Between the 80’s and 90’s straight to video horror fare was pretty much a constant. The quantity and quality of these films could vary from numerous and tragic to few and brilliant. They really were all over the map. This particular film was well received enough to end up with 3 sequels, none of which I can say I have watched. Although for the sake of my readers I will track them down for review in the future. This particular series is about a mirror that serves as a gateway to a demonic realm. The mirror grants the owner magical powers until they are hooked like an addict and then begins to force them to commit atrocities in it’s name.
We open sometime in the 1940’s. One sister has bound and gagged the other and proceeds to stab her to death before throwing a black cloth over the mirror. As we learn later the murdered sister became enmeshed in the mirror’s thrall and the only way to stop her was to end her life. Soon we jump to mre modern times and meet Emelin, Yvonne De Carlo (Salome Where She Danced, The Intruder, Satan’s Cheerleaders, American Gothic, Cellar Dweller), who is preparing the estate to be sold off. While going through the house she comes across the mirror, black cloth still in place, and removes it. This sets off a chain of events that will not end well for anyone involved.
It’s been 4 months since Susan Gordon, Karen Black (Trilogy of Terror, The Day of the Locust, Burnt Offerings, It’s Alive 3: Island of the Alive, Children of the Corn: The Gathering, House of 1000 Corpses) and her daughter Megan, Rainbow Harvest, have just moved into the old estate looking to start fresh after the death of Mr. Gordon. Susan is lonely and pretentious but loving as well. Megan is an old school goth/punk that doesn’t fit in and upon seeing it, immediately takes a liking to the mirror.
At school, Megan befriends Nikki, Kristin Dattilo (Dexter), a popular girl that’s running for class president against mean girl Charleen, Charlie Spradling (Twice Dead, Puppet Master 2, Meridian). Nikki’s boyfriend, Ron, Ricky Paul Goldin (Piranha 2: The Spawning, The Blob ’89) isn’t so sure he likes his girlfriend spending so much time with the new girl. At first everything seems fine. Megan and Nikki become fast friends and bond over their dislike of the school mean girls but soon things take a turn for the worse.
The mirror starts making things happen. It starts simple enough, a dead dog here, a nightmare there. It makes her mother’s potential new boyfriend hallucinate maggots at the dinner table. It gives Charleen a major nose bleed in the cafeteria. Before long Megan realizes what it’s capable of and starts using it to her advantage. Almost overnight she has become addicted to the power it’s providing her. There’s a catch though, she needs to do the mirrors bidding.
Along the way, Emelin begins to realize what is happening and tries to join forces with Nikki to destroy the mirror before it can claim any more lives. Will they be able to save Megan? Will they be able to stop the mirror’s reign of terror? All questions worth watching this early 90’s gem to find out. Is it scary? Not necessarily. Is it cheesy 90’s fun? Totally!
The Savage Cinephile 