TerrorVision is apparently a horror-comedy; but I have a problem with this. Any horror in the film is laughable; but like the rest of the movie, it's not laughable in the funny kind of way. No, this film is just lame, and unlikely to be enjoyed by anyone over (or under) the age of ten. I'll get the positive elements of the movie out of the way quickly so I can comment on the more prolific bad elements of the film. The film is about a newly installed satellite dish that begins to receive signals from another planet. These signals are apparently (and fittingly) another planet's rubbish that they've converted into energy to get rid of it. However, a trash monster is accidentally beamed down, and begins to cause trouble. To director Ted Nicolaou's credit, he does create a good and fitting atmosphere, as the film always feels like one of those tacky TV shows that America makes. The film gets off to a lively start with a daft song that is played over the opening credits, and a glimpse at the offending alien world. The good points end there, however, as it's all downhill from then on.
We are introduced to an array of irritating characters, including a punk girl and her 'Bill and Ted' style boyfriend, a swinging pair of parents, the common 'senile' grandfather and some kid who hallucinates, apparently. From there on out, it's obvious that there's going to be little in the way of interesting elements in this amazingly dull film, and despite the scriptwriter's best efforts at being funny; this film really is anything but. Aside from being lame, the film is also boring as most of the running time concerns the characters wallowing in their own weirdness; and all this showed me is that swinging can be very boring (not that I've ever actually tried it...). The creature effects are purposefully silly, but look like something out of a kids program; not a proper movie, and since the film focuses mainly on the kids; it does feel very much like a movie made for children, and so in unlikely to offer anything in the way of enjoyment for serious horror fans. I do realise that this is meant to be a bit of fun and isn't to be taken seriously; but it's not fun and that's the problem. Avoid.
We are introduced to an array of irritating characters, including a punk girl and her 'Bill and Ted' style boyfriend, a swinging pair of parents, the common 'senile' grandfather and some kid who hallucinates, apparently. From there on out, it's obvious that there's going to be little in the way of interesting elements in this amazingly dull film, and despite the scriptwriter's best efforts at being funny; this film really is anything but. Aside from being lame, the film is also boring as most of the running time concerns the characters wallowing in their own weirdness; and all this showed me is that swinging can be very boring (not that I've ever actually tried it...). The creature effects are purposefully silly, but look like something out of a kids program; not a proper movie, and since the film focuses mainly on the kids; it does feel very much like a movie made for children, and so in unlikely to offer anything in the way of enjoyment for serious horror fans. I do realise that this is meant to be a bit of fun and isn't to be taken seriously; but it's not fun and that's the problem. Avoid.