It's Tobe Hooper time!

(I think I only have 4 Hooper films yet to see! Nice.)

This was a made-for-TV movie for the USA cable network, and it definitely has that "feel" to it. And it's certainly a solid flick for that budget and restriction-full genre itself.

Of course, it does help having the lovely Mädchen Amick leading your cast. She was riding her fame from the "Twin Peaks" series as Shelly Johnson. (Another David Lynch connection for this Hooptober12).

The story is a basic EVIL ARTIFACT story - in this case a Red Sacrificial Cloak that infects all that touch it or wear it with amplified evil intentions.

It includes some cool supporting roles by Anthony Perkins, R. Lee Ermey and Dee Wallace! Very cool to see some of these esteemed performers in a TV movie. Shows you the power pull of Hooper himself.

Also, this movie does include the FINAL screen performance of Mrs. Howell from "Gilligan's Island" as the mysterious grandmother who seems to know much more than she should (this is never really explained, but there ya go).

They kind of go out of their way to set up a sequel as well. I mean, the movie carries on for another 10 minutes after the wrap-up and you nod along going, "Okay. Sequel setup. I get it."

If this movie was about 30 minutes shorter it would fit right into the "Masters of Horror" series of films as well. Definitely has that film to it.

Overall... a great time.

(I got the blu-ray that has a ton of special features on it. So I'm enjoying going through a lot of those. Crazy to have so much for a TV movie. But - hey - I ain't complainin'!)

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Hoop #34 of CINEMONSTER's The Twelfth of Hooptober: Diary of a Madman

My Wild List and all my silly Reviews can be found here: Slappy McGee's Hoop-Tober 12.0 List.

...also considered...

Film #64 of my 2025 - Clearing Out My DVD Case Initiative.

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