WACKO (1982) ** ½

A killer wearing a pumpkin on his head murders people with a lawn mower.  Thirteen years later, on Halloween (and prom night), people start dying again.  Naturally, he has his mower set to kill his first victim’s sibling (Julia Duffy), who of course had decided to pick prom night (and Halloween) to lose her virginity. 

Wacko, like Pandemonium and the other ‘80s slasher spoofs set in the Airplane! mold, is extremely spotty, but when it hits, it’s good for a couple of stupid chuckles.  Director Greydon Clark isn’t exactly known for his comedic prowess (as anyone who’s ever seen Angels Revenge can attest).  His main strength is action, which comes in handy during the not-bad crash and burn chase scene involving a couple of Drivers Ed cars.

There are sight gags about The Omen and Psycho, and even one particularly odd spoof of Alien.  I think my favorite bit was the fact that it took place at “Hitchcock High” and the school song is “Funeral March of a Marionette”.  Not all the jokes land (like Dr. Moreau turning the football team into werewolves), but there is a likeable goofiness about the whole thing that helps keep you involved.  

Some of the better moments are akin to what we saw in Pandemonium.  There’s a funny subtitle that calls out the filmmakers’ use of a tired cliché.  (In this case, an unnecessary dream sequence that prompts the audience to “go out and get some refreshments”.)  As with Pandemonium, it features a scene where characters inexplicably fly through the air after an explosion.  And like Pandemonium, it features a future star of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure in a supporting role.  (In this case, Elizabeth Daily.)

Speaking of the cast, Duffy does a fine job as the Final Girl of the piece.  We also have George Kennedy (doing a virtual dry run for his appearances in the Naked Gun movies) as Duffy’s pervert father.  The biggest surprise is seeing a young Andrew “Dice” Clay when his act was still in its formative stages.  He adopts a Travolta-esque persona and has a funny moment when he “gets hooked on pea soup” and his heads spins around like in The Exorcist.  Joe Don Baker also gets to chew the scenery as the drunk slob detective on the case (he’s essentially still playing Mitchell).  However, the sight of Joe Don Baker in drag being whipped by a dominatrix dressed in leather isn’t funny. In fact, it’s one of the most horrifying things I’ve seen in some time.

Some of the jokes are good for a laugh (like Kennedy’s address to the audience before the closing credits).  Some are just plain stupid (like the talking elephant).  Overall, Wacko is a fun, if extremely uneven slasher spoof.

Baker also starred in Clark’s Final Justice the following year. 

AKA:  Wacko Weekend.  AKA:  Crazy Doctor in Love.