1980s Horror Slapstick Teen Comedy In Danger Of Being Lost
Parodies have been a staple in the film industry for almost as long as film itself. From the silent era’s The Little Train Robbery to the modern Scary Movie franchise, audiences show time and again that they’ll show up to see a production take lighthearted jabs at even the most beloved productions. But not all parodies are created equal, and the 1982 film Pandemonium is proof that some parody movies are so terrible that they are ignored to the point of falling into cinematic obscurity.
A Slasher Parody
Pandemonium was created to be a parody of the slasher films of the late 1970s and 80s. The movie opens with a popular football player Blue Grange (Tab Hunter) making the winning touchdown for his university in the 1963 National Championship. After the game, five cheerleaders are killed when an unknown assailant hurls a javelin at them, skewering them like shrimp on the football field. Several more cheerleaders are killed during a pompom explosion, prompting the university to shutter its summer cheerleading camp.
The Story
Of course, someone tries to open the camp 20 years later against the dire warnings of the camp being cursed. Pandemonium has its camp attendees show up and get butchered on screen, one at a time. If you think the movie deaths in Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street are over-the-top, know that Pandemonium exceeds the limits of good taste in the best of ways.
A trampoline rigged with dynamite, a killer coming out of a mirror with a drill, and an insane type of electrocution are but a small taste of the absurdity that awaits viewers in Pandemonium. The movie also features Ronald Reagan (not the real one), a Canadian Mounty that strives to be the hero, and a woman who can shoot laser beams from her eyes. It’s a colossally stupid film from beginning to end, but somehow still commands attention.
The Cast
Some of why Pandemonium has merits as a movie is from the comedic players on screen. Paul Reubens, Carol Kane, Eve Arden, Tom Smothers, Judge Reinhold, and Phil Hartman round out a hilarious cast that act out the most outrageous screenplay imaginable. The special effects are as bad as one might imagine, adding to either your disgust or your delight, depending on how you gauge a film of this nature.
Just Too Much
Pandemonium is so over the top that it makes Student Bodies and every Scary Movie film look like a serious attempt at art. As a film, it’s so indescribably awful that one would believe that a rational person would shut it off before the 10-minute mark. But the movie is like a sore tooth that you cannot quit touching, and if you tune in you’ll probably be hooked until the end credits roll.
Rent It Now
GFR SCORE
Just because it’s terrible doesn’t mean that it’s not fun. Carol Kane and Tom Smothers make it worth the time, for sure. And if you’re into crazy death scenes, this Pandemonium is a movie right up your alley.
Pandemonium cannot be streamed or rented On Demand with any streaming service at this time. But subscribers to AppleTV have access to this cult movie.
