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TERRORVISION (1986)

Reviewed By Jerry Saravia

I love wacky horror parodies that pull no punches and carry an unbridled spirit. "Terrorvision" is a cute little cartoonish horror parody that does just that, but falls so short of exploiting a neat premise.

An ugly looking monster from outer space metamorphosizes into an electrical signal that beams its way into Stanley Putterman's cheap satellite dish. Stanley (Gerrit Graham) loves his new satellite dish that captures TV signals from around the world. His wife, Raquel (Mary Woronov, who was the memorable Miss Togar from "Rock 'n Roll High School") is annoyed when there is interference in the signal while she does her workout. Her daughter with pouffed-up candy-colored hair (Diane Franklin) is doubly annoyed when her MTV is interrupted. While Stanley and Raquel go out to find a couple to swing with, their youngest son (Chad Allen) and his crotchety, survivalist-obsessed grandfather (Bert Remsen) watch monster movies, which the eldest believes prepares people for invasion of any kind. Naturally the alien beast is lurking in their satellite dish.

What we get is a slimy alien with oozing fluids and a protruding wandering eye (looks like the same eye from "Star Wars"); a steamy swimming pool; grandpa's secret bunker, and a hilarious Jonathan Gries ("Real Genius") as O.D., the heavy metal rocker who clearly anticipates the future Bill and Ted. Most of the actors and plot elements already had me at a definite hello. Unfortunately, there is not much ingenuity or any real laughs to be found. The film runs out of gas, marking time when it focuses on the kids trying to make friends with the alien and give it junk food to consume. Grandpa exits far too soon from the picture and most of the life is drained away by terminally cumbersome characters like Medusa (Jennifer Richards), the horror hostess. The Stanley and Raquel characters are also entertaining (and it is not often that you find a swinging married couple in a movie) but their appearances are far too brief.

"Terrorvision" begins with a solid cartoonish bang (complete with wacky special-effects and obvious planet models that lend the film some charm) and it has a clever premise, but it never expands the personalities of its characters nor does it have much fun with them. Change the channel or, better yet, get a better satellite dish.