If it wasn't for the occasional spot of gore, and some gratuitous T&A (including a rather raunchy sex scene, most likely using body doubles), I would have sworn that Mortuary was a made for TV movie, such is its ho-hum plot, basic direction, poor acting and lack of decent scares. Take away the blood and boobs and there's very little to get excited about, save for a fun performance from a young, pre-fame Bill Paxton, who plays Paul, nerdish son of mortuary owner Hank Andrews (Christopher George).
When Hank isn't embalming bodies, he's holding seances at the warehouse where he stores his coffins. After witnessing one of these ritualistic gatherings, teenager Greg Stevens (David Wysocki) becomes convinced that Hank is somehow responsible for the disappearance of his friend Josh (Denis Mandel). With the help of his pretty girlfriend Christie Parson (Mary Beth McDonough), Greg seeks to find the truth, but things get complicated when a mysterious figure in a black hooded cape starts to kill people using an embalming trocar, and chooses Christie as his next victim.
After plenty of not-very-effective jump scares, and some pointless padding (a visit to a roller rink and the mystery of erratic electrical outages at Christie's home), the killer is revealed to be Paul (really? what a surprise) wearing a rubber mask. He wants to embalm Christie so she can be with him for all eternity, but things don't go as he planned and he winds up with an axe in his back. A final cheap freeze-frame scare rounds off this unremarkable and fairly forgettable effort.
4.5/10, generously rounded up to 5 for the nudity (from both the living and dead), the impalements, and for Paxton.
When Hank isn't embalming bodies, he's holding seances at the warehouse where he stores his coffins. After witnessing one of these ritualistic gatherings, teenager Greg Stevens (David Wysocki) becomes convinced that Hank is somehow responsible for the disappearance of his friend Josh (Denis Mandel). With the help of his pretty girlfriend Christie Parson (Mary Beth McDonough), Greg seeks to find the truth, but things get complicated when a mysterious figure in a black hooded cape starts to kill people using an embalming trocar, and chooses Christie as his next victim.
After plenty of not-very-effective jump scares, and some pointless padding (a visit to a roller rink and the mystery of erratic electrical outages at Christie's home), the killer is revealed to be Paul (really? what a surprise) wearing a rubber mask. He wants to embalm Christie so she can be with him for all eternity, but things don't go as he planned and he winds up with an axe in his back. A final cheap freeze-frame scare rounds off this unremarkable and fairly forgettable effort.
4.5/10, generously rounded up to 5 for the nudity (from both the living and dead), the impalements, and for Paxton.