PANDEMONIUM (1982) Directed by Alfred Sole
MGM/UA VHS
THE FILM
R-rated movies were a problem. Obviously. I was a kid. It was the early 80s. HBO ruled our house. I could only watch them if I had absolute permission from my Mom (American Werewolf in London) or if she was out or asleep (Porky’s 2: The Next Day). She would peruse the HBO guide and the description of what the film featured. If there was nudity, I was asked to look away. If there was sex, the film could get turned off. If there was too much swearing, the movie could get pulled. Violence didn’t seem to matter too much but gore did. We all kept an eye out and we were better for it.
PG-rated movies were a breeze. If it was on during the day, it was all right. That’s what my Ma thought and, frankly, that’s what I thought. So, Pandemonium was no problem. It doesn’t have any nudity or gore, very few swear words and only a little, very silly, violence. With its cast of familiar faces, it was more like a goofy Mel Brooks film than the rather odd Airplane!. This is the very definition of “all in good fun” for a kid who liked some laughs.
But, they sure snuck in some odd films under the PG rating back then. (In the 70s, more so. I never got the pleasure of accidentally seeing Blood and Lace.) It meant what it said: “Parental Guidance Suggested”. Today, it’s pretty much the same as a G rating except for maybe one naughty word slipping by. Back then, well...The Outlaw Josey Wales. That should cover it. (HBO used to show that one all the time. I’ve never seen it, but I remember the description of what sort of “bad” stuff it contained. For all I know, it’s tamer than Police Academy: Mission to Moscow but you could have fooled me.) So, when I sat down with Pandemonium, I remember not quite knowing what it was but expecting some good time laughs.
It’s a slasher film spoof. At "It had To Be U", a Cheerleading Academy, a well-thrown javelin killed several cheerleaders years ago. Today, a once-rejected cheerleader named Bambi has reopened the Academy. Her first round of students arrive: Candy, Sandy, Andy, Randy, Mandy and Glenn.* But, that killer is still around. And, the killing begins again.
I read all about slasher films when I was a kid but was always too scared to watch them. Now, I was able to watch a spoof of one. And, for some reason, I remember being disturbed. Maybe because characters were actually killed. Maybe because, in order to get the PG rating, the filmmakers made some odd choices that got them what they needed but ended up feeling a little squirm-inducing. Bambi taking a bath in milk, dipping cookies in it and eating them was one example. The giant toothbrush, drill that goes in Mandy’s mouth and makes a huge mound of foam ooze out was another. Maybe I was a wuss. That is a possibility.
Although some of these feelings still hang on to me when I watch the film, Pandemonium is really a rather straightforward spoof with a few odd moments laced throughout. It’s filled with folks you’ll recognize (Paul Reubens, Judge Reinhold, Carol Kane, and Edie McClurg to name a few). It has some laugh-out-loud moments. It has the “House of Bad Pies”, which still makes me laugh. It has a few parody moments that drop in from different worlds to keep you on your toes. (I’m thinking of the Nelson Eddy & Jeanette MacDonald duet. Were a lot of teens big fans of those two in the early 80’s?). And, the real test of a spoof, it never flags. It keeps a constant steady flow of amusement going for 82 minutes. Really, that’s all you need.
In the past few weeks, I’ve watched Student Bodies and Pandemonium. Both were good. I’m surprised. Now, where’s my old copy of Wacko?
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Student Bodies looked and sounded like a slasher. That’s what made it cool. Pandemonium, on the old MGM VHS, looks like a Mel Brooks movie or Airplane! A different kind of cool. Audio was fine.
EXTRAS
I saw the calendar on the wall of The House of Bad Pies. The movie takes place on Thursday the 12th. An extra from me to you. The tape has none.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Definitely worth a watch. However, watch it before Student Bodies. Pandemonium has more of an all-star comedy feel to it. Every few minutes someone you recognize will do something. I laughed out loud a few times but not nearly as often as with Student Bodies. And, Student Bodies veers off into a strange world near the end. Pandemonium sticks closer to spoofery throughout. What I’m trying to say is: Pandemonium is fun, but Student Bodies is better. There. Go in peace and watch.**
*Glenn Dandy. When Judge Reinhold says it, it’s a good chuckle.
**Hey! Where is my copy of Wacko?
— Dan Budnik, 05.31.07 | 
The best kind
License To Eyez
The 'andy gang
Bring on the foam!
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