John’s Horror Corner: Rabid Grannies (1988), a fun, low budget, slapstick schlocky film about geriatric demons.

MY CALL: This movie isn’t the raunchy trashy film I expected, but rather a cheap-yet-effective effects-driven slapstick schlock flick that was pretty fun for this B-movie fan.  MOVIES LIKE Rabid Grannies: For more ridiculous horror films try Street Trash (1987), Class of Nuke’em High (1986), Mutant Hunt (1987), The Toxic Avenger (1984) and The Granny (1995). Perhaps even Manborg (2011), Turbo Kid (2015), Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991) and Kung Fury (2015) capture the same spirit of lunacy while crossing genres from horror.

The premise is pretty basic. A group of despicably greedy upper-class yuppies gather at their two aunts’ shared birthday party in hopes of garnering their favor for the sake of their inheritance. I’m reminded of The Legacy (1978)… but with utterly deplorable acting.

Written and directed by Emmanuel Kervyn (no other credits), this wonky flick opens with stagnant writing and rigid acting from an unknown cast. As we lumber through the first 30 or so minutes, one may wonder why even bother continuing. Of course, this film is reputed not for its filmmaking, but for its slapstick campy gore. So you should just be patient…

Things eventually get interesting when a creepy arched-eyebrowed lady (who looks like a live-action version of a witch that might offer a Disney Princess a cursed apple) drops off a creepy gift box for the birthday of the madams of the house. After opening the box and being afflicted by this cursed item, the aunts begin to change and, at last, a smile befalls my face!

Their fingernails spew green gooey pus as their nails elongate into demonic talons, cheeks rip agape as toothy maws form, monstrous limbs tear at their greedy guests and they become bald deadites as if Evil Dead (1981) crossed paths with Nosferatu (1922). For all that has thus far been unforgivably terrible in this film, it has found its gory redemption among feistily inspired creature effects.

Considering the meager budget, the claws and latexed heads of these murderous geriatric fiends get ample screen time and, honestly, they’re handled pretty well. This film was every bit as ambitious as possible given financial limitations. I’m happy to have finally seen it, and also that I didn’t set my expectations too high.