Arrow Video, out now

A singer, her son and psychiatrist boyfriend move into an old colonial mansion and find the attic boarded-up. What’s the horrific secret that’s behind kept at bay?

This is a new one on me. The late 80s was a time when I was watching every possible new horror film, and yet Richard Friedman’s 1987 haunted house movie somehow passed me by. I’d love to say that Arrow have uncovered a lost gem but ultimately this is single view horror pic that is very much of its time, from big hair and obtrusive synth score to visuals straight from a rock video (dry ice, slo-mo birds).

The original screenplay is attributed to Twin Peaks’ Mark Frost, this being his first movie script, but it appears that this was heavily rewritten by the director and producer. What reaches the screen is a fairly nonsensical series of vignettes and dream sequences designed to shock or disorientate – sadly it does neither. One moment we’re in the jungle, then a patient is unzipping his brain, oh a grand piano is now stalking us. It’s all down to slave voodoo and demonic possession and if you’re in the right mood there’s a lot to chuckle at in a Garth Marenghi way.

Flipping from an opening flashback scene in Charlesburg 1857 to establish the slavery sub-plot, we’re next watching toy cars coming to life… for no reason, and with no explanation. And when the demon is finally revealed in all his gooey ‘man in a latex mask’ glory, his melting face splits to extrude a brain from his chest, with three eyes on it! Let’s also not mention the clunky attempt at glowing green, vector computer graphics.

Verdict: Director Richard Friedman did a lot of anthology TV at the time of this movie (Tales from the Darkside, Friday the 13: The Series, Monsters) and ultimately this feature is a ‘monster of the week’ segment stretched to 84 minutes. Sweet in a ‘well, they had a go’ way, the obvious love and affection shown by the production team in the documentaries is unlikely to be replicated by viewers. Scared Stiff? More like Mildly Entertained! 6/10

Nick Joy