SKULLDUGGERY (1983) Directed by Ota Richter
Media Home Entertainment VHS
THE FILM
Where on earth did this movie come from? Who is Ota Richter? Is there a Canon of Richter somewhere? The title should be a giveaway that this is going to be 90 minutes of goofball behavior but it doesn't quite. The basic premise seems to push us in one direction: A guy, who is either cursed or possessed, starts killing people and it all has something to do with a sorcerer from the 14th Century. And a role-playing game.
Oh, those role-playing games. This one involves a professor of some kind and several of his students. They sit around a table with...Well, have a look at the screenshot. That's the game. There are lots of dice and there's a guy who spews out innuendo and, yes, I never quite figured out how the game was played or why. The game scenes seem to be important to the movie. Or, it seems like they should be important to the movie. But, they're not. The Killing Guy doesn't go after the people at the game (until the closing sting). Instead, he goes after random folks, including a nurse, a fortuneteller and the people at a rather odd party. A party that, to me, seems very European.
My first thought about the film: Mentos, the Freshmaker. What made me think that? The theme song. It's a bit disco, it's a bit show tune. It's gloriously cheeseball and it's over the opening credits. Then, we have a scene in "Canterbury, England 1382". Then, we go to "Trottleville, U.S.A. 1982." There's odd use of a Punch (of Punch & Judy) doll. Part of the oddness is that the doll appears in the "1382" sequence...I'm fairly positive Punch & Judy have been around a long time but not that long. Maybe Punch was solo back then? Before he got married...Frankly, I've seen the couple together. I don't think they should have ever taken the big step. I bet they fought on their wedding day. And, I bet it was fuckin' hilarious.
The movie seemed, to me, like it was made by Europeans pretending to be Americans in the same sort of fashion that slips around Happy Hell Night. It has sync sound so it never feels Italian. It's just that people never act the way people act...and at first it seems like they're just getting it slightly wrong. But, the film just keeps getting odder...and odder. Every few minutes something really strange happened on top of the regular strange stuff happening (The Bulls, Liberace in the church, the inhabitants of the hospital) and I realized that Ota is having fun. It's a horror film premise used to do all sorts of odd things. Hell, this doesn't seem like a normal film from the moment it begins. That doesn't change. The end scene in the costume shop with the police is a bit dull but the rest of it keeps coming up with new odd stuff at a steady rate.
What the hell is that talent show about? It was about five minutes into that sequence when I yelled "What's going on?! Where are we? What and who is this for?" Who thought up the name for the guy who runs the Costume Shop? It's funny to hear and funny to spell but I'll let you find it. Why is everyone in this movie so weird? That magician guy...he's not very good. I've run out of things too say. Skullduggery -- it's a weird movie. You should watch it as soon as possible.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
I watched the DVD. It wasn't letterboxed. It looked and sounded fine. The music comes through loud and clear. (The Jef Films DVD is a direct port of the Media VHS, which is where the screenshots originated. -- Joseph)
EXTRAS
I'm pretty sure there's a trailer or something. I rented the DVD from Netflix, watched it and sent it back. Then, I decided to review it. I didn't check the extras. Scene Selection, maybe?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ota! Come back! We didn't understand! We were too busy watching slashers and things of that ilk. Skullduggery just sort of slipped away. But now, it's back. Can I say it again? It's weird. Watch it.
— Dan Budnik, 04.08.10 | 
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