It is rare (at least for me) to come across a piece of 80's horror film-making that I have never seen, let alone heard of. This film, is one of those rarities.
It owes a lot to the phenomenon of films such as The Nightmare on Elm Street. The story is very, very simple indeed. The old fashioned "piece of fiction becoming reality" thing, done to death in the past. Actually, come to think of it, pretty much this entire film is derivative of (almost) every other 80's horror title. There is the concept of dream becoming reality, there is a serial killer, there is a quirky, off-the-wall sidekick character, there is a cat being thrown into a scene. Everything that every other horror yarn of the era had.
But what makes this film special is the fact that it seemed to pass clear under everyone's radars and get forgotten, and to tell you the truth, it is a good thing it did. Not for any negative reasons, but for the plain, simple reason that it never got a chance to be "cashed in on." In other words, Hollywood never had a chance to ruin it (re: Nightmare on Elm Street.) There were not a plethora of sequels in the works, or action figures for the kiddies. No, it stands alone as a forgotten, cheesy 80's masterpiece.
Right. Let's kick this review off.
The story follows a young girl named Virginia, who has a penchant for reading bad horror novels, and for getting totally freaked out by them. Her latest find is an author by the name of Malcolm Brand. His books seem to affect her more than others, but she cannot stop reading. His stories begin to creep into her dreams, and in turn, start affecting her relationship with her new found squeeze, Richard.
Unable to find the latest book by Mr. Brand, she asks her friend who works with her, Collette, if she has seen it. Later that night, a book is pushed under her door. To Virginia's surprise, it is the lastest Brand novel, "I, Madman", the story of a demented doctor who cuts off his facial features and kills to gain replacements, all to gain the love of a young actress.
As Virginia reads, she becomes drawn into the story, and in traditional 80's horror fashion, events in the book start showing their faces in the real world. Friends start dying in the same fashion as characters in the book, and Virginia's fragile sanity starts to slip, as her boyfriend and colleagues start to feel she is losing it.
It is very generic fare, but done very well on an obviously low budget. Film-making standards are high for the era, with moody lighting and decent camerawork. Acting is dreadful, as to be expected in this type of film, but does not detract from the overall film. Actually, the horrendous acting somehow adds something to the film, giving a sort of comedic charm that would have otherwise been lacking.
The special effects and makeup are of a high standard, with use of very well produced stop-motion creature effects near the end of the film. Stop motion has always impressed me more than CGI, since there is actual art involved in the process. The animation is smooth, although the slight roughness of the stop motion movement adds a lot of creep value overall. It would have been ruined if done in CGI (Like most other films have already proven.)
The films score is perhaps the cheesiest part of the whole film. I found myself snorting out loud at times at the ridiculously dramatic, but largely funny arrangements. It fitted the film beautifully. Tense, brooding music would have ruined the overall tone.
So, there we have it. A forgotten 80's gem. If you are a fan of the genre, especially the cheesier side, do yourself a favour and get hold of a copy of "I, Madman." It will prove to be a good, popcorn filled night in.
3.5 out of 5 - Cheesy, fun, brainless entertainment. Good for a laugh.
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