By Robert Englund is, of course, one of the most iconic figures in horror, being the man beneath the red and green sweater of Freddy Krueger. As an actor, he has more than made his claim as one of the most feared and beloved figures of the horror genre. As a director, that isn’t quite the case. With only two features to his name, the directing game hasn’t become a big part of Englund’s contribution to the genre, particularly when you consider he has appeared in over 100 acting credits. And on the evidence of his 1988 debut, it is not hard to see why.
High Schooler Hoax (Stephen Geoffreys) is something of an outcast. He lives with his fanatically religious mother (Sandy Dennis), is constantly bullied at school, but looks up to his badass cousin, Spike (Patrick O’Bryan). When Hoax finds an advert for a ‘Horrorscope’ hotline in Sting’s room, he dials it and soon finds himself the victim of Satan himself, as he is granted supernatural abilities, allowing him to wreak havoc on those that have wronged him in the past.
Full review over at Filmhounds Magazine, originally published October 22nd 2020.
Andrew Gaudion 