The Horror Show is a 1989 supernatural horror film starring Lance Henriksen (Daylight’s End; Stung; The Visitor; et al) and Brion James. James Isaac (Jason X) is the credited director, David Blyth (Death Warmed Up) having been fired from the production. The film has also been released as House III; House III: The Horror Show and, in Italy, La Casa 7.
Although marketed as a sequel to the film House for the non-US market, its connection to the two previous House films is limited to the crew it shares (producer Sean S. Cunningham, cinematographer Mac Ahlberg and composer Harry Manfredini, among others) and the premise of a killer haunting a house. Confusingly, the third “true” House film was named House IV in reference to the existence of this film.
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Plot:
Detective Lucas McCarthy (Lance Henriksen) finally catches the serial killer nicknamed “Meat Cleaver Max” (Brion James) and watches his execution.
McCarthy and the others watching the execution are shocked to see Max withstand enough voltage to physically burn his body before finally dying. Max, however, has made a deal with the Devil in order to return from the grave and frame Lucas for a series of grisly murders. He also scares the McCarthy family — who have moved into a new house –and the parapsychologist they hire. Lucas’ only hope of stopping Max for good is to destroy his spirit before Max destroys his life and family…
Brion James (as Max Jenke) has said in several interviews that of all the roles he’s played, this is his favourite.
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New Commentary with producer Sean S. Cunningham
New Interview with Stunt Coordinator Kane Hodder and actress Rita Taggart
Theatrical trailer
Reviews:
” …while the execution scene is staged with flair and James (a favourite of director Walter Hill) brings some excellent crazy-eyed charisma to a role that hits all the right slasher movie buttons, it’s just not that great and pales against Wes Craven’s Shocker, which came out the year and had the exact same premise.” Kultguy’s Keep
“Brion James in a goatee and a pencil-thin Arabian Nights topknot chews scenery with demented relish in the type of role he was born to play. There are also some good effects sequences – like the image of Deedee Pfeiffer pregnant with Brion James’s face in her belly and the turkey on the table that comes to life with James’s face. For all that is good about the film though, it is never enough to surmount the routineness of the cliched plot.” Moria
“At turns scary, suspenseful, surreal and saucy, James Isaac’s directorial debut, Horror Show is both satisfying and sadly underrated.” Classic-Horror.com
