The Dentist

Director - Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-Animator)

Starring - Corbin Bernsen (Major League, The Nanny), Linda Hoffman (Face/Off, Baywatch), and Michael Stradvec (Sometimes They Come Back... Again, Chairman of the Board)

Release Date - 1996

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "It's been six months.  Time for your check-up"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I often reminisce about the evenings I spent at my local video store, Dewey’s Video, browsing through his tapes looking for something to rent. I would often rent once or twice a week, but it was a given that I would rent a stack on Friday. I often rented anything that caught my eye but there would be the occasional horror title sneak into my stack. It was during one of these trips that I watch Brian Yuzna’s The Dentist for the first time. As an adult looking back at my childhood, I realize now that Yuzna had a huge impact on my childhood. However, as a child you rarely look at the names for the crew behind the camera. I only rented the film because I saw Ken Foree was in it but looking back at the films I loved and their association with Yuzna I must admit he is easily one of my favorite filmmakers and producers. Hell, he produced From Beyond, Re-Animator, Dolls, and Warlock to name a few along with directing Bride of Re-Animator, Society, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, and more. I never realized how amazing his body of work was until I started writing reviews. The Dentist is a film I remember truly enjoying but it had been decades since I had watched it so when Vestron Video announced the release of the film on blu I knew I had to revisit this one. I want to thank Vestron Video for sending this one over for review. It really took me back to a time where my biggest problem was making my mind up about which movies to rent and what snacks I was going to snag for my late-night movie watching. 

      The film follows the heavily medicated Dr. Feinstone who is a well known and respected dentist in his area. However, he suspects his wife of infidelity and when he finally catches her with the pool boy he snaps. He becomes obsessed with cleaner the dirt and decay out of the world and soon sets his sights on his clients resulting in medical mayhem and carnage. 

      The Dentist was not as gruesome as I remembered it but I’ve also spent the last 25 years watching some of the most fucked up film imaginable, so I am a little desensitized. With that being said, the film was just as campy and fun as I remembered. It’s not my favorite Yuzna film but I could watch it again and have just as much fun. The acting in this one is very uneven. Corbin Bernsen makes the film. His intensity and delivery sent chills down my spine as a kid and now I still feel eerily uncomfortable when he becomes unhinged. He gives this campy film his all and makes it so much fun. I also enjoyed Ken Foree’s performance as the hardboiled detective hot on his tail. We also get a well rounded performance from Molly Hagan who is best known for her role in Red State. Aside from those three performances, we are given some extra cheesy performances from the gorgeous Linda Hoffman, Michael Stadvec, the rest of the cast. Their performances are over exaggerated and awkward at time. I found myself laughing a few times and lost it during Stadvec’s death scene but the cast’s lack of direction at times really shows from scene to scene. I love a goofy horror films and I could see this one being just as funny as Ice Cream Man if they embraced it. Instead, we have some seriously great performances with campy performances and they clash in several scenes. The story for this one blends mental slasher and fear of dentists into something that only could be described as a seriously enjoyable straight to video horror title. We get some dentist themed deaths mixed with unlikable character that we want to watch die and a killer that makes the film. While I do prefer my slashers masked I still find this one to be very effective especially with the stellar performance from Bernsen. Some of the scenes are a bit stretched out and dull with way too much dialogue. The movie could use a good trimming to make it flow a lot better. Finally, the kills in this one are a lot of fun. As I stated earlier, they fit the theme of the film and the effects are phenomenal. Yuzna does not disappoint in this department but I do feel like the movie was a lot bloodier when I was younger but I can’t swear to it. Overall, The Dentist may not be as well loved as Child’s Play and Scream but I would choose it over those overrated franchises anyday. Be sure to snag this release from Vestron. It’s worth the price.