Blood Hook

 



Director - Jim Mallon (Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, Melon Drop 1987)
Starring - Mark Jacobs (Soul of the Demon, The Silent Lovers), Lisa Jane Todd (Playback, Whiteboyz), and Patrick Danz
Release Date - 1986
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "Fishing was never like this"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I've been a fan of slashers for as long as I can remember.  I remember enjoying slashers before my horror obsession.  I would often rent them on the weekend along with comedies and 80s action flicks.  Once I become obsessed with horror I found myself watching slashers and zombie flicks more than anything.  When I started collecting horror flicks I started collecting anything and everything Troma.  One of the films I picked up those first few years of collecting was the 1986 slasher comedy Blood Hook.  I never did get around to checking it out but I owned the release on several formats.  Sometime back Vinegar Syndrome released the film on blu with a pretty stellar slip cover.  It was finally time to check out what I'm sure is a classic slasher and a staple of the Troma table at cons. 

      The film follows a group of twenty somethings who visits the lake house of the missing grandfather of one their own.  The lake is host to a fishing tournament during their visit so there is several visitors and anglers there to compete.  What they don't expect to see is a murderous fisherman who is killing anyone they cross paths with at the lake with a deadly fishing lure.   The murderer may be connected to the young man's missing grandfather but will he survive to discover what really happened to his grandfather. 
     I went into this one expecting a funny slasher that would be easily forgettable but I was greeted with a slasher that actually stands out in the same way that Student Bodies does.  It doesn't take itself too seriously but doesn't quite lampoon slashers like Student Bodies which makes it stand out against the more serious slashers like Sleepaway Camp, Friday the 13th, and Slaughter High.  The acting in this one is classic 80s horror.  The characters are extremely clichéd to the point they almost feel like a parody of characters you would find in other slashers of the time.  With that being said, I actually liked how embellished these characters were.  The cast really got into their roles and delivers some fun, campy performances that fit the film perfectly.  The story for this one is great.  It took the standard slasher formula and made it funny.  The film incorporates the fishing theme which is completely absurd but still works for a horror comedy.  There is a few slower paced scenes but they are quickly forgotten with the oddball story.  Finally, the film does have some blood but if you are looking for gore you will not find it here.  The bright red blood fits the tone of the film but diehard slasher fans will be disappointed in the lack of gore.  Overall, Blood Hook is a slasher that you will not be able to call gruesome but you can't deny how entertaining it is.  I highly recommend checking it out on blu from Vinegar Syndrome.