Cameron's Closet (1989)

Director:

Armand Mastroianni

Writer:

Gary Brandner (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 January 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Pray the door remains locked, to...Cameron's Closet

Plot:

A father who experiments with his sons psychokinetic powers, is unaware that these experiments release a demon from hell...

Plot Keywords:

Demon | Mayan | Psychic

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Cotter Smith	...	Sergeant Sam Taliaferro
Mel Harris	...	Dr. Nora Haley
Scott Curtis	...	Cameron Lansing
Chuck McCann	...	Ben Majors
Leigh McCloskey	...	Det. Pete Groom
Kim Lankford	...	Dory Lansing
Gary Hudson	...	Bob Froelich
Tab Hunter	...	Owen Lansing
Dort Donald Clark	...	Alan Wilson
David Estuardo	...	Captain Navarro
Wilson Smith	...	Joe Crespy
Kerry Yo Nakagawa	...	Policeman
Raymond Patterson	...	Physician
Skip E. Lowe	...	Newscaster
Bond Bradigan	...	Newswoman
Frank Pesce	...	Ed Wallace
Paul W. Zecevic	...	Reporter
Doc D. Charbonneau	...	Little Demon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rodger W. Smith	...	Joe Crespy
William Lustig	...	Icecream eater (uncredited)

Directed by
Armand Mastroianni

Writing credits
Gary Brandner		(screenplay)

Produced by
Luigi Cingolani	....	producer
John S. Curran	....	line producer
George Zecevic	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Harry Manfredini

Cinematography by
Russell Carpenter

Film Editing by
Frank De Palma

Set Decoration by
Sarah Burdick

Costume Design by
Constance Buck

Makeup Department
Rose Librizzi	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Oswald	....	second second assistant director
Spiro Razatos	....	second unit director

Art Department
John Eaves	....	storyboard artist
Norman West	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Thomas DeGorter	....	sound editor
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts
Doc D. Charbonneau	....	stunts
Laura Dash	....	stunt double
Spiro Razatos	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Brownstein	....	gaffer
Rudy M. Fenenga Jr.	....	first assistant camera
Damon Marcellino	....	set lighting technician

Music Department
Bobby Muzingo	....	orchestrator

Production Companies

• Smart Egg Pictures

Distributors

• SVS Films (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alliance Communications Corporation
• Alliance Releasing Home Video
• Aquarius TV (1995) (Greece) (TV)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Nordic Video (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• Palace Entertainment
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
• Sony Video (video)
• Warner Home Video (1989) (Belgium) (video)

Runtime:

Canada:87 min | UK:86 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Belgium:16 (video rating) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Company:

Smart Egg Pictures

Movie Connections:

Featured in Gorgon Video Magazine, Vol. 1 (1989) (V)

Renting out closet space.

Professor Owen Lansing is researching human psychic abilities hidden deep in the mind and he experiments on his young son Cameron. They're going quite well, until Cameron's unintentionally uses his powers to conjure up a demon. Lansing tries to put a end to the trouble, but his killed in a horrific 'accident'. So Cameron goes to live with his mother and her boyfriend, but the demon also follows and takes up residence in the boy's closest. Meanwhile, police detective Sam Talliaferro, who has been put onto the case after the unusual death of his mother's boyfriend. Is having bad dreams that seem to be linked somehow to Cameron. A psychiatrist Dr. Nora Haley is looking over Sam, but she also gets the case of Cameron. She discovers the boy's secret abilities. Nora and Sam go on to connect that everything is contributed to a demonic presence who has its eyes set on Cameron.

Oh, "Cameron's Closest" is quite an unremarkable low-budget horror film. Well, it's not completely worthless, even though it's nowhere near as flavoured and exciting like many of its counterparts within the same decade. This late 80s horror junk was mildly enjoyable in some silly patches and icky make-up effects, but ponderous pacing and muddled plotting makes for mostly a bland outing that keeps us in the dark to what's going on. There's potential in the interesting and novel premise of mixing the supernatural with science (which "The Howling" author Gary Barndner adapted his screenplay off his novel), but director Armand Mastroianni's unevenly fruitless and ham-fisted execution leaves a lot of its brimming concepts unfulfilled and sticks to the gimmicks. Lucky there are some nicely imaginative and downright bizarre deaths handed out by the evil dweller in the closet. The nasty make-up, especially from the zombies and death scenes are well conceived. Even some atmospheric visuals, in the shape of few brooding dream sequences promise something, to only bungle it with unintentional goofiness that destroys any unsettling mood that was there. Like that of special effects designer Carlo Rambaldi's (think of E.T.) plastically tacky monster creation. Sometimes the FX is questionably dire and overly sugar-coated, just stick around for the lacklustre climax between demon and child. It's pretty hasty when it wraps it up.

The material dreams a good concept, but its talky nature, convoluted angles (so many to choose) and senseless inconsistencies engulf the monotonously vague script, which could've done with occasional wit. The presentation is well-photographed and production values hold up, but the musical score was flat, lighting hazily dim and editing was terribly hack-eyed. The cast do a fine job, maybe better then the material actually deserved. Scott Curtis gives an appealing turn as Cameron. Cotter Smith is sturdily efficient as detective Sam Talliaferro and Mel Harris impress with a steadfast turn as Dr. Nora Haley. Tab Hunter plays the unfortunate father who cops it in the opening minutes. There's sound performances by the support cast Kim Lankford, Leigh McCloskey, Chuck McCann and Gary Hudson as the jerk boyfriend.

It's saved by over-the-top deaths, some laughably shoddy developments and capable performances. Just like Mastroianni's other genre efforts; "The Supernaturals" and "He Knows You're Alone", it's watchable, but only just.