actress, Caitlin O'Heaney, is terribly obvious, emoting as if she were acting on a stage instead of in front of a camera. One scene, when Amy discovers her roommate's severed head in the aquarium, is unintentionally comical because her attempt to have a numb, shocked reaction doesn't work at all. Don Scardino is better as Marvin, although his character is quite irritating. 

Lewis Arlt as the detective

There are a couple of interesting moments: the first murder occurs in a theater as the bride-to-be sits watching -- you guessed it -- a slasher film. (This idea was later used in Scream 2.) The stabbing-by-shears of a poor tailer who works on Amy's wedding dress has some energy to it, if nothing else. Tom Hanks shows up as a jogger who has a date with one of Amy's friends, and James Rebhorn is a married professor who is having an affair with another of Amy's gal pals -- why the maniac picks on these two is never explained. Don't expect a final twist because there isn't one. It would have been fun if Hanks had turned out to be the killer, but apparently his death scene was never filmed because he was deemed too likable! Armand Mastroianni also directed The Killing Hour.

Verdict: And a terrible hokey score doesn't help. **.  

SAVAGE WEEKEND

SAVAGE WEEKEND (1979). Writer/director: Claude Pushkin (David Paulsen and John Mason Kirby). 

"You get lonely, you get weird." -- Mac. 

Marie (Marilyn Hamlin), who is separated from her husband, Greg (Jeff Pomerantz), goes to the country for the weekend with her boyfriend, Robert (Jim Doerr), sister Shirley (Caitlin O'Heaney of He Knows You're Alone), gay buddy Nicky (Christopher Allport), and Robert's friend, Jay (Devin Goldenberg). Marie wants to love and marry Robert, who owns a farm near a lake, but she is sexually drawn to his employee Mac (David Gale). Meanwhile Shirley is dallying with Jay, whom she later turns against. Then a killer wearing a fright mask starts snuffing the people in the party. Could it be weird Otis (William Sanderson), who also works for Robert and is rumored to have a violent history? Or someone else? 

Savage Weekend is a strange slasher film with an adult cast -- instead of teens -- that meanders along until the killings begin but never quite boils over into anything worthwhile despite some good sequences. Although the movie works overtime trying to develop its red herrings, the killer will not come as much surprise to most viewers. Busy actor Christopher Allport plays Nicky as a mincing queen most of the time, but in an amusing scene beats up a couple of fag-bashers in a bar: "I wasn't brought up in the South Bronx for nothing." Although still affected, O'Heaney is better in this than she was in He Knows You're Alone. William Sanderson has had a very long career, but he might be most famous for playing Larry on Newhart; he gives a typically flavorful performance in this. One gets the feeling Weekend is a half-hearted attempt, with a screenplay just thrown together, and slayings thrown into the mix because horror was profitable. David Paulsen also directed Schizoid. Savage Weekend was actually made some years before its official release, so it predates Halloween and other slasher films. 

Verdict: If this was an attempt at something different, it just doesn't work. **.  

FATAL GAMES

FATAL GAMES (aka Olympic Nightmare/1983). Director (and co-writer): Michael Elliot. 

Seven high school athletes, Olympic-hopefuls all, have been chosen to go on to the Nationals. These athletes are unaware that Dr. Jordine (played by the director, Michael Elliot), has been using experimental hormones on them, something which does not sit well with his assistant, Diane (Sally Kirkland). As they begin to celebrate the good news, the young people are systematically murdered by a javelin-wielding assailant -- a hooded, heavy-breathing person in a track suit -- who then hides all of their bodies as their friends wonder what became of them. Could the killer be javelin-thrower Joe (Nicholas Love), runner Phil (Sean Masterson), gymnast Frank (Michael O'Leary), Coach Webber (Christopher Mankiewicz), swimming coach Drew (Spice Williams-Crosby), or somebody else? 

Fatal Games is in many ways a typical eighties slasher film, albeit more tasteful than most. If it weren't for the frequent shots of naked ladies and punctured victims, this could have been a made-for-TV murder mystery. Although the synthesizer score can be tiresome at times, it is also effective during key sequences, there are suspenseful moments, and some of the chase and stalking scenes are quite well-handled. The characters, especially the young people, are likable and fairly realistic. The performances range from professional to amateurish, with the best work being provided by Sally Kirkland and Michael O'Leary. Kirkland was a busy actress with nearly 300 credits, and O'Leary was on Guiding Light for years and is still acting today. Fatal Games is the only film directed by Michael Elliot. The snappy theme song, "Take It All the Way," was co-written by Deborah Shelton, star of Brian de Palma's Body Double. 

SPOILER ALERT: While I won't reveal the actual killer, this person turns out to be transgender. Their motive is their fury (and jealousy) at being stripped of medals years ago when it was determined that this character had too many male hormones even after she had had a sex change. This, of course, reminds one of the current debate about transwomen playing female sports, although this movie doesn't really delve into that issue at all. 

Verdict: By no means a great movie, but entertaining enough for slasher film fans who don't require buckets of blood. **3/4. 

CROCODILE (2000)

Mark McLachlan and Caitlin Martin

CROCODILE (Direct to Video/2000). Director: Tobe Hooper. 

A group of young people head for a lake and a houseboat for summer vacation, but have no idea that a humongous crocodile that is almost a century old -- brought into the country years ago by a weirdo who worshiped the crocodile god -- is on the loose and pissed off that someone made off with her eggs. Claire (Caitlin Martin) is hooked up with Brady (Mark McLachlan), but they have to put up with his jerk of a friend, Duncan (Chris Solari). A drunken Sunny (Sommer Knight) lets out that she had a one-nighter with Brady, and Claire wants to get out of the vacation. While this situation simmers, the crocodile starts chomping on residents and soon makes its presence known to one and all. 

The monster on the loose!

Crocodile is more polished and has a bigger budget than the director's most famous movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and it's entirely watchable, although the script could have used a lot more work. Although there is an attempt to make them dimensional, the characters are not that likable, and never express any remorse when one of them gets eaten. Some of their actions are inexplicable. Worse, while the audience has been hoping that Duncan, the most obnoxious character -- who made off with the eggs and other disagreeable acts, including getting Brady thrown out of college  -- will be devoured, even when he finally does get eaten the crocodile spits him out and he survives! The monster itself consists of a kind of okay rubber construction thing that floats on the water, some passable CGI, and prop mouth and teeth into which cast members throw themselves, and the like. It's bigger in some shots than in others. As for the actors, they are competent enough, and sometimes better than that. 

Terrence Evans and Adam Gierasch

Two of the most flavorful performances come from Terrence Evans as Shurkin and Adam Gierasch as his brother, Lester. These two weirdos own an alligator farm and seem like something out of Texas Chainsaw, as does the spooky and abandoned hotel that is shown and mentioned more than once but never really figures in the action. In an amusing scene Lester feeds the big croc -- known as "Flat Dog" -- with chickens and muses that he hopes it will eat his brother --- just before he becomes a snack himself! There are bloody moments in the film but nothing over the top. Excoriated by reviewers, Crocodile is entertaining enough, although seven years later a much better -- and better-made -- killer croc movie called Rogue came out. 

Verdict: Not one of Hooper's best nor worst. **1/2. 

CUTTING CLASS

Donovan Leitch Jr. 

CUTTING CLASS (1989). Director: Rospo Pallenberg.

High schooler Brian Woods (Donovan Leitch Jr.) went "away" for a while after his apparent murder of his father. Now his former best friend, Dwight (Brad Pitt), wants nothing to do with him. Adding tension is the fact that Brian and Dwight's girlfriend, Paula (Jill Schoelen of When a Stranger Calls Back), may be attracted to one another. An unknown person then goes about murdering teachers and students alike in various creative ways. The first apparent victim is Paula's father, William (Martin Mull), the district attorney who had Brian institutionalized. 

Robert Glaudini and Scholen try to help Brad Pitt

Cutting Class got mostly negative reviews, but it holds the attention and has various points of interest, including the cast. In this early role Brad Pitt is competent and nice-looking but one would not have necessarily imagined that he'd emerge a sex symbol and major star. Leitch, who is also a producer, musician, and former model, is the son of pop singer Donovan; he's good-looking and intense in this but his performance is a bit off at times. Schoelen is cute and competent, but Roddy McDowall (of Midnight Lace) is just awful in his over-the-top, campy turn as the principal who has an obvious yen for Paula. Martin Mull somehow survives an arrow in the chest early in the picture and we see scenes throughout of him struggling to get home in moments of black comedy. Brenda James is vivid as the bitchy Colleen, who becomes a victim of the killer. Robert Glaudini (of Parasite) is Shultz, the high school janitor.

Cutting Class isn't overly bloody, but it does have some creative "kills:" Colleen and her boyfriend pulled under the bleaches during a basketball game where the cries of the crowd drown out their screams as their throats are cut; vice principal Mrs. Knott (Nancy Fish) getting repeatedly clobbered at the photocopy machine (an idea used in other slasher films); and the coach (Dirk Blocker) getting punctured while bouncing on the trampoline. An art teacher getting cooked in a kiln is also a little different, although nowadays it would be much more graphic. Math teacher Mr. Glynn (Eric Boles) has a more conventional axe-to-the-head demise, but a bit of business involving a message left on the blackboard by the killer which Glynn rushes to solve is inexplicable. 

The biggest problem with Cutting Class is that it doesn't make much of an attempt to create suspense over the identity of the killer, who will come as no surprise to anyone in the audience. On the plus side is the climax, which takes place in a large workshop full of deadly instruments and is quite exciting. This was the only full movie directed by Rospo Pallenberg. 

Verdict: Not nearly as terrible as most people think, but despite good moments it still doesn't add up to that much. **1/2. 

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.  

SCHIZOID

SCHIZOID (1980). Written and directed by David Paulsen. 

Julie (Marianna Hill) writes a Lonely Hearts column for a newspaper, and begins receiving strange, threatening letters employing cut-out letters from magazines. At the same time, other members of her therapy group are being sliced and diced by a scissors-wielding maniac. The suspects are numerous: Julie's husband (Craig Wasson of Body Double) is not happy with the fact that she is divorcing him; Julie's shrink (Klaus Kinski) is an unethical creep who is having sex with at least two of his patients, including Julie; the shrink's daughter, Alison (Donna Wilkes), is a neurotic who hates anyone who takes away her father's attention; and lonely Gilbert (Christopher Lloyd) is not only in the therapy group but also is the maintenance man at the newspaper. Shizoid does manage to work up some suspense as to the identity of the killer, and moves at a good pace. The kill scenes are moderately gruesome and not that inspired. Kinski gives a good performance and is given two sex scenes, which may or may not have been excruciating for the leading ladies. Donna Wilkes is effective as Alison, who enjoys dressing up as if she were in a piece of film noir. Joe Regalbuto, who later wound up on Murphy Brown, plays a cop. Christopher Lloyd is perfectly okay as Gilbert, but you wouldn't have imagined that he'd be in for major success with Taxi and the Back to the Future movies. 

Verdict: Okay slasher flick. **1/2.