Day 67: Repossessed

Repossessed

Not going to lie. I don't remember Leslie Nielsen being dressed like that in the movie.

I'm a huge Leslie Nielsen fan. Whenever one of the Naked Gun movies is on TV, I stop what I'm doing and watch. I'll even give my time to some of his lesser comedies likes Spy Hard and some of the Scary Movies. Most people don't know that Nielsen was a serious actor for many years. Look up Swamp Fox from Disney to see what I mean. He was also capable of being completely evil in the original Creepshow. He was a triple threat and what better way to celebrate than with a horror-themed comedy starring Mr. Nielsen.

Repossessed is a 1990 spoof on classic horror movie, The Exorcist. Linda Blair from the original Exorcist stars as Nancy Aglet. Nancy was once possessed by the Devil when she was a little girl and has become possessed once again through the TV. With no medical explanation, Nancy reaches out to Father Luke Brophy (Anthony Starke) for help. Out of his element, Luke reaches out to the priest that conducted Nancy's exorcism, Father Jedediah Mayii (Leslie Nielsen). Mayii refuses, claiming poor health. Luke then turns to the Church for help, who recommends he teams up with televangelists, Ernest (Ned Beatty, Superman, Deliverance) and Fanny Weller (Lana Schwab, The Bridges of Madison County) for a live exorcism on TV. Horrified at the thought, Luke reaches out to Mayii once again. Convinced that he is the only person capable of defeating the Devil, Mayii hits the gym and gets in fighting shape. The televised exorcism hits the skids when a possessed Nancy gets serious and starts raising hell. Will Father Mayii (get it?) and Father Luke be able to save Nancy and send the Devil back to hell?

The power of Chris comBLAAAARRGGHHH

Since Repossessed is a spoof, it's safe to say that the plot isn't particularly important. Most of the effort is put towards visual gags and typical Leslie Nielsen comedy. The movie came out around 1990, but at times it feels very, very dated. The Naked Gun series relied more on general comedy whereas Repossessed used a lot of topical humor, which gets lost on the younger audience and even people that have forgotten about events from that time. Scenes like Sean Penn punching photographers and Leslie Nielsen dressed as the Ayatollah are still funny, but you do have search the recesses of your mind to remember why. Good comedy doesn't have a sell-by date and unfortunately a lot of jokes in this movie have one. That's not to say the movie isn't funny, because despite what some uptight critics say, it is. It's just not timeless comedy.

Leslie Nielsen is excellent as Father Mayii and Linda Blair is great as the possessed Nancy. Ned Beatty nails the televangelists of the 80's and Lana Schwab is particularly enjoyable as a Tammy Faye Baker spoof. Anthony Starke is good in his role and its a surprise to see that he hasn't been in much else. Cameos by Jesse “The Body” Ventura and “Mean” Gene Okerlund to call the fight between Mayii and Nancy is very funny and warms my wrestling mark heart. The movie is pretty light on actual horror, but we're really watching to laugh, not to be scared. The references to the original Exorcist are appreciated and good for a few chuckles. Heck, the movie even has it's own theme song. More movies need their own theme.

Speak softly and carry a big Louisville Slugger

While it doesn't reach the level of the Naked Gun series, Repossessed is still a fun, if not forgotten, movie. Leslie Nielsen and Linda Blair are a lot of fun to watch with a good supporting cast. The jokes are there, but some feel very dated when it comes to topical material. If you like the Exorcist and you like Leslie Nielsen, ignore the critics, and check this movie out for yourself. You just might like it.

6.5/10

Day 11: Hell Night

Hell Night

Not the sequel to Purgatory Afternoon

Hell Night stars Linda Blair as the innocent Marti, who is attending a Halloween party at a college fraternity. She is taken by the frat members to the supposedly haunted Garth Manor with three other people. They are told the that twelve years earlier, Raymond Garth, the head of Garth Manor, murdered his family and hanged himself. When police arrived, the could not find the body of Raymond's youngest son, Andrew. Marti and her companions are locked in Garth Manor and must stay there until sunrise. A night of pranks and hazing soon turns to terror as people are murdered by a mysterious lumbering monster. They all must survive until sunrise and escape their night of hell.

This film is tame by today's standards but for 1981, Hell Night had some seriously violent scenes. Hell Night is not overly bloody or gory, but that does not stop the movie from indulging in some creative killing. And while the film may not be in the same legendary category of 70's/80's horror movies such as Halloween, Friday the 13^th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, it still deserves a lot of credit. Many movies you see today have the same elements that make Hell Night work. Atmosphere, music swells, teens indulging in drugs and sex, and a monster that cannot be stopped. If you watch the trailer for the fake grindhouse movie Don't, you can see a lot of scenes were inspired by Hell Night.

Gates! My one weakness!

Linda Blair does a fine job as the heroine Marti. She is the stereotypical innocent young woman in horror movies, which works for the purpose of telling the story, but it feels like she was limited in what she could do with the character. We all know from The Exorcist that Linda Blair has some wide range and Hell Night wasted her potential a bit, leaving her helpless and shrieking for most of it. Speaking of shrieking, there is a lot of that going on in this film. Make sure not to watch the movie with headphones unless you want broken eardrums.

The monster in the movie is a mix of Solomon Grundy and Michael Myers: an unstoppable smashing machine that seems to keep coming no matter what you throw at it. They do hide the monster fairly well, with just quick shots of a hands grabbing and smashing victims. When you do finally see him, though, its a bit disappointing. They were probably going for a more realistic look, but it doesn't really work when the monster has unrealistic abilities. 

 Bitch, please!

Pacing is a bit of a mess in Hell Night. I know they were hoping to have a slow build, but there are scenes where nothing is happening for far too long. Clocking in at an hour and forty minutes, they could have easily cut about 20 minutes of walking, standing, and other superfluous scenes. The flow of the movie is hurt with these extra scenes and you find yourself slipping into boredom.

Overall, Hell Night is still worth your time to see. A classic 80's horror movie, you get some good frights and kills. Boredom does tend to creep in at times, but stick with it and you'll enjoy yourself. I have had the Misfits' song “Hell Night” stuck in my head ever since I started watching this movie. I hope you're happy, I know I am.

7/10