Synopsis: A college student, who accidentally killed his mother as a child, decides to take his friends to his father’s fishing cabin during Fall break, not knowing that his crazed father is stalking the place.
A few weeks ago, it was brought to my attention that after 39 years Buddy Cooper is stepping back into the director’s chair to helm Mutilator 2. Upon hearing this information, I slowly realized I had never actually seen the original cult classic Mutilator aka Fall Break…blasphemy, I know. Well, seeing that I am in the process of watching all the films I missed (or as many as humanly possible in 31 days) what better time than now to rectify that situation.
This film opens with Ed Jr. accidentally killing his mother while cleaning his father’s guns as a birthday gift. This pushes Ed Sr. to the brink, driving him insane. Fast forward 10 years and Ed is in college and at a bar with friends discussing what exactly to do for Fall break. Out of nowhere, Ed gets a phone call from his estranged dad requesting him to come winterize the beach condo. Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, Ed’s friends convince him to go. Little do they know, Ed Sr. is still on the premises, hiding out in the shed waiting to stalk and kill every single one of them.
This is another example of classic 80’s trash cinema and it is glorious. I was in awe of the realism accomplished by the team using nothing but practical effects. The plot was pretty common and basic but that didn’t matter one bit. The kills were enough to keep you enthralled. At times it was difficult to discern what vibe Cooper & Douglas were going for. Comedy? Horror? Or a combo of the two? The soundtrack was a curious one that contributed to that confusion, juxtaposing ominous tropey horror synth tones with sitcom level jingles. There were scenes that were comedically sped up that almost had me waiting for a looney tunes-esque stinger. None of that mattered though. It all combined into a perfect storm of good old fashioned 80’s horror. Hell, it’s even got a bit of a blooper reel during the credits…for real.
Join me again tomorrow as we continue this strange journey down that horror rabbit hole.
And bonus…There’s a trailer for Mutilator 2.
