Absolutely amazing

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

What "Spookies" was - based on my non-extensive, post-viewing research - initially, a completely different movie that I guess got scrapped along the way after some financiers backed out. So a new director was brought in to finish the production by coming up with a whole new premise and just cobbled the sh*t together based on the footage they had. So what it ended up being was basically three or so different stories clumsily mashed together. And it definitely shows...It starts off with a 13-year old boy running away from home because his parents forgot his birthday. He comes across some shady adult man in the woods, whom he exchanges brief dialog with before leaving the man to be killed by some kind of cat-man creature wearing a pirate shirt. The kid shows up at secluded mansion where he finds a birthday party set-up (cake, presents, etc...) but no people. After opening a present to find a talking human head inside, he runs from the house where he is chased and killed by cat-pirate. The movie then shifts to a group of people who show up at the mansion to party. However, things go awry when the house's primary inhabitant (whose head was in the box...) starts playing a deadly game of 'chess', using his new visitors as the pawns... Oh, and he has some chick he loves preserved in a coffin...So, of course, the direction and editing are beyond horrible and nonsensical. What "Spookies" is more or less known for is its multitude of make-up and creature FX - the vivacity of which is actually pretty spotty. Some of the FX are decent while others look like dollar store Halloween costumes. I think the effects work was suppose to act as the redeeming factor of this flick, but, in the end that really couldn't save it. In all, "Spookies" is just a slapped together mess that should have just been aborted the first time production funds were pulled. This outcome just doesn't work...More reviews @ http://swinesewage.blogspot.com/

The first time I tried watching "Spookies" was on a rough looking ex-rental video tape and I barely got through the opening sequence due to its bad quality. So in the bin it went, and my hunger for seeing it only grew. Until recently I luckily happened upon a DVD copy of it.A group of young adults driving around looking for a place to party stumble across old mansion in the woods. Unknowingly to them it's occupied by an evil sorcerer and one by one they're picked off to help revive his dead bride."Spookies" is downright crazy, senseless and spontaneous low-rent 80s sludge, which is so goofy it's too much fun to pass up. Everything about it is hysterical. I guess you just have to go with its unhinged tone and take it as a creaky haunted house ride, where you don't know what awaits you at every turn. Since it's a patchwork of two films, some executed passages might be clunky and never truly capture its imaginative concept and ideas, but at least the original (but not perfect) screenplay makes for an enjoyable, if confounded monster mash. While heavy on things going on, the short running time breezes by until it comes to it's somewhat eccentric, but dragged out climax. Also it breathes some striking atmospheric touches and positional placements -- especially the use of lighting within the creepy rundown mansion. What I did like is that while it can seem silly, still it has a cruel, grim side that's perfectly pitched by the opening sequences involving a young teenage boy.Although where it actually caught me off guard, was with its use of visual effects and make-up FX. The low-budget shows within the set-designs and props, but the creations (a whole bunch of ghouls) and effects (optical lights and splitting heads) are vividly creative and extremely well delivered. Not so the erratic music score… talk about random and kooky. But then again it should fit its style. The performances are gawkily over-the-top (with Felix Ward taking top honours) or woodenly blank with the typical character fodder evident, but the script while amusing remains muffled and daft.Cheapjack, but mindlessly entertaining 80s horror comedy, where anything goes.

Someone recently added a trivia comment which says, "Actually comprised of two separate, unfinished films and edited together." This is completely untrue. I wish people would actually read the message board notes before bothering to make such comments. Spookies is comprised of the original Twisted Souls (finished save for some post production work), and new footage added months later (which was NOT from an unfinished, separate film at all, but was footage shot to add into Twisted Souls). I know some of the people who made this film and visited the set many, many times so I know what I am talking about. Where do people come up with these things? I know it has a confusing history, but read the comments from myself and others, it will help clarify matters.

As cheesy as Spookies is, and as much as I love cheesy horror flicks, I didn't particularly enjoy this one at all. It just didn't grab me and seemed very flat and dull. How can you get bored whilst watching a cheesy monster flick, I hear you cry. Well, I don't know the answer, but I was. I just didn't like the 'style' of the whole film, it seemed too cheesy and was also too dark to see things properly. There seemed to be a lot of stalking about in the house which was tedious. There was also some guy controlling the monsters babbling on about nonsense, and I couldn't really follow what was going on.Some people will dig this, but it's not for me. Only recommended to those who love cheesy monster movies.