Dr. Giggles [Blu-ray]

Director: Manny Coto Manny Coto

Overview

Jumping fairly late on the slasher-movie bandwagon, this stylish but hollow effort from director Manny Coto stars L.A. Law's Larry Drake as the psychopathic Evan Rendell, who fancies himself a misunderstood medical genius. In an inventive opening scene, Rendell performs a bit of impromptu surgery on his keepers at the asylum (who had given him the title nickname due to his fits of nervous laughter) and escapes to his hometown to set up his "practice." This medical mania seems to run in the family, as we are shown in flashback: Evan's daddy once butchered several local women in his search for a replacement heart for his wife, and although he was unable to save her, Pops managed to spirit away young Evan and keep him safe (in a very, very nasty hiding place) before being lynched by the locals. Hiding out in the abandoned family home, "Dr. Giggles" begins a random killing spree in town with his bag of medieval-looking surgical instruments... but he finds new purpose when he sees the medical records of young Jennifer (Holly Marie Combs), who is in line for a heart transplant, and vows to "cure" her himself. This film eschews the possibilities of its demented premise, choosing instead to serve up a flavorless hash of '80s slasher clichés (wisecracking killer, stupid teenage victims, virginal heroine, 20-years-later motif, etc.). The only truly inspired moment occurs in flashback, when we discover the actual hiding place the elder Dr. Rendell chose for his son.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/21/2023
UPC:	0826663235296
Original Release:	1992
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00
Sales rank:	3,504

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Larry Drake	Dr. Evan Rendell
Holly Marie Combs	Jennifer Campbell
Cliff De Young	Tom
Glenn Quinn	Max
Keith Diamond	Rietz
Richard Bradford	Magruder
Michelle Johnson	Tamara
John Vickery	Dr. Chamberlain
Nancy Fish	Elaine Henderson
Sara Melson	Coreen
Zoe Trilling	Normi
Darin Heames	Stu
Deborah Tucker	Dianne
Doug E. Doug	Trotter
Denise Barnes	Leigh
Patrick Cronin	Sheriff Harper
Joshua Nielsen	Danny Atchley
Karen Rea	Actor
William Dennis Hunt	Evan's Father,Evan's Father
Nicholas Mastrandea	Young Evan
William Earl Ray	Psychiatrist
Danny Perkin	Specks
Pieter Dawson	Doctor
Todd Tolces	1st Security Guard
Mario DePriest	1st Orderly
Jerry Counsil	1st Surgeon
Mark C. Vincent	2nd Surgeon
Britt Magnuson	1st Nurse
Annie Wanberg	2nd Nurse
Russ Fast	Anesthesiologist
Troy Barron	Young Magruder
Marianne Doherty	OR Nurse
Brian May	Composer

Technical Credits

Manny Coto	Director
Stuart M. Besser	Producer
Jack Roe	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

This morbidly funny horror film riffs on both the slasher and mad doctor subgenres at once and does a surprisingly good job at achieving this dual purpose. Simply put, Dr. Giggles works because it hits the right blend of chills and laughs. The smart, inventive script never allows either element to shortchange the other: Dr. Giggles' backstory works in a touch of pathos to offset his frequent one-liners and the finale offers up a number of situations and images that are shocking and witty all at once (like a waiting room packed with the doctor's dead victims). Manny Coto's direction maintains the humor/horror balance with confidence, allowing it to be a horror film with a sense of humor instead of a self-parody. He clearly loves the genre and that love shows itself in several taut setpieces: the best moments are a disorienting, surreal chase through a carnival's hall of mirrors and a creepy flashback that reveals how the young Dr. Giggles escaped from certain doom as a young boy. His work in these moments is supported nicely by the slick cinematography of Rob Draper and a likeably old-fashioned horror film score from Brian May. Dr. Giggles further benefits from strong performances: Holly Marie Combs brings the right level of vulnerability to her heroine role and Keith Diamond's performance makes his character the rare cop hero in a slasher film that fans will actually want to cheer on. That said, top honors must go to Larry Drake, whose sly, deadpan turn in the title role manages to make his character amusing without ever sacrificing its potential for creepiness (he sells each of his character's one-liners in a way that is likely to make the viewer smile and grimace all at once). To sum up, Dr. Giggles is a sly blend of horror and comedy that is likely to entertain genre fans who can see wit in the macabre.

All Movie Guide