The Horror Show (1989)

just watch it!

Disturbing yet enthralling

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

I have to confess absolutely loving the first 'House' film. Yes, the (now iconic) marketing poster of a decomposing severed hand ringing a doorbell may have been a tad misleading. You may think you were in for one scary experience when, in fact, you received one hell of a tongue-in-cheek black horror-comedy. The (inevitable) sequel was so-so, but by this third instalment, it had well and truly lost its way.Where as the first two 'House' films were both heavily linked to - surprise, surprise - a house, this film seems to forget why it's called what it is. In fact I believe in some territories when the film was released the 'House' part of the title was completely dropped in favour of a more ambiguous 'The Horror Show' title. I guess this tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the project, i.e. it's not really a sequel but more of a horror script that was sort of crow-barred in under the familiar (and therefore profitable) 'House' brand in order to increase sales. But is it any good?Unfortunately, not really. Even by a stand-alone horror film it's a bit lame. However, that's not for the efforts of leading man Lance Henriksen, who does everything in his extensively-cool acting range to bring some drama to the proceedings. It's starts okay enough - Henriksen is a cop tortured by his previous experiences with a serial killer, only for said nasty to come back from the grave to haunt his family (in the house, in case you were wondering). Then it all kind of falls apart as the scares become fewer and further between and the plot descends into predictability. The serial killer is portrayed by (Bladerunner's) Brion James and he too does his best to add some terror with the limited script available to him. However, in the end, both main actors end up just chewing up the scenery in an attempt to try and elevate what is a particularly forgettable B-movie into something vaguely memorable.There's some nice practical effects here and there and it's always nice to be reminded of a time before CGI gore ruled the horror scene. But, at the end of the day, it's not enough to save this film. I'm a big fan of Lance Henriksen and watch most of his output, but even I would struggle to sit through this film again (I've watched it twice - the first time over twenty years ago and completely forgotten it. Therefore I've just seen it again and felt I better review it before everything about it escapes me again). The first 'House' film is a classic. Just stick to that.

While watching this kind of stylish jargon, you do keep forgetting this is part of the House franchise. The only other one I saw, that I really liked was of course the first. What we got here is some ghastly violence and some rather nasty unpleasantries. Child murder isn't something to take lightly on film, where I admit in my earlier years, the scene with the girl's flying head and decapitation disturbed me lightly. The versatile Brion James, plays one of the nastiest and vile killers, that makes the hitcher's John Ryder look tame. James is Max Jenke, a killer who is about to be fried, on the chair. Unfortunately all this high voltage that is 'spose to send this sick son of a bitch to hell, only makes him immortal, thus returning back into this cop's (Lance Henricksen's) life and taunting him, before slaughtering all his family. He is warned by a guy (Thom Bray) who deals with the phenomenon of serial killers who survive executions (in the real world, remember, there hasn't been any) but it's Jenke's avenging spirit, that's returned, playing havoc with Henricksen and his family. The daughter's hot too, and the son's a real character who loves heavy metal, Quick and Chilli, apparently in bulk. Of course, James steals the horror show, while Henricksen was very good, where I thought Thom Bray, as the weird warning nut, was good too. Matt Clark, an actor I like, ever since Tuff Turf, I was glad to see show up in this, while legend and reservoir dog, Lawrence Tierney, at the start ,as the warden speaking with very little words for Jenke, was another appreciative moment. But honestly House 3 is bad, though entertaining and stylish junk, with a nasty streak, where really understanding the whole business of the film had me at heavy qualm. Is Henricksen imagining it? Is it real? Which parts are? E.g. The daughter receiving the phonecall from Jenke. He would have to be alive. And the whole near slaughtered family coming back to life, after killing the spirit. Doesn't make sense, but too consider the first film, but that one made my sense, as from Roger Cobb's view. You didn't know what instance was real, or not, whatever. But this film is bad, mainly because of the nasty nature of it, with some gruesome occasional violence. A nice intimate scene I liked with daughter Pfeiffer, and the soon to be slaughtered stud, Vinnie.

Detective Lucas McCarthy (Lance Henriksen) finally apprehends "Meat Cleaver Max" (Brion James) and watches the electric chair execution from the audience. But killing Max Jenke only elevated him to another level of reality. Now Lucas' family is under attack, his sanity in question, and his house haunted.Inevitably, this film has to be compared to "Shocker". While this one came out first (by a few months), the plots are largely similar and I hate to say it, but "Shocker" is the better film.Now, this film may be a bit of a stinker because of the rotation of directors and the writing crew not necessarily approving of what they created. The acting is pretty good, and this ranks among Kane Hodder's best stunt work. But the overall story is just alright and the "evil laughter" gets old after a while.Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, "The Horror Show builds up a good head of suspense, then squanders it in mechanical, poorly staged splatter." Roger Ebert says that "the execution scene is actually the best one in the movie", thus somewhat agreeing with Holden that the beginning is better than anything after. (This is also a nod to Hodder, as he was the one on fire for this scene.) There were some decent nods to other films (can anyone see the basement furnace and not think of Freddy?) but overall offered little of its own memorable moments. I mean, I liked the turkey, but come on...

What it's used to be called in the UK , When he wasn't selling too well by it name as and the the plot with Shocker came out with the same kind of plot and poster about the same time so they decided to name it House 3.If they didn't name it House 3, I don't think I would have seen it! however This as go nothing do with house Series at all, it just from same Producer of the house series that all.This was not a bad movie, I found this movie very dark in the good as it was more serious the house sequels. This about Detective who catches Meat Cleaver Max" and watches the electric chair execution from the audience.Soon is haunted in his Dream about him, which some times can end up being really in the movie. Some parts of the movie were very slow moving however I did still kept in tune of the movie, I really enjoyed some of effect near the end of the movie. Some of the make up effect was really good and fun to watch.The acting was really good in this movie from the whole cast it's was Okay movie I give 5 out of 10