"Out of the Dark" is a fun entry in the genre of seedy L. A.-set B thrillers. The employees of a phone-sex service named Suite Nothings are now being targeted by a psycho wearing a clown mask. Hot on the case is a weary police lieutenant (Tracey Walter of "Repo Man" fame, miscast but still amusing), who firmly believes that photographer-on-the-rise Kevin (Cameron Dye, "Valley Girl") is the one responsible.
Working from a decent script that has a welcome sense of humor, director Michael Schroeder ("Mortuary Academy") also benefits from a stacked cast of familiar faces from cult movies, so that we don't automatically focus on one character as the obvious perpetrator (unlike the characters in the movie). We have Karen Black ('Trilogy of Terror') as the boss as the service, Paul Bartel of "Eating Raoul" (also the executive producer!) as a hotel owner with a BAD wig, Geoffrey Lewis ("Night of the Comet") as the bitter and drunken Dennis, Bud Cort ("Harold and Maude") as a nerdy accountant, and Harris Glen "Divine" Milstead in a non-drag cameo as Walters' rival on the police force. And, if that's not enough on screen talent for you, Lainie Kazan ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") and Tab Hunter ("Lust in the Dust") also have cameos!
Granted, the killer comes off as corny with *his* one-liners, and most people will probably see the reveal coming a mile away, but "Out of the Dark" still offers a solid bit of entertainment. There's enough sex & nudity to go around, some VERY attractive female cast members (Karen Lorre, Lynn Danielson-Rosenthal, Starr Andreeff, and Karen Mayo-Chandler, are among those working at the service), and sparing use of gore. (The kills are mostly bloodless, until the bad guy completely goes to town on one poor hooker.)
"Out of the Dark" doesn't really offer anything that people haven't seen before, but it *will* deliver the goods for fans of this type of thing.
The aforementioned "Mortuary Academy" can be seen on a theater marquee here.
Seven out of 10.
Working from a decent script that has a welcome sense of humor, director Michael Schroeder ("Mortuary Academy") also benefits from a stacked cast of familiar faces from cult movies, so that we don't automatically focus on one character as the obvious perpetrator (unlike the characters in the movie). We have Karen Black ('Trilogy of Terror') as the boss as the service, Paul Bartel of "Eating Raoul" (also the executive producer!) as a hotel owner with a BAD wig, Geoffrey Lewis ("Night of the Comet") as the bitter and drunken Dennis, Bud Cort ("Harold and Maude") as a nerdy accountant, and Harris Glen "Divine" Milstead in a non-drag cameo as Walters' rival on the police force. And, if that's not enough on screen talent for you, Lainie Kazan ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") and Tab Hunter ("Lust in the Dust") also have cameos!
Granted, the killer comes off as corny with *his* one-liners, and most people will probably see the reveal coming a mile away, but "Out of the Dark" still offers a solid bit of entertainment. There's enough sex & nudity to go around, some VERY attractive female cast members (Karen Lorre, Lynn Danielson-Rosenthal, Starr Andreeff, and Karen Mayo-Chandler, are among those working at the service), and sparing use of gore. (The kills are mostly bloodless, until the bad guy completely goes to town on one poor hooker.)
"Out of the Dark" doesn't really offer anything that people haven't seen before, but it *will* deliver the goods for fans of this type of thing.
The aforementioned "Mortuary Academy" can be seen on a theater marquee here.
Seven out of 10.