In 1978, New World Pictures released Starcrash, an Italian Star Wars knock-off featuring Caroline Munro and Joe Spinell. Two years later, they starred in the controversial 1980 horror film Maniac, a surprise box office hit. Around this time, Munro’s husband Judd Hamilton was making deals with Cannon Films to produce a sequel to Starcrash. While trying to find interest at the Cannes Film Festival in 1981, Hamilton and actor-turned-filmmaker David Winters had an idea. Using Cannes as the backdrop, they decided to make a film meant to bring Munro and Spinell back together. However, much of the filming was done guerilla style since the festival was going on and they couldn’t secure permits. After a limited theatrical run in 1982, the film faded into obscurity until Troma acquired the rights. In 2009, Troma released a restored director’s cut of the film, The Last Horror Film, on DVD.
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Synopsis
Vinny Durand (Joe Spinell) is a New York taxi driver who dreams of becoming a filmmaker despite his mother’s objections. Durand aspires to make the ultimate horror film starring the B-movie “queen of horror films” Jana Bates (Caroline Munro). To accomplish this, he buys a plane ticket to France, where Bates is attending the Cannes Film Festival. Unfortunately, every time he tries to reach out to Jana, Vinny is turned away by security and her producers. While this happens, people close to Jana, including her manager/ex-husband Bret (Glenn Jacobson), are murdered. Not only that, but the killer also films all the murders, like how Vinny films Jana wherever she goes. Unfortunately, the attendees think the murders are part of a publicity stunt despite Jana’s pleas for help. Will the killer’s identity be revealed, or will this end up being the last horror film for Jana Bates?
Review
While the final product is somewhat disjointed, The Last Horror Film is a fascinating mesh of horror and satire. First and foremost, Joe Spinell gives another captivating performance, showing he had the potential to be a leading man. He nails the part of a creepy stalker, but there’s a part of you that makes you sympathize with him. Even though he acts weird and comes off as delusional, his character has the drive to make his film. Caroline Munro is stunningly beautiful, and her scenes with Spinell are great moments of tension and suspense. Also, the filmmakers took full advantage of the location, showcasing the Cannes Film Festival on a grand scale. It’s a fascinating time capsule of what movies were being sold back in 1981 and the French locales. Given the lengths they had to go through to shoot in these locations, it’s impressive what they pulled off.
However, as ambitious as the film is, this results in an inconsistent tone that makes the film feel disjointed. While there technically is a straightforward narrative, it feels like director David Winters just filmed whatever he wanted. The story of a crazed stalker chasing after his favorite actress would’ve been fine enough, but they try adding commentary. The movie references the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr, which inspired the central plot. They also criticize then-modern horror films for being too gory, despite Spinell previously starring in Maniac, a notorious grisly movie. Admittedly, this satire does lead to an ending that comes out of nowhere that adds a clever twist. Gorehounds will probably be disappointed, but those who appreciate movies like Scream might find this interesting. Overall, The Last Horror Film is a slight mess, but it’s got two great leads and plenty of ambition.
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