Customer Reviews

Pandemonium (aka "Thursday the 12th") [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pandemonium (Alfred Sole, 1982)

You know a movie's not your favorite when you've seen it before, but you don't realize it until you're twenty minutes into the movie. I saw Pandemonium last night for the first time in twenty years, and, well, that happened. But really, it wasn't as bad as all that.

Sole, who also directed the horror classic Alice, Sweet Alice, stepped out of the director's chair forever after directing this bona fide bomb that was, perhaps, two or three years before its time (had it been a direct-to-video flick, it probably would have gained an immediate cult following instead of languishing in obscurity). (Sole has since become a top-drawer production designer.) But really, is it as bad as all that?

It certainly sounds like it is. A serial killer shish-ke-bobs a group of cheerleaders in 1963. Fast forward twenty years, and Bambi (Catch Me if You Can's Candy Azzara), who wanted to be a cheerleader back in those days but didn't quite make the cut, has reopened the cheerleader camp at It Had to Be U. (You can see where the humor's going already, can't you?) This is the second year of its operation, and we're told that last year's camp had some, well, mishaps. Needless to say, this year won't be any different.

Where the movie breaks out of its role as a Student Bodies (Mickey Rose, 1981) wannabe is with the casting. Sole not only lined up a huge number of big names to work on this spoof (including male and female leads Tom Smothers and Carol Kane, major roles for Match Game regular Debralee Scott, The Funhouse's Mark McClure and Miles Chapin, The Devil and Max Devlin's Teri Landrum [the only actress in the film who never worked in front of the screen again], cameos by Eve Arden, Tab Hunter, Eileen Brennan, Edie McClurg, and many more), but also took some chances on three actors who were just at the beginnings of their comedic careers: Paul Rubens, Phil Hartman, and Judge Reinhold. All three, previously character actors, were destined for stardom within a few years (Reinhold broke out in 1984's Beverly Hills Cop; Rubens started Pee-Wee's Playhouse in 1986; Hartman, also a Pee-Wee's Playhouse regular, joined the cast of Saturday Night Live the same year). The jokes are also marginally more clever than they are in most horror movie spoofs; Scary Movie and its followers could have learned quite a bit from watching this flick. It does descend to the gutter on a fairly regular basis, but there's some clever humor in the mix, and it always comes as an unexpected surprise. About the only thing missing was McClure asking Scott if she wanted to blank.

A minor film, but unjustly overlooked. May not belong in the same class as Airplane!, but to put it in the bargain bin with the rest of the early-eighties brainless comedies would be a mistake. ***

A great horror spoof from 1982 starring Carol Kane, Judge Reinhold, Tom Smothers, and Paul Reubens. Originally titled "Thursday the 12th" (changed before it's release for fear of confusion with other spoof "Saturday the 14th"), Pandemonium tells the story of Candy, a girl who couldn't be a cheerleader in high school, so she opens a cheerleader camp 20 years later. The only problem, the camp and all of it's inhabitants have been mysteriously killed year after year. But this year might be different, especially when the characters are named Andy, Mandy, Sandy, Randy, Candy, and Glen...Glen Dandy! And with the help of Sgt. Reginald Cooper (Tom Smothers) and his assistant Diddle (Paul Reubens), the killer has to be caught! A MUST-SEE for any cheesy horror spoof fan!

It has been years since I've seen this movie, but I remember a few things about it. I recall Pee Wee being so very subtle in his Pee Wee ways. I also had a hoot and a hollar over the toothbrush murder and the "cookies and milk" bath scene. If you are a fan of campy horror flicks, or you just enjoy making fun of them, then check out this movie.

Fantastic spoof. I loved the halftime salute to vegetables. 30 years later, i still laugh out loud at this film. Love it love it love it.

This is a Great Movie to watch while "TRIPPING!" or "Just Good & STONED!" HaHaHeHe!! With actors like Tom Smothers, Phil Hartman, Carol Kane, Judge Reinhold and PeeWee Herman how could you go wrong! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Because it's still just as funny as it was back in the 80's.

i have pandemonium on dvd and i watched it and love it. it is funny in a 80 sort of way. if you like 80 movie then this is for you. [...]

This is a good movie, but not great. Most of the acting is good, particularly that of Carol Kane and Paul Reubens.

Kane plays Candy, a young girl who goes off to cheerleading camp to be like all the other girls and get away from her sheltered life. Once Cheerleading camp begins, the other cheerleaders start dropping like flies.

Paul Reubens is particularly memorable as Johnson, Cooper's (Tom Smothers) human sidekick. Johnson is jealous of Cooper's Horse who seems to be more trusted than him.

There are a couple of good laughs in here. It's worth it if you get it for a cheap price.