BOOGEYMAN (1981)
Directed by Ulli Lommel
Starring Suzanna Love and John Carradine
Underrated, unjustly forgotten film by German art director Ulli Lommel that borrows liberally from every successful horror movie up until the year it was made, including "Halloween," "The Omen" and "The Exorcist."
Pieces of a possessed mirror cause deaths where-ever they show up, including one where a woman is pushed into the mouth of her boyfriend, which has a blade gaping out of it! The pace is a tad slow, but the filmmaking has style and the deaths are very creative. The opening of the film is such a rip off of "Halloween" it needs to be seen to be believed. In fact, this film is a must-see for anyone who truly wants to see the real impact "Halloween" had on our society in the early 1980s. It was tremendous. Of all the "Halloween" knock offs ever created, this is one of the most creative.
The DVD of the film looks especially good. Anchor Bay did a great job remastering the film. Despite the crisp picture quality, you can tell from the "Halloween"-inspired synthesizer score that the film emerged out of the early 1980s. Some of the make-up effects are also a little cheesy. But all in all, the film boasts atmosphere (thanks to cinemaphotography heavily influenced by "Halloween") and a few genuinely scary scenes.
John Carradine has a part a therapist who sits behind a desk. Obviously he was only available for a day or two worth of shooting. He looks as out of it as ever.
Followed by the weak "Boogeyman II."