BLOOD WORK: HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 4: CAMERON'S CLOSET (1988)

In the 1980's there was a renaissance for horror movies due to major advances in make-up effects and costume effects. On screen deaths looked gorier while still being realistic (to a degree) and the limitations for creating monsters were almost non-existent. It was a film-effects advancement across the entire medium, not just horror, one which genre films as a whole benefited from. Wild and crazy plots could be realized on screen in ways no one had ever imagined while maintaining realism (what would've been considered B-movies started looking better and better).

A little lost gem of this era is CAMERON'S CLOSET, a story about a boy who opens a portal to a hellish Limbo in his closet, setting loose a demon in our world. Released in 1989, this monster movie had the misfortune of coming out during a puritanical movement by American society cracking down on violence in cinema. What would've been a bigger debut and wider release earlier in the decade now resulted in a limited theatrical run and quick release to video (VHS was where most horror films found their second lives and thrived). The film boasts effects by Oscar winning Carlo Rambaldi (who worked on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, King Kong (1976), Alien, and more), a script from The Howling veteran Gary Brandner, and a score by Friday the 13th mainstay Harry Manfredini.

Rarely talked about, for monster fans and those seeking the lost gems of 80's horror, Cameron's Closet is a must.

THE PLOT

Cameron became a guinea pig for his dad's experiments at a young age. Discovering latent psychic abilities in the child, Cameron's father worked to bring those powers to the forefront. One night he pushed Cameron's abilities too far. Cameron's telekinetic powers went wild and killed his father. The experiments stopped and Cameron went to live with his mother. Years later Cameron's powers have grown. As a child Cameron was fascinated by a statue of a Mayan idol in his father's study. By focusing on the idol Cameron's powers have inadvertently opened a portal to Limbo in his closet, allowing an actual demon to inhabit the space. When his mother's boyfriend meets a gruesome and bizarre death at the hands of the demon the police are baffled. Detective Taliaferro soon links the deaths to Cameron and the thing looming in the closet.

WHAT I LIKED

The Concept. I love the idea of psychic powers opening up a portal to another dimension where monsters exist. To me this is a total X-Men idea come to life. I grew up reading X-Men stories where Illyana Rasputin (the X-Man MAGIK) opened up doors to Limbo or Hell. Likewise, Nightcrawler teleporting via a hellish Limbo dimension comes to mind. Cameron's Closet explores a similar concept. It's a cool idea and approach that doesn't come around often in movies. Plus, the whole "there's a monster in my closet" notion is a universal fear and real life nightmare fuel

The Monster and the Ghouls. The central creature of the film is a pretty cool sight to behold, framed and photographed very well in the movie. Just like with the shark in Jaws, a little of the monster goes a long way in the film and too much of it loses the effect. Those the monster kills also have a somewhat second life in the film, haunting the protagonists in rather frightening forms. The boyfriend looks especially disturbing as a reanimated corpse, eyes burned out with a demonic smile on his face.

And if you're as familiar with the Friday the 13th franchise as I, Harry Manfredini's score puts you in the right mood for an 80's horror movie.

NITPICKS

The Execution. Maybe it's me but certain aspects of this movie feel slow or clunky. The film is told through the perspective of Detective Taliaferro who has a weird connection to Cameron through his dreams. Taliaferro sadly comes across rather uninteresting to me. The interesting stuff comes when we shift focus to Cameron (who by rights should've been the focus of the movie. In retrospect the decision to anchor the film through an adult was probably made because the child actor's abilities were likely limited). Taliaferro takes focus away from the psychic kid, as a result I think it slows down the film. But when we get to focus on Cameron and the monster the film delivers where it counts. That's what I felt anyway.

THE VERDICT

A hidden monster movie gem of the 80's, Cameron's Closet bring our childhood nightmares of a monster in our closet to life. It's a trippy murder mystery story one seldom sees about a psychic kid who opens a portal to Limbo letting loose a Mayan deity upon our world (you know, that old troupe). A "who's who" of horror behind the scenes on special effects, writing, and music lend this under appreciated cult classic authenticity and enjoyment. The way the filmmakers go about telling the story however leaves something to be desired and may make some parts hard to get through, but it's still worth a watch.

Overall Ranking: 5 out of 10

Good. Average.

Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10