After the rather grim horror movie I watched a few days ago, and after sitting glued to CNN for the better part of this weekend, I was in the mood for somewhat lighter fare.

A light-hearted horror movie? Why not? I went to my video rental place and found Saturday the 14th, a 1981 spoof of classic and not-so-classic horror movies. I’d be lying if I said I struck gold, but I at least found a cheap, presentable genuine imitation.

The Plot

Mary (Paula Prentiss) and John (Richard Benjamin) are thrilled when an eccentric great uncle dies and leaves them a house of their very own.

Small problem. The house is the location of the Book of Evil which has attracted the attention of a henpecked vampire and his wife, as well as a “pest exterminator” with the odd name of Van Helsing (Severn Darden).

But it is Mary and John’s precocious ten year old son, Billy (Kevin Brando) who finds the Book of Evil. He opens it, unleashing a plague of monsters upon the house, and then promptly loses it.

From that moment on, the family begins to have some rather strange experiences. The television shows nothing but The Twilight Zone. A severed head appears in the refrigerator. A monster moves into Billy’s room. A creature with a fin like a shark makes itself comfortable in his older sister Debbie’s (Kari Michaelson) bathtub. John finds a couple of eyeballs in his morning coffee. Worse, Mary discovers two deep puncture wounds on her neck and develops a suspicious fear of garlic.

Except for Billy, the family remains blissfully naïve. Mary is sure there’s nothing wrong with the house that some new curtains won’t fix. John attributes every noise, from his children shrieking in terror to the moaning of creatures of the night to “owls.”

It’s up to Billy, and his ally Van Helsing, to find the book which will send the monsters back where they belong. And they must do it before the most evil of all evil days…Saturday the 14th.

What Works

This film sets out to spoof horror movie convention, and it does just that. At first glance, I found sly references to The Amityville Horror, The Birds, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Dracula, Jaws, Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist. A more careful watching would probably reveal even more.

The acting is solid, if not inspired, and the script has a few genuinely funny lines. My favorite occurs when ten-year-old Billy sees a monster in his room and screams for his father. John tells Billy to “act your age.” Billy shouts back, “I am acting my age. You’re just used to me acting like a grown up. I’m ten years old, and there’s a monster in here!”

What Doesn’t Work

There’s nothing really horrible about this film (except the special effects which are intended to be bad—at least, I hope they are).

Then again, there’s nothing really wonderful about the film either. It pokes fun at what has gone before, but at no point does it manage to shine in its own right.

It’s an average little comedy flick that doesn’t attempt or achieve very much.

Family Viewing?

This movie is rated PG. Most of the language is tame, and aside from a few broad hints, sexuality does not extend beyond the (closed) bedroom door.

Most of the violence is of the cartoon-book variety. Probably the worst image is the severed head of the next door neighbor which has a nasty habit of turning up on people’s plates at dinner parties. And even your average eight-year-old would know that this head is fake.

The monsters are clearly actors in (bad) costumes, and most of them don’t do anything more menacing than stand and grunt.

In short, this is a (pseudo) horror movie that is safe for most children.

In Summary

Saturday the 14th won’t leave you cheering and begging for more. But it is a solid, competent spoof with a few easy laughs. If your tastes run to the slapstick and the ridiculous, don’t be afraid to give it a try.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12