The Carrier (1988)

I saw this movie shortly after it was completed at the wonderful Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. The house had a blast that night- great fun! This is a fantastic "bad" movie - fun to laugh at/with, hard to take seriously. The dialog isn't so wonderful, acting is not up on par with the best of Hollywood or anything but this could easily have become a cult film. The "sex among the trees" scene is so ridiculous, so over the top, so gross, it's great. I would love to see it again sometime.Favorite lines from the movie: "Touch the wall, Jake!", "Cats or death!" With lines like this, you gotta love this movie.

Jake Spear is pretty much an outsider/ and out-of-luck lad in the small town of Sleepy Rock, and one night he's attacked by some hairy beast. Unknown to him he's infected with a mysterious, dangerous disease that spreads around the town from anything he had touch. It has not affect on him, but if anyone else touches that object/item, they begin to dissolve. Soon he realises, but the towns-folk are virtually caught up in the mass mayhem and chaos, marking those areas or items in red.Oh this was very off-kilter… so unusual. This obscure, very minor low-budget late 80s effort has you glued because you haven't see anything quite like it. The story is original (if silly and baffling), the prominent black humour fits and it's metaphorically planted with obvious details (involving AIDS) and overwrought symbolic messages (that downbeat conclusion). However it was a real nice change of pace with its glowing spirit and undeservedly lies in the shadows of the overpopulated 80s gruel. The film's cheap execution might leave a lot to be desired, as there's no tension and its tame steamy schlock effects don't make much of an impression. Still there's plenty of goodwill, and it can get atmospheric in stages. The story doesn't really know what it wants to be, despite the script's mock seriousness. As it moodily shifts about in many different fields (especially when it turns into something you'll find in an post-apocalyptic film where everyone loves cats and have a fashion sense involving plastic bags and sheets), but maintaining something unique and clever that keeps it always interesting. Gregory Fortescue's central performance is what really drove this one home. Sure his acting isn't great, but he brings the right attitude. The rest of the bungling performances (mainly one or two-offs, except for Steve Dixon) are enthusiastically delivered. Director / writer Nathan J. White's directorial touches are typical and the pace is slow, but engaging and seems to wallow in the extremely cheesy and kooky vibes. Look out for the blatant Jim Beam product placement.

Although this film is ineptly-made and totally ridiculous, it should at least receive kudos for being completely original. It reminded me of another obscure 80's film called The Pit. Like that earlier movie the filmmakers actually tried to do something different than a. have a psychopath carve up a bunch of nubile, underdressed teenagers; b. have a bunch of untalented "scream queens" bounce around a haunted house fleeing something or another; or c. shamelessly rip-off or "remake" some horror classic from the past. Most low-budget horror product from the late 80's unfortunately falls into one of these categories. Of course, the plot is jaw-droppingly ludicrous. What kind of virus spreads via inanimate objects and causes people to instantly melt? It does, however, make for some good black comedy and satirical commentary on small-town folk. Norman Rockwell must be spinning in his grave! Like The Pit it's also incredibly misanthropic--even the hero is incredibly selfish and unsympathetic--yet it's just too off-the-wall to be taken too seriously. Pretty alright overall.

has my all-time favorite non-sequitor movie line... which is "Give us your cats, we have red objects!"I watched hundreds of horror films (4 a night) in the 80s and this stood out in the top 5 for originality and great cheesey scriptwriting.