The Horror Show [House III] * (1989, Lance Henriksen, Brion James, Rita Taggart) – Classic Movie Review 8143

Director James Isaac’s often tedious and very unpleasant 1989 horror fantasy The Horror Show [House III] is lifted slightly by Lance Henriksen’s all-stops-out acting as Detective Lucas McCarthy, a cop chased in his new house by electric chair executed psycho ‘Meat Cleaver Max’ Jenke (Brion James), who wants to murder Lucas’s family.

James gives a lively performance, too, especially for a dead man. It is a rare treat to have a movie with esteemed character actors Henriksen and James starring as main characters. James says that it is his favourite of all his roles. Kane Hodder, best known for his role as horror icon Jason Voorhees, doubled for James in several stunts.

The Horror Show is in effect House III (see House) and that was what it was going to be called. But the new distributor MGM/UA wanted a fresh start with potential new franchise, so the script was modified and the film was re-titled The Horror Show in US cinemas but called House III for the non-US market.

The original director David Blyth was dismissed half way through production and replaced by Isaac, who gets the sole credit. Allyn Warner’s work on the script is credited to Alan Smithee after he decided not to have his name featured on the credits. Leslie Bohem is the other credited writer.

Also in the cast are Rita Taggart, Thom Bray, Matt Clark, Dedee Pfeiffer, Lewis Arquette, Lawrence Tierney, Alvy Moore, Aron Eisenberg, David Oliver, Terry Alexander and Zane W Levitt.

It was heavily cut for an R rating in America. The European print has more gore and violence but the fully uncut version was never released. Earlier UK video releases by Braveworld and the Hollywood DVD budget release feature the full unrated European print. But the UK Anchor Bay DVD in the House Collection box set features the heavily cut print.

It cost a very low $3,000,000, but grossed an even lower $1,738,897 in US cinemas, though overseas and video sales probably took it into profit.

The Horror Show [House III] is made by Sean S Cunningham Films.

It follows House and House II: The Second Story.

It is followed by House IV.

It joins Prison (1987), Destroyer (1988), Shocker (1989) and The First Power as five films that had plots about an executed serial killer coming back to life and stalking people in 1987-90.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8143

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