Intruder (1989)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Scott Spiegel

Writers:

Lawrence Bender (story)
Scott Spiegel (screenplay)

Genre:

Crime | Horror

Tagline:

A new dimension in terror.

Plot:

The ex-boyfriend of a check-out girl at a supermarket returns at closing time to make trouble. They...

Plot Keywords:

Supermarket | Employee | Slasher Flick | Electronic Music Score | Fight

Cast

Elizabeth Cox	...	Jennifer Ross
Renée Estevez	...	Linda
Dan Hicks	...	Bill Roberts
David Byrnes	...	Craig Peterson
Sam Raimi	...	Randy
Eugene Robert Glazer	...	Danny (as Eugene R. Glazer)
Billy Marti	...	Dave
Burr Steers	...	Bub
Craig Stark	...	Tim
Ted Raimi	...	Produce Joe
Alvy Moore	...	Officer Dalton
Tom Lester	...	Officer Mathews
Emil Sitka	...	Mr. Abernathy
Bruce Campbell	...	Officer Howard
Lawrence Bender	...	Officer Adams

Also Known As:

Night Crew (USA) (working title)
Night Crew: The Final Checkout (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

83 min | 88 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

West Germany:18 (heavily cut) | Australia:R | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bell, California, USA

Company:

Beyond Infinity

Trivia:

The film was originally entitled “The Night Crew”, but distributors felt that the film would be more marketable if it was given a more generic slasher movie title. It was released as “Intruder”.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the scene where Alvy Moore and Tom Lester enter as police, a bearded crewmember is reflected in the glass doors.

Quotes:

Jennifer Ross: Leave me alone

Movie Connections:

References Brideless Groom (1947)

Is This The Second Greatest Low-Budget Horror Film Ever?

The greatest low budget horror film ever is "The Janitor", but "Intruder" certainly ranks up there as one of the all-time greats. (You can argue that such films as "Evil Dead" are low budget, but they don't have the amateur quality to them I'm speaking about.) In this film, a grocery clerk's ex-boyfriend shows up to harass her. After the store closes, people begin dying off one by one. Is it the boyfriend? With notable appearances by the "Evil Dead" alumni: Bruce Cambell, Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Scott Spiegel and Danny Hicks. What a line-up! The film has its flaws. I mean, it's a very amateur movie so the music is just awful (how long can the produce guy listen to the same song?). Not sure where the regular composer was this day. The acting is decent but iffy, and the overall feel is of a cheap and predictable film.

But that is ignorable. The unique camera angles let you know you're working with a Raimi posse member. You won't find shots like these in anything else, except maybe an M. Night Shymalan film (and in that case maybe he owes someone a thank you). And the deaths are of a kind you won't find in your average slasher film: a simple grocery store is taken to new depths.

Nice product placement for Adidas, Meister Brau and Diet Pepsi. Too bad they didn't actually get the money for doing that. And an excellent re-use of the monologue from "Raising Arizona" about the head and sandwich. The Raimi-Coen connection is strengthened.

If you liked the dark humor of the other Raimi projects, you'll love this. Scott Spiegel does not have the name recognition he deserves, showing us here he is just as able as the big boys to step up to the plate for a low budget horror comedy thriller.