Stuff Stephanie in the Incinerator

Director - Don Nardo (Spenser: For Hire)
Starring - Catherine Dee (Dead Rain), William Dame, and M. R. Murphy
Release Date - 1989
Genre - Horror/Mystery
Tagline(s) - "Get ready for some real body heat" and "Don't throw your love away. Burn it"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Toxie's Top Ten)

Rating (out of 5):

     After I watched Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell I was hellbent on finishing the Toxie's Top Ten set.  I put this one off until last because I knew deep down that it would be the worst one of the lot.  The title and cover art put me in the mind set I was about to watch a slasher.  After watching Video Demons Do Psychotown and The Newlydeads I knew that if this one was a slasher it would be horrible.  However, after watching almost all these films I knew not to judge the book by it's cover.



     The film begins with an airplane mechanic as he is abducted by two thugs.  He is then taken to a mansion where he meets a beautiful young girl who is being held there against her will.  The rich owner of the mansion, Roberta, wants to watch the younger two have sex.  The young man refuses and plots the two's escape.  They leave the mansion and hide inside one of the outer buildings lining the property.  Once inside, the young girl thinks him for helping her escape by letting him hide the mushroom tip.  That morning Roberta enters the building and informs them that she watched the entire thing.  She takes them back to the house and offers the man a deal.  She likes what she saw and wants him to bed her.  He wants to leave and agrees.  Right before the two kiss, Roberta speaks in a mans voice and pulls off his wig.  The abducted man and woman are actually married and paid Robert to dress up as a man and role play with the two.  They pay Robert and send him on his way.  That night the young girl hears a noise downstairs and goes to investigate.  There she finds Robert robbing the place.  She confronts him but then confesses she no longer loves her husband.  The two hatch a plan to kill him so she can inherit his fortune.  While he is sleeping they attack him with fire pokers until they realize that it is not him.  It is actually a gas attendant that she has been cheating on him with.  Her husband was on to her plan and is now after them with with a gun.  When he gets them cornered the two fight back only to reveal this is another role playing game.
     Sometimes I will watch a movie and get blown away by the insanity that I just saw.  However, I have never seen a shitty movie actually has a very decent twist and meaning this movie has a great story.  Most lost budget affairs are simple in story and rely on special effects and shock value to make it worth watching.  The acting is also very good which is another shocker.  Most of the cast has no prior acting credits and did not go on to star in any more films.  That is a true shame because this film shows a lot of promising talent.  Finally, there is no real on screen deaths.  Literally and figuratively.  During the fight scene the three stab and slash at each other.  We get fake blood splatter here and there but no real deaths and because it is staged we miss out.  The film delivers on story and acting but fails at delivering any true horrific moments.  The movie tries so hard to be a horror film when it would have been a great mystery or thriller.  Overall, this movie is a piss poor attempt at horror but has so much potential.  It deserves at least one viewing but has no replay value.