Star Time

 



Director - Alexander Cassini (Black Scorpion, The Incredible Genie)
Starring - Michael St. Gerard (Hairspray, Great Balls of Fire), John P. Ryan (Class of 1999, It's Alive), and Maureen Teefy (Supergirl, Grease 2)
Release Date - 1992
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "A serial killer stalks Hollywood...and he wants to be a star!"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      Vinegar Syndrome is one of the few companies that releases consistently great content from different genres.  Vinegar is my home for blaxplpoitation and sexploitation.  When I want one of those I can count on Vin Syn to hook me up.  Their selection of both sub-genres is legendary and the releases are top notch.  With that being said, Vin Syn is known for releasing rather obscure horror releases.  Most are fantastic but several are rather unique.  Sometime back Vin Syn sent me to 1992 directorial debut from Alexander Cassini.  Star Time is an odd horror flick but was still a fun watch.  Thanks guys for sending this one my way!

     The film follows Henry Pinkle (Gerard) who has reached his limit.  He is an avid television fan and his favorite show was just cancelled which sends him into a suicidal depression.  He attempts to jump off a bridge but is approached by the mysterious Sam Bones (Ryan) who offers to help Henry get out of his funk and find his way in Hollywood.  He tells Henry to kill for him and he will make him a star on television.  Henry believes him and starts murdering for him.  Caught in the middle of the bloody rampage is Henry's socialworker who wants the best for Henry but feels he is being exploited by Sam.  She tries to track Sam down to discover his true intent but learns that Henry may be far too gone to help. 
     I've seen some oddball horror flicks with the Vinegar Syndrome brand on the spine and this one is no exception.  This movie was not what I was expecting and I actually liked it.  The slow moving scenes worked in its favor.  The acting in this one is great.  I really loved the cast.  Michael St. Gerard is a familiar face in my home.  I'm a huge John Waters' fan and most of you may recognize him from Hairspray.  I'm also a fan of the Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire and Gerard portrays Elvis in the film.  He is outstanding in both films but it was great to see him take center stage with this one.  His character is different than I am accustomed to and he killed it.  I really enjoyed seeing him as the killer.  I was also shocked to see John P. Ryan in a film one day after watching Class of 1999.  He is a phenomenal actor and this film is no exception.  The story for this one is rather different when compared to other films of the same name.  Sure, the film does borrow some from Psycho but it still puts enough of its own unique spin on it to stand out from the other films.  The movie does move fairly slow but the character development is enough to hold the viewer's attention until the story gets moving.  Finally, the film is bloody but doesn't have any gore.  The kills we get make heavy use of camera tricks to work but the effects we so are solid.  They are easily forgettable but they work for the film itself.  Overall, Star Time is one of the kind of releases that I'm proud to own.  The film is unique and worth a late night viewing.  Check it out.