Dr. Giggles

Dr. Giggles

Starring Larry Drake, Holly Marie Combs, Cliff DeYoung, Glenn Quinn

Directed by Manny Coto

The Story:
In 1957, the townspeople of Moorehigh killed their resident doctor because he had been killing patients and using their hearts in a vein attempt to save his dead wife.  However, his seven-year-old son escaped, and no one heard of the kid since.

Decades later, now older, the child - Evan Rendell (Larry Drake) - escapes a mental hospital and makes his way back to Moorehigh to get revenge on those who killed his father.  As he hacks and slashes his way through the teenagers of the town, he finds Jennifer Campbell (Holly Marie Combs), who has a heart condition much like his mother did.  Putting his murderous intentions aside (mostly), he sets out to do what his father couldn't, and give Jennifer a new heart - from the fresh pile of victims he's amassed.

The Synopsis:
Horror movies have this unique ability to be downright silly and moronic, and still somehow be endearing, at least to me.  When action, comedy, or drama films fail in achieving their goals and turn into something ridiculous, I normally hate it and would never see it again.  However, especially with "Dr. Giggles," I can't help but hold a fond remembrance of the film after seeing it as a teenager, and again today.  It's incredibly stupid, silly, vapid, corny, and all around a mess, but it's still highly entertaining and I found myself laughing (in a good way) through most of it.

The premise is as silly as it is genius, something that would never hold up in today's world.  A man committed to a mental asylum (no one even knows his real name, something I'm sure would never happen now) escapes and heads back to his hometown for some good old justice for his father, whom was murdered by the townspeople after he himself killed several of them to obtain a heart for his dead (or dying, I wasn't sure which) wife.  You'd expect him to have a list of names of the people who committed the act, but he seems to indiscreetly kill at random, picking whoever is close to him in proximity at the time.  Again, doesn't make sense, but it's still a hoot.

The main reason the film is such a fun ride is in the villain.  Larry Drake was a method actor who was known for playing Benny Stulwicz on "L.A. Law," but has also appeared in numerous films in mostly minor roles.  Here, he fully encompasses the hilarity and insanity of Dr. Rendell (who giggles often, hence the title of the film) as he mercilessly kills with the most unique weapons while spouting generic doctor jargon ("laughter is the best medicine," "if you think that's bad, wait until you get my bill," "it's time to take your medicine").  The film doesn't take itself seriously, and so we don't either - and it works on both ends.

The film also features an impressive young cast who have appeared in other television shows and movies, most notably Holly Marie Combs, who went on to appear in the critical hit "Charmed."  Here, she plays the final girl who has a heart condition that the maniacal doctor wishes to fix in his own unique way (interesting to note that both Jennifer Aniston and Ashley Judd both auditioned for that role).  She mixes strength and vulnerability in equal measure, and plays the character so well you can't help but root for her.

There's the other archetypes you see in every slasher movie - the slutty girl, the bad boy boyfriend, the moron, and so on - and they all play their parts admirably.  Throughout the film, they never take things seriously, and allows the viewers to loose themselves in the total insanity they see (one victim is told by the doctor to not talk, and proceeds to kill her after she follows his orders, which makes no sense whatsoever).

When it comes to effects, this is true early 90s horror to a T.  The doctor has a wide array of unique weapons (mostly evolved from typical surgical tools that almost look like oversized novelty toys) to accomplish his goals, the best of which was a huge bandage used to suffocate a victim.  There's a clever scene involving a funhouse mirror maze that was pretty neat, and the overall town setting is one that could be at any small town in America - right down to the creepy dilapidated abandoned home (which isn't as abandoned as you think).

The Summary:
Not fantastic by any means, "Dr. Giggles" still has a special place in my heart due to its outlandish campy nature and its ability to not take itself seriously, truly living up to its title as I found myself giggling through most of it.

The Score: C