Dr. Strangeblog (DrStrangeblog)

Not many scares, not many deaths, not much gore, and yet this is a fun little horror flick. Howzat?? Writer/director Dave Payne does a very good job in creating a likable band of college kids, even the standard 'why is anyone friends with this guy' jerk of the group (here played by Scott Whyte) has his bright moments, and then stranding them in a spooky abandoned diner/gas station. Props to the set decorator (in a manner of speaking!) David Hadinger, better known for his role in 'Hostel,' makes a good everyman afraid of "psycho hillbilly crack addicts with a collection of Dahmer's backyard garden tools."

Furthermore, there is more than a touch of weird going on. The opening segment, which misleads and really doesn't belong with the rest, hints at monsters on the loose, then becomes at turns a road movie, disaster picture, haunted house, slasher, surreal nightmare, and finally supernatural allegory! Not everything works but enough ideas and humor to keep things afloat.

Prototypical 'the first one was a surprise hit so let's cash in and make a sequel' movie.

The blackest of black comedies released during the height of the Cold War is sheer genius. Peter Sellers masterfully plays three roles while George C. Scott takes a hilarious turn as a gung-ho general. Scathing, sobering, and an all-time classic.