‘Scared Stiff’ (1988) - Richard Friedman.

Before bloodily unleashing the gallopingly gruesome, bone saw-slashing SPFX gross-out ‘Doom Asylum’, director Richard Friedman fearfully formulated his visually gut-punching, reality-spinning, ‘Scared Stiff’ aka ‘The Masterson Curse’ (1986). A young couple who have only just recently moved into a rather grand 19th century property, replete with musty, boarded-up secret room, fully furnished with its very own en-suite, 24/7 hyperactively hallucinatory haunting! Scared Stiff breathes fresh fetid life into the historical horror staple of anciently slumbering, aggressively awakened house haunting, Hoodoo-voodoo-bug-a-boo curse.

Not long after handsome Dr. David Young (Andrew Stevens), pretty pop star, Kate Christopher (Mary Page Keller) and her young son, Jason (Josh Segal) settle into their new home when the macabre discoveries unveiled within the cobwebbed attic begin to disturb the sensitive sensibilities of singer Kate. She is adamant that these increasingly threatening, music-spawned manifestations of an ancient evil originate from a demonstrably more malign source than her over fertile imagination! 

‘Scared Stiff’ is sliced n’ diced from the very same sinister celluloid as similarly lurid portmanteau shockers of the 70s, featuring some additionally grisly grist from vintage E.C Comics ‘Tales from the Crypt’. The plot adheres to an enjoyably pulpy Gothic formula, whereby a great and grievous misfortune shall befall any poor souls that deign to seek solace in the malefic Masterson house! All its inhabitants fated to be relentlessly assailed by psychedelic, supernaturally-inclined monstrosities, no less heinously imagined than those manifested by, Poe or Lovecraft! 

‘Scared Stiff’ is far from being an 80s anachronism, seen today, Friedman’s hyperbolically colourful, roller-coaster rapid descent into mind-tripping, spook-raddled delirium has much to recommend it to avid creature feature freaks. Our two photogenic protagonists gruesomely overwhelmed by a malevolent maelstrom of black magic madness is given fearsome verisimilitude by the compellingly off-kilter, brain-boggling kaleidoscope of vividly eye-stalking special FX make-up by Tyler K. Smith. ‘Scared Stiff’ is guaranteed to give 80s splatter fans a fearsome fright to their member!