It’s October. Time to talk horror. This year I’m reviewing a different horror movie each day of the month.
What do you think of when you hear the word “intruder?” Do you think about a homicidal bum breaking into your house? A grotesque alien borrowing human heads so he can pass as one of us? A clueless house guest who just won’t leave? Intruder is none of those things. It’s about a maniac killing the night crew at a grocery store. Okay, sure. I guess the title kind of works until you find out the deranged killer isn’t someone who wanders into the store after hours, but a guy who’s always been there.
That’s not a spoiler because you won’t be surprised anyway. When a horror film takes this much care to foreshadow its trash compactor, its meat hooks, its ticket spike, and literally everything else that can kill someone in a grocery store, there simply isn’t time for surprises. The only thing that surprises me is I’ve heard splatter fans talk about Intruder as if it’s some kind of forgotten masterpiece. Maybe that’s why I’m disappointed.
The poster art for Intruder prominently features the names of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi as if they’re the stars of the picture. They’re certainly the biggest stars in it, but they play very minor roles. Campbell shows up about three minutes before the credits roll while Raimi spends most of his time hanging lifelessly from a meat hook. Dan Hicks, who played the hillbilly in Evil Dead 2, offers the best performance in Intruder, but even he can’t save it.
Whenever the camera ends up in a shopping basket or hovers over the actors at extreme angles, it’s obvious director Scott Spiegel learned how to direct from his pal, Sam Raimi. While there are some good gags and a few good special effects by KNB EFX Group, Intruder is just mediocre at the end of the day. It’s a shame because I really thought I was going to like this one.
Come back at midnight Central Time for the next movie.
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