SATURDAY 14th

US, 1981, 75 minutes, Colour.
Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Severn Darden, Jeffrey Tambor, Rosemary de Camp, Stacy Keach.
Directed by Howard R. Cohen.

Saturday 14th is a brief and light touch horror spoof. With the heavy emphasis on horror and gore after John Carpenter's Halloween in 1978, there was a flood of imitations, most notably Friday 13th. and its successors. The emphasis was on multiple killings and visual gore. Shocks rather than suspense were the order of these films. They almost became formula by the early 180s - with little characterisation. This family spoof highlights the ridiculous aspects of the horror; introduces a Dracula-like character - and makes him the hero. While the humour is of the broadest variety, it is good-natured and, while not arriving at bullseye, at least gets towards the centre with its humour and comment. Husband and wife team Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss carry the film and with their expertise give it a bit more strength than it otherwise might have. It is a better attempt at spoofing horror films than, for example, Whacko.