To help raise money, a film class decides to throw a horror movie marathon featuring old films. But one they stumble on, "Possesor" is connected to a cultist from the 1960s, and it soon seems he has returned to kill off theater patrons.
I stumbled across this film when video stores began switching to DVD and were selling their VHS for cheap. I had not heard of it at that point, but soon loved it, and its star, Jill Schoelen (who was great in this, as well as everything she has ever done). Perhaps as DVDs are replaced by Blu-Ray, I will again have the luck to acquire this title cheaply.
The film is well-scripted, really plays up classic films and film nerd knowledge, but what really sells it are the films featured in the film. Both "Mosquito" and "The Stench" call to mind the gimmicks of William Castle, and the film "Possessor" is a scary film all its own (and should be included as a bonus feature on the DVD).
I think the film is relatively unknown and not highly praised, as many may consider it "just another slasher", but it's really more deep and well thought out than that. This is not the basic teenagers dying flick, there is a real mystery and some odd back story -- how is the lead character's mother involved, for example? I would urge people to seek this one out, and if a decent DVD does not yet exist, I hope some company comes along and gives us a fully loaded one like this film deserves.
I stumbled across this film when video stores began switching to DVD and were selling their VHS for cheap. I had not heard of it at that point, but soon loved it, and its star, Jill Schoelen (who was great in this, as well as everything she has ever done). Perhaps as DVDs are replaced by Blu-Ray, I will again have the luck to acquire this title cheaply.
The film is well-scripted, really plays up classic films and film nerd knowledge, but what really sells it are the films featured in the film. Both "Mosquito" and "The Stench" call to mind the gimmicks of William Castle, and the film "Possessor" is a scary film all its own (and should be included as a bonus feature on the DVD).
I think the film is relatively unknown and not highly praised, as many may consider it "just another slasher", but it's really more deep and well thought out than that. This is not the basic teenagers dying flick, there is a real mystery and some odd back story -- how is the lead character's mother involved, for example? I would urge people to seek this one out, and if a decent DVD does not yet exist, I hope some company comes along and gives us a fully loaded one like this film deserves.