The Mangler (1995)

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Robert Englund, Ted Levine and Vanessa Pike star in Tobe Hooper's 1995 horror film based on Stephen King's short story, "Night Shift." This begins at an industrial warehouse where one of the workers is killed in a laundry press machine. Soon, other workers become injured and killed by the machine. Levine (The Silence of the Lambs) plays police detective, John Hunton who investigates the matter. Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) plays crippled industrialist, Bill Gartley who runs the warehouse and has a sinister scheme of sacrificing people into the machine. Hunton discovers Gartley's plan and tries to protect his niece, Sherry Oulette (Pike) who is chosen to be sacrificed. This is a weak film, but Englund & Levine aren't bad in it though.

OK first this movie is based on a Stephen king short story. Second a lot of people like Stephen king. Third this movie was basically shat out on a pallet and smeared across a screen. OK first lets go over the movie villain. Its a demonically possessed laundry folding machine. Im going to say that again because i don't feel like your taking the journey with me. Its a demonically possessed laundry folding machine.It doesn't sneak around your house and cut your power it doesn't watch you while you have sex with your girlfriend. You want to know how it kills you. You have to put yourself in the machine........that's right. Tobe hooper just cant get back on track and robert englund, i can expect him to be in this he just likes to act. But who had the idea to try and stretch short story into a movie sometime it works but this no its out of the question. Avoid this please. Im not going to go into any more details because im sure after reading this you will be done.

Despite being based on a Stephen King short story, "The Mangler" is no "Carrie". Despite being directed by Tobe Hooper, it's no "Poltergeist". Despite starring Robert Englund, it's no "Nightmare on Elm Street". The rather silly plot has a laundry-folding machine getting possessed and start eating people. Yeah, really. It's pretty entertaining for the time that it runs, but this movie cannot get treated as any sort of horror classic. Aside from Englund, the other star -- aside from the diabolical apparatus -- is Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill in "Silence of the Lambs").I'd like to see Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Wes Craven all collaborate on a movie.

I didn't turn on this movie expecting much. I've always been a big fan of Stephen King's books, but the movies seemed to lack.This movie was a pleasant surprise, though. I was happily grossed out of my mind enough times to satisfy my taste, and the characters, while very, very corny at times, were some of my favorites in years. You wont find much of an all-star ensemble, but, like George Romero, I don't like to see too many big stars in horror flicks. The story, while conceded, is interesting enough to keep you watching, The ending was well worth the wait, too, offering up some of the irony that King is so adept at.If you're not a fan of B-rated movies, I'd steer clear. If you are, though, this is going to be one helluva fun ride. The Effects are very good, considering the budget was most likely very low.