A 13
year old boy named Mike (Michael Baldwin)
is badly affected after his parents have
died and is scared of losing his oder
brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) as well.
Mike follows him wherever he goes
including to another funeral where Mike
experiences a tall man (Angus Scrimm)
lifting a heavy coffin on his own with
one arm. Mike spies on him entering the
funeral home and experiences strange
happenings and shrinking people into
dwarf like creatures using them as deadly
slaves as well as seeing deadly flying
spheres. Later on he experiences some
terrifying nightmares surrounding the
tall man as well as being chased by the
creatures. At first his brother doesn't
believe him but then he shows him some
proof after he cuts off some of the Tall
Man's fingers as they later on turn into
a deadly insect of some sort. Suddenly
Mike and Jody are in a middle of the Tall
Man's deadly game when they find out that
he is from another world. They get a
little help from their local ice cream
man Reggie (Reggie Bannister) to try and
put a stop to his evil doing's.
At first you may
think OK where is this story going? But
it's excellent when the story starts
rolling.
Alot of great special effects here
especially with the flying sphere ball
which all of us remember who have seen
this flick.
It remains mysterious with plenty of sci
fi elements as well as these little dwarf
type characters in hood giving the film a
perfect taste and of course those famous
steely balls with the blades coming out
sucking the blood out of you.
It also makes you sympathise for young
Mike after losing his parents for being
so needy and scared of losing his only
family member left which is his older
brother.
A cult classic and a film worth watching
on Halloween. Watch it with the lights
off as it makes the movie even more
effective.
The acting is well
done and a couple of these actors used
their own names in the film too.
Of course we get a good charming
performance by Michael Baldwin
as the paranoid and needy 13 year old in
the film who really put alot into his
part and had terrific energy too. He
kinda had that Danny Bonaduce type
of appeal to him and knew how to freak
out and be loud too. However he looked
quite a bit older than 13 for his part.
Bill Thornbury also does a nice job
as the older brother in the film with his
outgoing attitude and dominant attitude.
Supporting actor Reggie Bannister is
witty with his cheesy dialogues and
became famous for his role as the ice
cream man. He also performed a song on
the film with his character which later
on helped him pursue a music career too.
Truly, this guy has alot of spunk.
Angus Scrimm presents himself very
well as the intimidating Tall Man and
shows his stuff very well with his growly
voice and creepy looks too as well as his
walking.
There is nudity
from a beautiful blonde in satin clothing
when she appears topless making out with
two different people during two different
scenes.
Blood splurts out
of a sphere ball after it stabs a man in
the head.
Also, fingers are cut off of the Tall
Man.
The directing by
is Don Coscarelli is excellent
as he basically did everything for this
film. He made the film 3D looking too
with the special effects showing the
other world.
There's a good shot on Angus Scrimm
putting his hand on Bill Thornbury's
arm with a deep voice telling him that
the funeral is about to begin.
He shows a good dialogue between Thornbury
and Reggie Bannister at a
funeral home discussing about not
allowing Mike to come after the tragedy
of his parents.
We have a good shot on Michael
Baldwin lying on the ground with
binoculars and a shot on Scrimm
carrying a coffin by himself in a vehicle
with a good shocked look on Baldwin's
face mouth WTF.
There's a good shot on Baldwin
running on the side of the street along
with Thornbury riding his bike.
We spot some suspenseful shots on
Baldwin driving his motorbike
through a graveyard and him wiping out
with a good shot on Scrimm
staring at him evilly.
We spot a real effective scene with two
bit part actresses Mary Ellen Shaw
and Terrie Kalbus as two fortune
tellers towards Baldwin as the
scene is very dark and still. Baldwin
does well when he puts his hand in a
box and shouts in pain with Kalbus patiently
telling him not to fear.
There's a nice scene between Bannister
and Thornbury jamming outside on
front of a house with their guitars.
There's some good shots with Thornbury
making out with bit part actress Susan
Harper making out near a tombstone
along with good shots on Baldwin staring
behind some trees in a forest looking
amused.
We have a good dark shot in the woods
with a small figure growling and
approaching towards Baldwin as
he does well by screaming hysterically
and running through the grave.
There's perfect camera shots on
Baldwin sleeping and then a shot of
him in his bed in the graveyard with Scrimm
looking over him and zombies grabbing at Baldwin
as that scene will truly psych you
out.
We spot a good shot on Baldwin
walking on a conrer of a street near a
town along with another shot on
Scrimm walking by on the other end
next to an ice cream truck that Bannister
is oulling stuff out and then slwoly
staring evilly too.
We also have a good shot on a steel ball
flying in the air then aiming towards Baldwin
with him running away and bit part
actor Kenneth V. Jones grabbing
Baldwin and the steel ball heading
towards them.
We have a perfect shot on the steel ball
drilling Jones' head with blood
splurting out and good shots on his
painful expressions.
There's a good close up shot on
Baldwin standing in the hall with Scrimm
in the background walking up and spotting
him. Baldwin does well turining
around to see him not knowing what to say
and really looking choked up. Then we
spot good blocking on the two of them
walking towards one another and then Baldwin
makes a run for it in another corridor as
there's great shots on him running away
with Scrimm on his tail.
We have a great shot on Baldwin
sleeping on a staircase in his house and
then a great shocked reaction on Thornbury's
face after what he shows him in a little
box of proof and has a great choked
response saying he believes him now.
We have a good shot on Baldwin
slowly opening up the box in his room and
then a great shot of a monstrous bug
flying out along with a shot on the bug
on his head as it truly gives you a chill
for those of you that hate certain
insects.
We also have good performances by
Bannister and Thornbury
along with Baldwin by battling
this bug flying around as they try to
destroy it. Thornbury does well
by persistently stabbing it in a garbage
disposer.
We have a terrific energetic dialogue
with Bannister, Baldwin and
Thornbury about how to destroy the
Tall Man.
We have a good shot on Thronbury carrying
Baldwin upstairs to his bedroom and
locking him in with Baldwin
throwing a fit.
We have a good scene with Baldwin
in a white room seeing two metal bars and
then falling in with a good shot on him
in another world with a red background
and then Bannister pulling him
out.
We also spot a good moment with some wind
blowing in the white room and Bannister
trying to struggle to get out before
going through the metal bars.
There's a good chasing scene between Baldwin
and Scrimm as well as a great
close up shot on supporting actress Kathy
Lester repeatdly stabbing Bannister
in the stomach with her evil smily
expressions as well as a great close up
shot on Bannister with his wide eyes.
We spot a great shot on a funeral mansion
exploding.
There's a great camera shot on both Bannister
and Baldwin sitting near a fireplace with
their dialogue with Bannister
telling him about his brother being
killed and that he will take care of him
and does well by being emotional.
We have a real shocking ending which is
terrifically directed but I won't give it
away leaving a door open for a sequel
which is awesome as you wonder what's
going to happen next.
The music is
terrific compsed by Fred Myrow
and Malcolm Seagrave giving the
sounds and music elements excellent taste
for the scenes surrounding it.
There's of course the keyboarding chiming
theme song giving it that fantasy type
feel to it as well as some cymbal beating
sounds during the beginning of the film
and in other parts too which almost has
the similar sound to Texas
Chainsaw Massacre. We also have
a hypnotic electric sound too.
Jody: What's out
there?
Mike: I don't know. It was little,
brown and low to the ground.
Jody: Ahh, it was probably just a
gopher in heat.
Mike: I know you're
not going to believe this, but these
things were here, right in the garage,
and they were going to get me!
Jody: Aww, give me a break, would
you?
Mike: They were jumping on the car
and making these weird sounds!
Jody: You're sure it wasn't that
retarded kid, Timmy, up the street?
Mike: No, it was the same thing
that chased me last night!
Reggie: Hi guys. Heh
heh, just thought I'd come over and see
what was going on before the kids got out
of summer school. Hey Mike, you want to
ride along with me today? It's pretty
warm outside and the ice cream's going to
be flying fast and furious. Remember how
good you were at crowd control last time?
Hey, what's going on here?
Reggie:
Okay. I see it, I see it all now. What we
gotta do is we gotta snag that tall dude
and stomp the shit out of him, and we'll
find out what the hell is going on up
there. Yeah! We lay that sucker out flat
and drive a stake right through his
Goddamn heart!
Mike: You gotta be shittin' me,
man! That mother's STRONG!
Mike:
There's this door down here. And I bet
there's something behind it.
The
Tall Man: You play a good game boy,
but the game is finished, now you die.
Mike:
First he took mom and dad, then he took
Jody, now he's after me.
Reggie: Mike, that tall man of
yours did not take Jody away. Jody died
in a car wreck.
The
Tall Man: [shouts] Boooy!
|
