‘Don’t say see you later… Say goodbye’
The Lamp is a 1987 American horror film that was re-edited and shortened, then re-titled The Outing. The picture was written and produced by Warren Chaney, directed by Tom Daley, and stars Deborah Winters and James Huston.
The original, The Lamp had a long distribution period in Europe, Asia and other overseas markets. The edited and shortened version, The Outing, was distributed in the United States by The Movie Store (TMS). The USA Network played the movie on a regular basis for several years after its release to television.
An ancient genie is released from a lamp when thieves ransack an old woman’s house. They are killed and the lamp is moved to a museum to be studied.
The curator’s daughter is soon possessed by the genie and invites her friends to spend the night at the museum, along with some uninvited guests. The genie kills them off in an attempt to fulfil her ultimate wish…
Buy DVD: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
Reviews:
“If I had caught today’s flick The Outing closer to its year of release (1987) late at night on USA’s Saturday Nightmares, I probably would’ve loved it. I was a teenager then, and The Outing perfectly fits the bill for the type of cheesy late-night horror I’d watch on sleepovers. Now that I’m an old woman, however, the sweet 15 minutes at the beginning and the sweet last half hour simply weren’t enough to make up for the dull-ass 45 minutes in the middle.” Final Girl
“The first half of The Outing, with the exception of the exciting burglar opening, shows exactly what the movie is – a bad film with bad acting and uninteresting people. However, although it never actually becomes a top horror contender, it pulls off a strong mirage in the second half with mind-distracting special effects, fog and slashing incorporated.” Oh, the Horror!
“The teens are mostly annoying and the pacing is erratic. The ending is also weird and frustrating. Up until The Outing, I’ve never seen a movie end with a scene in which a Pepsi truck acts as both a jump scare and product placement. I guess that counts for something. Overall, The Outing is far too uneven to ever really work.” The Video Vacuum
“The Outing, which opened yesterday in several unfortunate area theaters, is one of the worst horror offerings in some time. It is slow (perhaps “Nod-Outing” would have been a more accurate title), stupid and senseless, and the special effects look as if they were shot on a family’s weekly shopping budget.” Washington Post
Trailer:
