a review of 公寓

2019 CULT MOVIE CHALLENGE WEEK 17: SHOT ON VIDEO WEEK This was actually a really fun surprise. I went in expecting some unmitigated exploitation trash of the Wiseau/Breen cult-leader-cum-auteur variety, and at first blush that's exactly what it seems to be; the film's meandering plot basically centers around a series of supernatural killings at a boarding house run by a New Age horndog (played by director/co-writer John Wintergate, starring under the alias "Hawk Adley") renting out rooms to a bevy of bubbly co-eds. Needless to say, he spends most of the film clumsily seducing/being seduced by this ad-hoc harem, whenever he isn't hanging upside down in gravity boots or impressing the babes with his (totally useless, non-plot-essential) telekinetic powers. But ultimately I was won over by the good-natured goofiness that shines through some of the tackier aspects. If you watch the remastered DVD, be sure to watch the short interview with filmmakers/stars John and Kalassu Wintergate, who are still married nearly 40 years later; their intention was to make a silly horror spoof that would capitalize on the popularity of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with tongue held firmly in cheek. The Betamax visuals are basically what you'd expect, but the stereo sound mix is somewhat unique -- all of the dialogue comes out of the left speaker, and all of the music (soundtrack and diegetic) and sound FX come out of the right in a muffled tone, which for some reason makes it sound like the latter are coming from another room. It's like there's a crazy '80s kegger going on somewhere that you're not invited to. I'm not at all sure that it's intentional, but it's an interesting effect nonetheless.