Cameron's Closet (1988) - Poor young Cameron Lansing (Scott Curtis).
This kid has a looneytoons scientist father, Owen (Tab Hunter), who messes with his brain in an attempt to unlock secrets of psychic ability and telekinesis.
He has a mom named Dory (Kim Lankford), who has no idea what her estranged husband is doing to their child, and probably drinks and smokes a little too much.
He also has to deal with Dory's actor/boyfriend Bob (Gary Hudson), who you absolutely can't stand every single second he's on the screen.
On top of all of that, thanks to dad's experiments gone awry, Cameron learned more than how to move things with his mind. He also has a demonic monster he brought to life in his closet. He calls it "Deceptor."
Cameron does have a couple of protectors, one of which is a police sergeant named Sam Talliaferro (Cotter Smith). He's a bizarro character as well, though. He has frequent nightmares about chasing a killer.
The other is a psychologist named Nora Haley (Mel Harris). She's definitely the sanest person in this movie, and isn't bad on the eyes, either.
The storyline by Gary Brandner, I thought, was quite reasonable and entertaining. Director Armand Mastroianni had already done some scary stuff with He Knows You're Alone and The Clairvoyant. Another good job here.
Cameron is a kid you can throw your support behind as he tries to keep the monster under control, while at the same time being terrified by it.
The "Deceptor" monster is pretty cool. It's also pretty violent. The death scenes in this movie are borderline grisly. Good job by the special effects department.
I liked the interaction between Sam and Nora. He sure doesn't like it when his boss makes him go to her as a patient to solve his nightmare problems, and he lets her know it. But when they start working together to save Cameron, they click on all cylinders.
I think it's a cut above the average sci-fi/horror movies of the 1980s.
This kid has a looneytoons scientist father, Owen (Tab Hunter), who messes with his brain in an attempt to unlock secrets of psychic ability and telekinesis.
He has a mom named Dory (Kim Lankford), who has no idea what her estranged husband is doing to their child, and probably drinks and smokes a little too much.
He also has to deal with Dory's actor/boyfriend Bob (Gary Hudson), who you absolutely can't stand every single second he's on the screen.
On top of all of that, thanks to dad's experiments gone awry, Cameron learned more than how to move things with his mind. He also has a demonic monster he brought to life in his closet. He calls it "Deceptor."
Cameron does have a couple of protectors, one of which is a police sergeant named Sam Talliaferro (Cotter Smith). He's a bizarro character as well, though. He has frequent nightmares about chasing a killer.
The other is a psychologist named Nora Haley (Mel Harris). She's definitely the sanest person in this movie, and isn't bad on the eyes, either.
The storyline by Gary Brandner, I thought, was quite reasonable and entertaining. Director Armand Mastroianni had already done some scary stuff with He Knows You're Alone and The Clairvoyant. Another good job here.
Cameron is a kid you can throw your support behind as he tries to keep the monster under control, while at the same time being terrified by it.
The "Deceptor" monster is pretty cool. It's also pretty violent. The death scenes in this movie are borderline grisly. Good job by the special effects department.
I liked the interaction between Sam and Nora. He sure doesn't like it when his boss makes him go to her as a patient to solve his nightmare problems, and he lets her know it. But when they start working together to save Cameron, they click on all cylinders.
I think it's a cut above the average sci-fi/horror movies of the 1980s.