The town’s got a doctor and his name is Rendell
Stay away from his house cuz he’s the doctor from hell
He killed all his patients- every last one
And cut out their hearts purely for fun
So if you’re from Moorehigh and you should get sick
Better fall on your knees and pray you die quick
As someone that came of age in the 90’s I have a soft spot for the films of that time. As I’ve discussed in previous reviews, in the late 80’s and early 90’s horror was going through an identity crisis. The slasher fad seemed to be dying out and no one really knew what would replace it. Try as they may, many of the studios would fail to breathe life back into what was thought of then as a dying genre. Every so often a movie would pop up that actually did justice to my favorite kind of flick.
While it’s true that the slasher was dying out in 1992, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t successful entries in the subgenre during that time. I mean, hello, Candyman?! In the same year that classic was released, a smaller and lesser known flick would capture my attention. Dr. Giggles is the story of an escaped mental patient that returns home to avenge the death of his father. The father was the town doctor decades ago and his wife had a heart condition. This was in the days before heart transplants and as she grew sicker, the doc became insane with grief. Eventually he would murder all of his patients trying to find a heart that would be a suitable match for his wife. In the process the town would turn on him and end up stoning him to death, but not before he managed to help his son escape.
This film is goofy as hell. It’s filled with bad medical puns and lame Dad jokes. Truthfully that’s part of it’s charm. You can’t help but get sucked in. It’s the last day of school and Jennifer, her boyfriend Max, and their crew are ready for a summer of fun. That is until Jennifer, Holly Marie Combs (Charmed), realizes that her heart condition is getting worse and she will need surgery. This cuts down on the amount of partying she can do, which as any teen will tell you is a total bummer. Her boyfriend, played by Glenn Quinn (Angel, RSVP), is all about drinking and premarital sex and this leads him to make a few questionable choices during the course of the film.
Slowly Dr. Giggles, nicknamed so because of his creepy laugh, kills his way through the town. Along the way we get a castration, an extreme stomach pumping, and a few deaths by implements that you wouldn’t normally think of as dangerous. It’s during this rampage that he discovers Jennifer’s medical condition and decides to pick up where his father left off. His kills suddenly take on a new meaning.
He follows Jennifer to a carnival where she walks in on her boyfriend making out with the local slut. This leads to her storming off and taking refuge in the funhouse, complete with the hall of mirrors. She is followed by Max, said town tramp, and the doc. This is one of the more interesting sequences of the film visually. Director and co-writer Manny Coto imbues this part with some really cool camera tricks that harken back to the days of old school cinema.
So much happens from here on but I won’t spoil it. I will say that, even though there are many unanswered questions throughout, this film has a blast with the bonkers storyline. Listening to the veteran cop explain how Dr. Giggles’ father got him out of the house during the lynch mob is genuinely disturbing. There’s also an interesting part involving the doc performing surgery on himself after being shot. It’s always fun to see the wacky and inventive ways the writers came up with to end these characters lives. I’m looking at you blood pressure cuff!
The film also stars a number of other 90’s staples like Cliff De Young (F/X, The Tommyknockers, The Craft), Keith Diamond (Golden Years, Charmed), Richard Bradford (Servants of the Twilight), Michelle Johnson (Waxwork, Death Becomes Her), Nancy Fish (Exorcist 3, Sleeping with the Enemy, Death Becomes Her), and Zoe Trilling (Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes, Night Terrors, Night of the Demons 2). Let’s not forget the fantastic Larry Drake (Darkman), who took home numerous awards during his time on LA Law. His performance as the titular doctor is a major part of what makes this flick so much fun.
So if you’re looking for an entertaining and twisted little flick to watch, I highly recommend this one. It may be harder to come by but it’s totally worth it. So take the time to look it up. Doctor’s orders!
P.S. The drooling 4th wall break at the end of the film is one of my favorite moments. It’s so goofy you can’t help but love it.
The Savage Cinephile 