Thirteen years ago, a lawnmower-riding pumpkin-headed killer terrorised a small un-named American town. Detective Dick Harbinger has since become obsessed with solving the case, and when he’s called to track down an escapee from the local asylum – just as Halloween and the local high school prom are right around the corner – he quickly realises that history might be about to repeat itself.
Directed by Greydon Clark (the same person responsible for 1983’s similarly-forgotten “Porky’s in an arcade” Joysticks), Wacko plays out like a mash-up of Halloween and The Naked Gun with a dash of Carry On. Something ridiculous is pretty much guaranteed to happen every few seconds, which is either a blessing or a curse depending on your point of view (hint: it’s a blessing). Andrew Dice Clay’s character, Tony “The Schlong” Schlongini, is introduced by a gang of his mates doing an impromptu musical number, a magic trick goes disastrously wrong in science class, Vice Principal Harry Palms is quite literally clamping down on undesirable behaviour, and there’s one of the most absurd car chase sequences we’ve ever seen. Every single scene contains something silly – and several scenes seem to only be there because they’re silly – and the hit rate is pretty high, with most jokes eliciting at the very least a smile.
Released in 1982, Wacko is one of those films that somehow managed to almost completely disappear off the face of the earth. By rights it should be at the top of the list for Halloween comedy viewing. Joe Don Baker (perhaps most recognisable from his appearances in several James Bond movies) plays the exasperated detective perfectly, with some excellently dismissive delivery and wonderful physical comedy. For the most part, everyone involved generally holds up their end of the bargain, with plenty of laughs coming from the script itself and the performances of the cast. There are a ton of visual gags too, which help the film stand up to repeat viewings.
This new release from Vinegar Syndrome marks the film’s Blu-ray debut, but it’s currently only available in the US – folks elsewhere will need to look into importing this one, if it tickles your fancy. With both DVD (region-free) and Blu-ray (Region A only) versions included in a rather nice limited edition slipcase, it’s an excellent package. There’s also a seven-minute interview with Wacko cinematographer Nicholas Von Sternberg in the extras (or rather it’s the only extra), which might be rather brief but is still a nice addition. Notable for being an early example of the horror homage / parody, Wacko is very much one for fans of absurd nonsense.
WACKO / CERT: UNRATED / DIRECTOR: GREYDON CLARK / SCREENPLAY: DANA OLSEN, MICHAEL SPOUND / STARRING: JOE DON BAKER, STELLA STEVENS, ELIZABETH DAILY, GEORGE KENNEDY, ANDREW DICE CLAY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
