The Boogeyman

1980 Directed by Ulli Lommel

Halloween Marathon Day 21 Film 36

This lo-fi horror slasher really takes inspiration from a lot of various sources- making it a weird entry into the slasher film genre as supernatural elements augment the narrative. A boy and girl are traumatized by abuse growing up- leading to the boy murdering mom's boyfriend and becoming a mute. Years later the girl starts to have weird visions when her mother contacts her from her deathbed....

The setup takes a turn as the narrative shifts from the brother as a maniac ready to explode to a superstition after a mirror is broken at their old childhood home. Apparently all the evil it has seen has created an evil force that starts to take over people in its reflection. The glimmer starts to glow red and have various tools around the farm kill people. I like the setting in particular as the film focuses on a small town Amityville horror house feeling. This feels like a normal small town so the local priest trying to fight against this evil force really has tension to it. Everything feels perfectly bonkers and b-grade so you wonder what will come next. There's a general oddness to the social settings around the dinner table and the random gore and uncomfortable moments set the tone for a weird film. There are also silly kill scenes that fit for the premise. Great for a cheezy horror night.

Presentational Note: On Vinegar Syndrome’s 4K disc the film looks exceptional. The sound is what you’d expect from a lower budget movie being in Mono. The slipcase and interviews add a lot to this release as well.