Superstition (1982) Almi Pictures/Horror RT: 85 minutes No MPAA rating (graphic violence and gore, brief language) Director: James W. Roberson Screenplay: Donald G. Thompson Music: David Gibney Cinematography: Leon Blank Release date: March 1, 1985 (Philadelphia, PA) Cast: James Houghton, Albert Salmi, Lynn Carlin, Larry Pennell, Jacqueline Hyde, Robert Symonds, Heidi Bohay, Maylo McCaslin, Billy Jacoby, Carole Goldman, Stacy Keach Sr., Kim Marie, Johnny Doran, Bennett Liss, Josh Cadman, John Alderman, Nova Ball, Morgan Strickland, Earl Montgomery, Michael Cornelison, Casey King. Box Office: N/A Body Count: 15
Rating: ***
Am I the only one who remembers Superstition, an obscure little horror oddity from the 80s (aka “The Golden Age of Slasher Movies”)? Filmed in ’81, it went unreleased for four years before opening in a handful of theaters around the country for week-long engagements. It’s one of the last movies to be released with a “No One Under 17 Admitted” policy in lieu of an official MPAA rating. Gorehounds like me know exactly what that means, copious amounts of gore! On that level, Superstition does not disappoint. This one has a few cool kill scenes. That alone makes it worth watching. The plot isn’t half-bad either.
What is it about old, abandoned houses that attract idiots? For the teen couple parked outside the house one night, it’s a private place to screw. For the two guys hiding inside, it’s a great place to play pranks on unsuspecting young couples making out in their cars. Like all old, abandoned houses in horror movies, it’s cursed. Something lives in the house. The two pranksters find this out the hard way when one of them is decapitated and the other is cut in half by a window while trying to escape. This is exactly why it’s a bad idea to go running around in old, abandoned houses. You’d be safer playing in traffic.
The house in question is owned by the church. The plan is to renovate it and rent it out. The local police, represented by Inspector Sturgess (Salmi, Caddyshack), are naturally against the idea given its history of violence. It seems another family was murdered in the house several years earlier. He has other concerns like the pond on the property where people have drowned and the strange people who act as caretakers, hulking mute Arlen (Cadman, Goin’ All the Way) and his elderly mother Elvira (Hyde, The Dark). Recently transferred Rev. David Thompson (Houghton, I Wanna Hold Your Hand) dismisses Sturgess’ concerns as pure superstition. [Cue dramatic music] Take my word, he’ll be singing a completely different song a few scenes from now.
Just like clockwork, strange things start to happen before the new family even moves in. Sturgess’ partner (King, Nightforce) is dragged into the pond by an unseen assailant. A mysterious little girl (Marie) appears out of nowhere. When the senior reverend (Keach, Saturday the 14th) shows up to bless the house, he’s killed in a freak accident involving a saw blade. Despite it all, the Leahy family still takes up residence there. Head of family Rev. George (Pennell, 1978’s Matilda) arrives with his wife Melinda (Carlin, Faces), teen daughters Ann (Bohay, Hotel) and Sheryl (McCaslin, Santa Barbara) and 10YO son Justin (Jacoby, Bloody Birthday). Things continue to get worse until David pulls an antique crucifix from the pond and decides to research the history of the house.
So what news does the good reverend dig up? Oh, it’s a doozy! In 1692, a witch (Goldman) was drowned in the pond by the townspeople after being found guilty of murdering a 9YO girl. Before she died, she put a curse on the property. Removing the cross from the water turns out to have been a bad call on David’s part. It was the only thing keeping the witch dormant by day. Now she can terrorize the new occupants 24/7. And does she ever torment the Leahys. How bad does it get? Let’s put it this way. Don’t get too attached to any member of the doomed clan. In fact, don’t get attached to ANYBODY!
Directed by James W. Roberson (The Legend of Alfred Packer), Superstition is a curious blend of supernatural horror and slasher flick. It works pretty well on both levels, but the terrific gore effects by a talented team of individuals take it across the finish line. This one is heavy on splatter. Remember when I mentioned one of the pranksters being decapitated? I didn’t tell you his friend finds the head in a running microwave. IT FREAKING EXPLODES (the head, not the appliance)! As for the saw blade incident, it flies off a table saw and cuts right through the minister’s body (enters through chest, exits through back). That makes a nice bloody mess. In addition, somebody in the 17th century flashback is crushed in a wine press, a mirror explodes in somebody’s face, somebody has their throat ripped out and one victim is nailed to the floor via a spike through the forehead. Be warned, nobody is safe from the killer, not even the boy. Now that takes balls!
As is typical of most 80s slashers, the acting and dialogue in Superstition leave a lot to be desired. On second thought, that’s not exactly true. It’s exactly what you’d expect from the genre. There’s a lot of goofy overacting and dopey dialogue. The funniest line is when one sister slaps the other and says, “Shut your bitchy mouth!” Gee, you’d think the daughter of a clergyman would know how to swear. Speaking of the girls, they’re supposed to be teenagers, but they look more like they’re college grads. Most disappointingly, no boobie shots! That’s one (make that two) of the most important parts of the slasher genre. Also, Roberson does too little with the mysterious girl. The screenplay by Galen Thompson (The Evil) is all over the place. At the same time, it’s not too hard to follow.
Superstition is a mostly effective scary movie. It’s creepy, atmospheric and bloody. It has a few good “BOO!” scenes up its sleeve. Although it bears a resemblance to Poltergeist (albeit a mirror image one), it’s NOT a rip-off of the Spielberg-Hooper horror classic. It was filmed before the 1982 movie came out. That doesn’t mean it’s original. It borrows ideas from other supernatural fright flicks like The Evil and The Amityville Horror. The score by David Gibney evokes giallo classics by Bava and Fulci. Although a mess in more than one way, Superstition is entertaining. It makes for fun late-night viewing.
