Witchtrap (1989)

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

A team is assembled, granted access to a haunted Gothic mansion so that they can cure it of a ghost which might've caused the suicide of a famous magician. Agnes'(Judy Tatum) team (..including her mental medium husband, physical medium, and videographer), and three detectives assigned to protect them will find danger as Avery Lauter has gained access to our world, walking about as a spirit with the plan to gain immortality if his heart and ashes are rejoined in a Satanic ceremony.Tempers flare as increasing worry over safety and evacuating before the possibility of further violence might occur(one victim is stabbed in the throat by a shower rod!)splits the group in the desire to remain.Whitney(Kathleen Bailey), the physical medium(who emerged from a near death experience with the ability), suffers violent body shocks thanks to Lauter, who wishes to use her as a doorway into our world for good, her resistance holding him somewhat at bay. Felix(Rob Zapple), the mental medium, nearly dies while channeling Lauter while he was allowed to speak to the group through him. Detective Vicente(James W Quinn) is an unbeliever who finds his assignment a serious waste of time, and would prefer to be elsewhere. Vincente was roped into this assignment by his boss, Frank Murphy(Jack W Thompson)who threatened to not only fire him but his friend/partner, Jackson(Clyde Talley II)as well.The dialogue("I just seen our friend down there take more lead than a number two pencil")and performances(lots of shouting and harsh verbally heated exchanges) are more than a bit crude, but there are plenty of supernatural kill sequences which should leave a smile on the faces of gorehounds such as the aforementioned showerhead throat stab, a head explosion(Lauter could not allow a medium to inform the others of the hiding place of the urn containing his ashes), a bullet firing into the forehead on it's own(with the back of the skull spraying blood across the wall), and a victim pinned against a gate by a car operating without a mortal driver. Our cast must look out for flying weapons such as an ax and shovel, not mention a hostile groundsman possessed by a demon. Fans of melting effects do see a victim's body deteriorate(the face and hands)although it looks pretty much like a wax sculpture withering into skeletal remains. Hal Havins is Elwin, the groundskeeper who gives Vincente a hell of a problem, since he's in possession of a firearm, and especially after a very exhausting altercation in the basement. JP Luebsen is Avery Lauter, the evil spirit causing all the grief to those in his home. Linnea Quigley provides her slobbering admirers(like me)full frontal nudity before entering a shower, but is wasted in a nothing role, which is too bad.

I watched this great little gem of a horror movie a few years ago, and I'm ashamed to admit it. But I totally forgot about it!! So, I popped it back into the VCR a few weeks back and loved every minute of it!! I have to admit, though, that most of the cast did a terrible job. Most of them overacted. But that's ok, because it's still a great movie. Linnea Quigley did an excellent job as usual. I just wish that she would've been in it longer. The film was very creepy and suspenseful. It reminded me a lot of Kevin Tenney's other films. Night of the Demons (a personal favorite!), and Witchboard. Both were very well done horror films that had a lot of atmosphere and suspense. I recommend anyone who is a fan of Linnea Quigley or low budget horror, in general to check out this flick if you can find it. I hear it's out of print. But if you can find it, GET IT! It's great and you won't regret it. Despite what the other people say. 9 out of 10! Great fun!!

Lauterhouse, affectionately referred to as "slaughterhouse" by its owner Devin Lauter (played by the director, who should have stayed hidden behind the camera!), is a big SoCal mansion on a secluded plot of prime real estate. Devin wants it converted over to a bed and breakfast, but the sadistic ghost of his late uncle, a former stage magician, keeps killing off whoever enters. Paranormal researcher Agnes Goldberg (Judy Tatum) is hired to photograph and exorcise the ghost and organizes a team of paranormal experts that include her "mental medium" husband Felix (Rob Zapple), "psychic medium" Whitney O'Shay (Kathleen Bailey) and sexy video-tech Ginger Kowowski (Linnea Quigley), plus three low-grade rent-a-cops for protection. Naturally, things don't go as planned when Uncle Avery (J.P. Leubsen, the creepy guy from WITCHBOARD) starts to use his powers to kill everyone off.Looking for some of the worst amateur acting and dialogue ever to hit the small screen? Then look no further! Tatum and Bailey are so monotone they make Ben Stein look like Laurence Olivier! Other highlights include a showerhead impaling a neck, a black character who threatens, "I'll tapdance on your face like Bojangles Robinson!," a pudgy voyeur groundskeeper, an exploding head, blood that looks suspiciously like Cherry Kool-Aid, Tenney's trademark AWFUL wisecracks, Linnea in the shower, a possession, a human meltdown and much, much more. It's all delirious fun. I laughed a lot while watching it. In fact, every time I see this for sale, I pick up a copy to give to one of my friends as a gag gift. I would rate this a 9 for laughs and entertainment value and I give it some credit because the plot is actually competent even if much of the dialogue is not, but going by craftsmanship, it's a generous 3 out 10.

This triffle of a film, gives new meaning to the word bad. Bad direction, bad script, bad editing, bad special effects, bad acting, everything about this film is bad. No redeeming features what-so-ever (some might argue, saying Quigley naked is always good, but you can always rent any of her other films.). One of the absolute worst films of all time. Not even good for a couple of laughs and not good in a cheesy way. Avoid it. 1 out of 10.