There are bad movies and terrible movies out in the world, and some that might even qualify for being the worst to ever exist. Even further down the ladder is Pandemonium, released in 1982.

When one thinks of a stinker, they must be pondering this movie, a film that spoofs/roasts/pokes fun at slashers and their ilk. Given the talent in this picture, one has to wonder just how it turned out to be so terrible. The production, surprisingly, was quite good, and it looked like a top film, but everything else within was more than poor. All of it would stem from the story and script, the root of any movie, good or bad. For a comedy, it was simply unfunny. Making it even worse was the fact that, because it was so humourless, it would chug along at a glacial pace, with the audience wondering just when the torture would be over. It all begins with a mid-forties teenager named Bambi, as played by Candice Azzara, getting flustered while fawning over a football jock at his locker. It was at this moment that it was evident this movie would not be worth the time, especially when followed by a bit of slaughter with the world’s longest javelin.  If it was supposed to elicit a laugh or two, it failed miserably. After this, joke after joke, poor dialogue followed by even worse dialogue would arrive, with no end in sight.

All of this is surprising when one considers the cast. With names like Judge Reinhold, Tom Smothers, Paul Reubens, Carol Kane, Phil Hartman, Eileen Brennan, Marc McClure, Eve Arden, Tab Hunter, Edie McClurg, Donald O’Connor and more, the film was a who’s who of comedy names past and present. Suffice it to say, even they could not make the script work, and it proves that it smothered the cast rather than lifted them up. It would have also been nice to get a little more blood and perhaps some gore as the movie transitioned into the horror genre, or at the very least, tried its best to do so.  If the makers of this film had simply decided on one specific genre instead of trying to make a comedic horror movie, they might have had more success than what was presented to the audience.

On the plus side, Pandemonium was directed well, and for those who like this type of film, they might enjoy it quite a bit. Ridiculous, infantile, silly and stupid, this is a movie that one will either love or hate depending on one’s sense of humour.

1 out of 5