Effects (1980)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Dusty Nelson

Writers:

William H. Mooney (novel)
Dusty Nelson (screenplay)

Release Date:

June 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Making movies can be MURDER!

Plot:

Some crew members of a company shooting a horror film begin to suspect that the "killings" in the movie are real, and that they are actually making a "snuff" film.

Plot Keywords:

Crew | Director | Film Crew | Snuff Film | Murder

Cast

Joseph Pilato	...	Dominic (as Joseph F. Pilato)
Susan Chapek	...	Celeste
John Harrison	...	Lacey Bickel
Bernard McKenna	...	Barney
Debra Gordon	...	Rita
Tom Savini	...	Nicky
Charles Hoyes	...	Lobo (as Chuck Hoyes)
Blay Bahnsen	...	Scratch (as Blay Bahnson)
Joe Wittkofski	...	TV Director
John Sutton	...	TV Sound Man
Dave Balko	...	TV Video Man (as Dave Belko)
Jackie Lahane	...	Murdered Girl (as Jackie Lehane)
Cindy Sebastian	...	Dancer
Bobbi Van Eman	...	Campfire Extra
Duke Snyder	...	Campfire Extra

Also Known As:

Death's Director
The Manipulator (USA)

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Image Works

Trivia:

Due to a distributor problem, the film never received a theatrical release or home video release. It never aired on television either. The October 2005 Synapse Films DVD release is the film's first official release anywhere in the world.

Quotes:

Dom: [after snorting cocaine] It's funny to have your nose cold.

Movie Connections:

References The Omen (1976)

Soundtrack:

RADIO JINGLES

This should have stayed lost

Being a fan of Tom Savini, I was excited to see this old film of his that he did the effects for. Now, think of this: Tom Savini, Joe Pilato (Rhodes from Day of the Dead) John Harrison (the composer of Romero films like Creepshow and Day of the Dead) in a movie about a making of a snuff film! Sounds like good ol' 70's exploitation horror, right? As Arnold said in Terminator "Wrong!" This boring suspense drama is about...well, not too sure since there was no plot. But something about a crazy director who secretly video tapes his cast and crew have sex, snort cocaine, talk about George Taki's sex life, and then tries to kill his cinematographer for no reason. Tom Savini is funny as a scumbag stunt man who loves his women (basically Tom just played himself). But there is no blood or gore, there is nothing scary about the film, and the editing is really poor. I would rather see midgets shoot their little people pee all over a bag of Dorito's for 90 min. Now that would be an effect! I would rather see mentally challenged people drool all over bare breasts for 90 min. That would be an effect! Watching Joe Pilato mope around and fall in love with a female gaffer on some cheap movie is not an effect! Effect rhymes with erect.