Considering that real estate is a cadaverous field to be in, it's totally believable that some unstable soul would flip out and hack up a bunch of real estate agents. Foreclosures continue to vitiate the economy, and millions of families across America have been affected by this disturbing trend. So it doesn't surprise me that someone made a horror film that comments on the current state of landholdings. It does surprise me that Open House, a slasher that tackles such topics, was released in 1987.
Don't worry; I'm not going to write a boring thesis on the economy. This is a movie review, and the movie I'm reviewing is a "body count" flick starring Adrienne Barbeau. No one ever talks about it, but it's no worse than any other late-80's slasher. In fact, it's pretty good. The cast is mostly competent. Naturally, Barbeau gives the best performance of the film. We get to see her boobies! Ahem. The production values are sleek, the baddie is intimidating, and the side characters are given a little bit of depth before they are dispatched.
On the downside, the running time is slightly turgid. There are several scenes that putter too long, especially the over-the-top kills. Also, the ending is a letdown. The killer's monologue doesn't reveal any revelations and there isn't even a fight or a struggle to cap the climax off. I kept waiting for the script to connect the nutjob's identity to the intriguing prologue, but that never happened. The first five minutes of Open House are rendered meaningless. Still, I recommend this film to slasher buffs. If you see a VHS copy at a thrift store or a garage sale, you might as well pick it up, if only to see Adrienne Barbeau's delectable cans.
I liked this movie.
ReplyDeleteThe guy who played the killer was a fun watch if i recall correctly.