Dr. Giggles

Dopey, absurd fun, Dr. Giggles follows Larry Drake’s title character as he embarks on a vicious killing spree after escaping from a mental hospital – with the film primarily detailing the cat-and-mouse game that ensues between Giggles and a sickly teenager (Holly Marie Combs’ Jennifer Campbell). There’s never a point at which this goofy riff on Halloween becomes quite as compelling as one might’ve hoped, admittedly, yet filmmaker Manny Coto does a nice job of holding the viewer’s interest by placing an ongoing emphasis on gleefully over-the-top kill sequences and appropriately ridiculous one-liners (eg after dispatching a hapless victim, Giggles remarks, “if you think that’s bad, wait until you get my bill.”) It’s just as clear that the movie benefits substantially from Drakes’ go-for-broke performance, as the frequent lulls within the narrative are easy to stomach thanks primarily to the actor’s unabashedly scene-chewing turn as the eponymous psychopath (and there’s consequently little doubt that had the film been a bigger success, Dr. Giggles would’ve surely entered the pantheon of all-time great horror villains). As it is, however, Dr. Giggles has certainly earned its place as a minor cult classic – with the film undoubtedly improved by a viewing among as large (and rowdy) a crowd as possible.

**1/2 out of ****