Spookies

Spookies is an independent horror film from the 1980s. Remembered for its copious creature effects, its patchwork editing, and for boasting an effective soundtrack, Spookies was given a limited theatrical release in 1986 and a more widespread video release in 1987. It was shown on cable television's USA Network multiple times between 1988-1991. To date this film has not been released on DVD in the United States.

Synopsis

;Caution, may contain spoilers

Billy has run away from home because his parents forgot his birthday. Knapsack tied to a stick, he ventures into the night determined to live on his own. Billy encounters a man smoking a cigarette, and briefly speaks with him before moving on. As Billy walks away, the man drops dead in front of the camera; his face shredded and torn. A Cat-Man, with a sharp prosthetic hook for a hand, is seen stalking after the child. Billy makes his way across a graveyard towards a large pillared mansion (similar to the mortuary in Phantasm).Inside this mansion Billy discovers a room dressed for a birthday party. A table is covered with gifts and a birthday cake. Billy wonders out loud if this was all somehow planned for him. In a very creepy scene Billy opens a giftbox and discovers a laughing man's head inside. Billy bolts from the mansion. He is chased down by the werecat, brutally slashed up, and tossed into a grave. Writhing, Billy is buried alive.At this point the film becomes more confusing. Spookies wildly cuts back and forth between an old man (Kreon the necromancer) talking about his deceased bride and other scenes with teenagers who throw a party in Kreon's seemingly abandoned estate. The partygoers encounter all sorts of creatures in and around the house, including but not limited to.
*Farting Mud-Men.
*Grim Reaper statue that comes to life.
*Little lizard ghoulie things.
*Some sort of flying witch in a cavern!
*A Ouija board-possessed human (similar to the monsters in Raimi's Evil Dead films) who projects....
*A beam of light that ages its victim.
*A Cyber Thug with a whiplike extremity that strangles and shocks.
*A pack of hungry zombies.
*An Asian woman who transforms into a giant spider.
*A fanged boy in a monk's habit.The aloof group of teenagers are separated and picked off by the managerie of ghouls.Absurdly enough, none of the teens actually meet with or talk to Kreon nor do they once encounter his lair. Because of jumpy editing, Spookies feels like two or three separate horror films spliced into a single entity.

Two films in one?

Not just remembered for its off-the-wall creature SFX, Spookies is rumored to be two separate horror shorts edited sloppily into one feature-length film. This theory is not 100% correct.The segments involving the partiers inside the monster-house were shot in late 1983 into 1984 by directors Brendan Faulkner and Thomas Doran. These scenes were intended to be used in a film called "Twisted Souls", which was later shelved by its producer for creative differences. In 1985-1986 said producer hired Eugenie Joseph to direct more footage (the scenes with Kreon and Billy) which were peiced (somewhat haphazardly) together with the unused "Twisted Souls" footage, creating the film known today as "Spookies".The end result is far from seemless, and somewhat hard to follow. "Spookies" has nontheless managed to rise to cult status amongst its fans.

Cast and crew

Most of the cast were first time actors who, for the most part, never appeared in a movie since.F/X wizard John Dods of Monsters television show fame did many of the movie's creature effects and animation.Eugenie Joseph, who directed the padding footage inserted into "Twisted Souls", is said to have worked before as a porno film director.It has also been rumored that Spookies was nearly shut-down because the actor who played the character Billy is said to have suffered abuse by crew members during the shoot. [http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=111876.0]