After the surprise success of Carpenter's HALLOWEEN, about a hundred imitations quickly followed between 1979 and 1982. Some of these, like Friday THE 13TH, even spawned their own imitations. However, one of these slashers took events in a slightly different direction; it still had the same gruesome murders, but this time the killer was trapped inside a mirror. This film was THE BOGEY MAN.
In the opening scenes, the HALLOWEEN influence is clear, with a young boy murdering his mother's lover. The murders are all staged with relish, and most of them are absurd enough to be funny. The acting is substandard (what do you expect from an '80s slasher?) and the music is ripped straight off HALLOWEEN, with the familiar tinkling tune and point of view killer shots. A character is killed with kitchen cutlery in a scene ripped from CARRIE, while a girl speaks in a demonic voice, just like in THE EXORCIST. These are just two of the scenes you'll spot from other films.
It's good to see John Carradine in another role, but like most of his latter day films, he's only in it for a few minutes. It's enough. THE BOGEY MAN enjoys the notorious reputation of having been banned as a 'video nasty' in this enlightened country of ours, and therefore there is a kind of dirty, gritty feel to be had while watching it. It's not in the least bit disturbing as the video cover would have you believe though ("However, some may still consider the content to be unsuitable viewing material, and find certain scenes to be disturbing or offensive. IF IN DOUBT, DO NOT VIEW"). Vipco certainly made their films sound interesting, it's just a shame that the version they released is the cut one. Still, THE BOGEY MAN is a slasher with a slightly more inventive premise than most, and it passes the time quite amiably. Just don't expect it to be another HALLOWEEN when watching...
In the opening scenes, the HALLOWEEN influence is clear, with a young boy murdering his mother's lover. The murders are all staged with relish, and most of them are absurd enough to be funny. The acting is substandard (what do you expect from an '80s slasher?) and the music is ripped straight off HALLOWEEN, with the familiar tinkling tune and point of view killer shots. A character is killed with kitchen cutlery in a scene ripped from CARRIE, while a girl speaks in a demonic voice, just like in THE EXORCIST. These are just two of the scenes you'll spot from other films.
It's good to see John Carradine in another role, but like most of his latter day films, he's only in it for a few minutes. It's enough. THE BOGEY MAN enjoys the notorious reputation of having been banned as a 'video nasty' in this enlightened country of ours, and therefore there is a kind of dirty, gritty feel to be had while watching it. It's not in the least bit disturbing as the video cover would have you believe though ("However, some may still consider the content to be unsuitable viewing material, and find certain scenes to be disturbing or offensive. IF IN DOUBT, DO NOT VIEW"). Vipco certainly made their films sound interesting, it's just a shame that the version they released is the cut one. Still, THE BOGEY MAN is a slasher with a slightly more inventive premise than most, and it passes the time quite amiably. Just don't expect it to be another HALLOWEEN when watching...