SPOOKIES (1986) – Episode 257 – Decades Of Horror 1980s

“We almost got our tuchus plunged!” Almost? Shoot, that would’ve made a perfect scene to go with the farting Muck Men. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they discuss Spookies (1986)! Wait. Why haven’t we seen this before?

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 257 – Spookies (1986)

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(It was going to be) A group of teens go to an abandoned house to party and do battle with spirits and creatures they accidentally release from a strange Ouija board. (Instead, it became) A wicked sorcerer tries to sacrifice a group of people inside his house to use their vitality to keep his wife alive.

 

• Directed by: Thomas Doran & Brendan Faulkner (footage from Twisted Souls); Genie Joseph (as Eugenie Joseph);
• Writing Credits: Thomas Doran, Frank M. Farel, & Brendan Faulkner (Twisted Souls footage screenplay); Ann Burgund (additional material) (credited as Joseph Burgund)
• Produced by:
  • Thomas Doran, Frank M. Farel, Brendan Faulkner (producers) (unfinished film Twisted Souls)
  • Genie Joseph (producer) (credited as Eugenie Joseph)
  • Michael Lee (executive producer: Miggles Corporation)
• Makeup Department:
  • Jennifer Aspinall (makeup artist/special makeup effects) (credited as Jennifer Aspinal)
  • Gabriel Bartalos (special makeup effects)
  • Arnold Gargiulo (special makeup effects) (credited as Arnold Gargiulo II)
  • Vincent J. Guastini (special makeup effects) (credited as Vincent Guastini)
  • Nick Santeramo (assistant makeup effects)
  • Nancy Tong (makeup artist) (credited as Nanxy Tong)
  • John Dods (prosthetic makeup artist) (uncredited)
• Special Effects by:
  • Ken Brilliant (animation model construction)
  • John Dods (creator: additional effects/special creature design and animation)
  • Ken Walker (animation model construction)
  • John Mathews (creature effects assistant) (uncredited)
• Visual Effects by:
  • Al Magliochetti (special effects photography)
  • Larry Revene (special effects photography)
• Selected Cast:
  • Peter Dain as Peter
  • Kim Merrill as Meegan
  • Nick Gionta as Duke
  • Joan Ellen Delaney as Linda
  • Charlotte Alexandra as Adrienne (credited as Charlotte Seeley)
  • Anthony Valbiro as Dave
  • Lisa Friede as Carol
  • Al Magliochetti as Lewis Wilson
  • Peter Iasillo Jr. as Rich
  • Soo Paek as The Spider Woman
  • James M. Glenn as The Grim Reaper
  • Gabriel Bartalos as Muck Man
  • Peter Delynn as Muck Man
  • John Beatty as Muck Man
  • Robert Epstein as Graveyard Zombie
  • Felix Ward as Kreon
  • Maria Pechukas as Isabelle
  • Dan Scott as Kreon’s Servant
  • Alec Nemser as Billy
  • A.J. Lowenthal as Korda/Son of Kreon & Isabelle
  • Pat Wesley Bryan as Drifter

If Spookies feels like two different movies, it’s because it’s one of those nightmare productions where the “making of” story might be more interesting than the movie itself. Yes, too many cooks spoil the broth and Spookies is solid evidence that too many filmmakers ruin the movie. With production being shanghaied near the beginning of post-production work and half the film reshot, Grue Believers will never know if the original crew’s vision would’ve made a better movie. Throw in some top makeup and effects people early in their careers and the Grue Crew have plenty to fuel their talkabout of this fun, mess of a movie.

At the time of this writing, Spookies is available to stream from Tubi, Shudder, ScreamBox, and AMC+, and on physical media in Blu-ray format in a 2-disc set from Vinegar Syndrome.

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film chosen by Jeff, will be Just Before Dawn (1981), an underappreciated slasher from co-writer/director Jeff Lieberman (Squirm, 1976; Blue SunshineI, 1977) and starring George Kennedy, Chris Lemmon, Deborah Benson, Greg Henry, and Mike Kellin. 

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