73 reviews
- gwnightscream
- Apr 27, 2018
- Permalink
I haven't got the slightest idea what the hell the story of "Mausoleum" was all about, but it sure was fun to watch! This is another imbecile and over-the-top cheesy 80's horror flick about demonic possession with an awfully bad script and hilarious special effects. Around her 30th birthday, beautiful Susan starts to suffer from the ancient family curse that also caused her mother to die when Susan was ten. Now and whenever she feels demonic, Susan can light her eyes funky green and whatever poor soul she's focusing on dies a very unpleasant death. The script foresees absolutely no logic or suspense, and the only enjoyable sequences (apart from Bobbie Bresee's many nude-scenes) are the imaginative murders. Her elder sister, for example, is lift up over a balcony and her body is torn open while floating around! Quite gory, but not at all scary. The origin of the family curse remains vague and the whole climax is very, VERY lame. Not even an exorcism or a battle between demonic forces. There are about a million better films handling about demons and possession, but if you have a soft spot for low-budget 80's cheese, you might find "Mausoleum" mildly entertaining.
- BandSAboutMovies
- May 17, 2018
- Permalink
- shutterspeedfilmsdotcom
- Aug 26, 2005
- Permalink
- Leofwine_draca
- Aug 26, 2016
- Permalink
A film like this puts everything in perspective. Allow me to elaborate.
Plaintiff's Exhibit A: Consider, if you will, films like "The Children" (kids on a school-bus ride through a radioactive cloud, become zombies, and hug their parents to death), or "The Dark" (William Devane and Cathy Lee Crosby circle Los Angeles trying to find a monster who can't decide if he's a mentally retarded caveman or an alien from outer space). Before watching "Mausoleum," I always considered these flicks to be kitschy, low budget, suitable time wasters. However after watching "Mausoleum," I can confidently say films like "The Children" and "The Dark" are top-notch, creative, creepy, mind-blowing classics.
That's an indirect way of letting you know that "Mausoleum" is dreck. Junk, plain and simple. I'm a forgiving soul when it comes to horror movies of all kinds (revisit Exhibit A if you have any doubts)I'll give just about any "filmic art" the time of day. But 25 minutes into this empty "Mausoleum," and my attention was already wandering to the fridge. FLAT is probably the best descriptive adjective. The characters, the cinematography, the plot, the setting, the musicthe whole package is as flat as an 80s pancake. Even the "Oogily Googily!" mutterings of LaWanda Page as the black maid who "exits stage left" in a "comedy" moment when things turn uglyeven that is FLAT. It's not funny or entertaining; Page's portrayal and delivery is so flat, it's not even a racial stereotype. Even Bobbie Bresee's "demon breasts" that come alive and chew through Marjoe Gortner during a sexy embrace are FLAT.
Well, her breasts aren't flat by any means, but the drooling Muppet-like toothy puppets that her breasts becomethe whole thing is inexcusably dumb. And worse, even forgiving the limitations of 80s technology, her puppet boobs look dumb.
Word to the wise: Skip it. You won't be missing a thing.
Defense Exhibit B: Allow me to offer one counterargument. There's a potentially revelatory moment in the film that almost makes it rise to the level of "worth mentioning"-not "worth watching," but worth mentioning. At the end of the film, as Psychologist Simon and Protag Bobbie stumble out of the titular mausoleum having apparently defeated the evil, Simon turns to a mysteriously hooded grounds-keeper sitting near the gate and says: "You've known about this your whole life and have lived with the secret. For God's sake, don't ever let anyone enter the mausoleum!" As the two speed away, the camera centers on the grounds-keeper who is cutting some flowers. He looks directly at the camera and begins to cackle and cackle and CACKLE and CACKLE and---suddenly, just before the end crawl started, just for one freaking microsecond, I could've sworn this dude was LAUGHING AT ME for having just whittled away an hour and half of my life watching this dreck. I even rewound it and watched again, trying desperately to infer the intentions of the actor, the director, the cameraman. Was that their intention? WAS I BEING LAUGHED AT? If true, this might very well be the coolest horror flick on the planet. Even if it were an accident, that kind of self-referential humor (pointed keenly at the audience) is a mark of geniusa genius I only wish the rest of the film bore out. But ultimately it doesn't.
Anyway, just one last gem of dialog before I go (and I won't make any inappropriate "fish" jokes hereI'll leave that up to you):
Oliver (husband): "What's for dinner?"
Susan (wife): "Poached Salmon...and me."
Plaintiff's Exhibit A: Consider, if you will, films like "The Children" (kids on a school-bus ride through a radioactive cloud, become zombies, and hug their parents to death), or "The Dark" (William Devane and Cathy Lee Crosby circle Los Angeles trying to find a monster who can't decide if he's a mentally retarded caveman or an alien from outer space). Before watching "Mausoleum," I always considered these flicks to be kitschy, low budget, suitable time wasters. However after watching "Mausoleum," I can confidently say films like "The Children" and "The Dark" are top-notch, creative, creepy, mind-blowing classics.
That's an indirect way of letting you know that "Mausoleum" is dreck. Junk, plain and simple. I'm a forgiving soul when it comes to horror movies of all kinds (revisit Exhibit A if you have any doubts)I'll give just about any "filmic art" the time of day. But 25 minutes into this empty "Mausoleum," and my attention was already wandering to the fridge. FLAT is probably the best descriptive adjective. The characters, the cinematography, the plot, the setting, the musicthe whole package is as flat as an 80s pancake. Even the "Oogily Googily!" mutterings of LaWanda Page as the black maid who "exits stage left" in a "comedy" moment when things turn uglyeven that is FLAT. It's not funny or entertaining; Page's portrayal and delivery is so flat, it's not even a racial stereotype. Even Bobbie Bresee's "demon breasts" that come alive and chew through Marjoe Gortner during a sexy embrace are FLAT.
Well, her breasts aren't flat by any means, but the drooling Muppet-like toothy puppets that her breasts becomethe whole thing is inexcusably dumb. And worse, even forgiving the limitations of 80s technology, her puppet boobs look dumb.
Word to the wise: Skip it. You won't be missing a thing.
Defense Exhibit B: Allow me to offer one counterargument. There's a potentially revelatory moment in the film that almost makes it rise to the level of "worth mentioning"-not "worth watching," but worth mentioning. At the end of the film, as Psychologist Simon and Protag Bobbie stumble out of the titular mausoleum having apparently defeated the evil, Simon turns to a mysteriously hooded grounds-keeper sitting near the gate and says: "You've known about this your whole life and have lived with the secret. For God's sake, don't ever let anyone enter the mausoleum!" As the two speed away, the camera centers on the grounds-keeper who is cutting some flowers. He looks directly at the camera and begins to cackle and cackle and CACKLE and CACKLE and---suddenly, just before the end crawl started, just for one freaking microsecond, I could've sworn this dude was LAUGHING AT ME for having just whittled away an hour and half of my life watching this dreck. I even rewound it and watched again, trying desperately to infer the intentions of the actor, the director, the cameraman. Was that their intention? WAS I BEING LAUGHED AT? If true, this might very well be the coolest horror flick on the planet. Even if it were an accident, that kind of self-referential humor (pointed keenly at the audience) is a mark of geniusa genius I only wish the rest of the film bore out. But ultimately it doesn't.
Anyway, just one last gem of dialog before I go (and I won't make any inappropriate "fish" jokes hereI'll leave that up to you):
Oliver (husband): "What's for dinner?"
Susan (wife): "Poached Salmon...and me."
Well-shot, atmospheric chiller. Bobbie Bresee, in her first horror film, doffs her blouse at every available opportunity. Marjoe Gortner (FOOD OF THE GODS) is very effective as Bresee's hubby. The late John Buechleur does an outstanding job on makeup effects. His female demon has to be seen to be believed.
- PeterBradford
- Jun 9, 2019
- Permalink
I bought Mausoleum at a pawn shop because the cover looked cool and made the film look scary. The film turned out to be a total waste of time. The story was all right, but the film was made poorly, with poor performances and sets. A women enters a cursed Mausoleum and gets possessed by a demon said in an old family curse. Every once and a while she turns into a demon with carnivorous breasts. Yeah right.
"Mausoleum" follows Susan, recently turned thirty, who is plagued by an ancestral demon she encountered after her mother's death in the family mausoleum. This pesky parasite causes her to transform into a grotesque monster and kill everyone around her.
This retro 1980s schlockfest is one of the better possession/"Exorcist" knockoffs, blending elements of slasher films with possession horror and the monster movie. The result is potent with campiness, but it's really all in good fun. Bobbie Bresee plays the lead Susan, who falls in and out of her possession with a complete lack of awareness; her eyes glow green when she's under the influence of the demon, and green smoke rolls out under the door of her bedroom. At her most extreme, she morphs into a revolting creature that predates Angela in "Night of the Demons." What's surprising here is that by and large, the special effects (helmed by the famed John Carl Buechler) are very good given the time period. There are some effective levitation sequences, and the monster effects are impressive and practical.
The film also boasts solid cinematography that is at times legitimately nightmarish and recalls Italian horror cinema of the '60s and '70s, and is tied together with a moody score that adds to the ambiance. Where the film falls flat is the writing and acting, which are both mixed bags. Bresee is alternately decent and awful as Susan, but her character is so vacant that it hardly matters. Norman Burton is serviceable as her psychologist, and LaWanda Burton provides short-lived comic relief as the maid who gets the heck out of dodge before becoming demon mincemeat. It seems to me that part of the pitfalls in the performance have to do with the dialogue, which feels stilted many times throughout. Then again, this is an early-'80s monster possession flick, so I'm not sure the bar is to be set quite so high.
Overall, I found "Mausoleum" an effective early-'80s supernatural horror film. Save some lazy writing, there is a lot of fun to be had here, and the movie is chock full with gruesome murder scenes and all sorts of other supernatural (and green-glowing) mayhem. Fans of other "Exorcist"-esque horror such as "Beyond the Door" will have a riot with it, and in some ways it's better. 7/10.
This retro 1980s schlockfest is one of the better possession/"Exorcist" knockoffs, blending elements of slasher films with possession horror and the monster movie. The result is potent with campiness, but it's really all in good fun. Bobbie Bresee plays the lead Susan, who falls in and out of her possession with a complete lack of awareness; her eyes glow green when she's under the influence of the demon, and green smoke rolls out under the door of her bedroom. At her most extreme, she morphs into a revolting creature that predates Angela in "Night of the Demons." What's surprising here is that by and large, the special effects (helmed by the famed John Carl Buechler) are very good given the time period. There are some effective levitation sequences, and the monster effects are impressive and practical.
The film also boasts solid cinematography that is at times legitimately nightmarish and recalls Italian horror cinema of the '60s and '70s, and is tied together with a moody score that adds to the ambiance. Where the film falls flat is the writing and acting, which are both mixed bags. Bresee is alternately decent and awful as Susan, but her character is so vacant that it hardly matters. Norman Burton is serviceable as her psychologist, and LaWanda Burton provides short-lived comic relief as the maid who gets the heck out of dodge before becoming demon mincemeat. It seems to me that part of the pitfalls in the performance have to do with the dialogue, which feels stilted many times throughout. Then again, this is an early-'80s monster possession flick, so I'm not sure the bar is to be set quite so high.
Overall, I found "Mausoleum" an effective early-'80s supernatural horror film. Save some lazy writing, there is a lot of fun to be had here, and the movie is chock full with gruesome murder scenes and all sorts of other supernatural (and green-glowing) mayhem. Fans of other "Exorcist"-esque horror such as "Beyond the Door" will have a riot with it, and in some ways it's better. 7/10.
- drownsoda90
- Dec 11, 2018
- Permalink
- happyendingrocks
- Aug 12, 2011
- Permalink
- Woodyanders
- Nov 5, 2008
- Permalink
- BA_Harrison
- Aug 18, 2008
- Permalink
Mausoleum is a strange and somewhat interesting film about demonic possession. The special effects for the gore were exceptional, however, the special effects for other aspects were quite poor and low budget. The acting is fair and the storyline is a little far-fetched but the movie itself is pretty good. The movie has its creepy moments and it has a tendency to keep your interest. This is a fairly good B film and if you get a chance check it out.
- scrotumscraggle69
- Jun 9, 2002
- Permalink
This is a pretty entertaining 80's horror movie and actually a little better than i thought it'd be. Whether it's Susan's beauty or Ms. Elsie's responses to things,this movie will keep you watching. The runtime is a little long and the graphics are pretty bad but hey, it was a low budget movie in the 1980's. Give this a shot if your a true horror fan you might like it.
- G00fhunter
- Sep 4, 2021
- Permalink
The only reason I rented this movie was because it has one of the coolest covers I've ever seen of any movie and the title is cool. But, the cover art of Mausoleum is the best thing about the whole movie. The plot is decent, something about a woman being able to turn into a demon after she is possessed early on in her life inside a mausoleum which housed an evil spirit of some sort she accidentally unleashed, and if the movie had a better script it might have actually been able to be a decent movie since its effects and photography weren't that bad. But its script sucks, and the movie is pervasively boring throughout. And the climax is awful as well, I remember how anxious I was wanting the movie to JUST END, but it kept going on, and on, and on, avoid this movie unless you love shlocky bad boring movies.
- UltimateDarkness
- Mar 8, 2004
- Permalink
Granted I wasn't expecting much from a movie from 1983, especially since it was a movie that I hadn't even heard about, much less knew existed prior to stumbling upon it in 2019. But given the fact that it is a horror movie, then that was sufficient enough to make me pick it up and watch it.
In terms of plotline and story, then "Mausoleum" was less than mediocre. Actually the storyline was so simplistic that it was almost an insult to the audience. I have to admit that I lost interest in the movie very quickly, and the fact that the entire movie seemed to be made up without a proper coherent script as they went along really didn't help much on my enjoyment.
As for the special effects. Sure, the movie was from 1983, but even for that period the special effects in the movie was less than mediocre. It was especially awful watching a still frame with the eyes painted green. That just made no sense that they opted for something that simplistic.
"Mausoleum" is by no means an outstanding or memorable horror movie, and I dozed off once or twice along the way. Can't really claim to have been missing out on anything important to the storyline during my brief moments of snoring.
I have watched it, and take heed, because this was an abysmal movie. There is nothing in this movie that would make me pick it up and watch it a second time, because it was an ordeal in itself getting through it the first time.
In terms of plotline and story, then "Mausoleum" was less than mediocre. Actually the storyline was so simplistic that it was almost an insult to the audience. I have to admit that I lost interest in the movie very quickly, and the fact that the entire movie seemed to be made up without a proper coherent script as they went along really didn't help much on my enjoyment.
As for the special effects. Sure, the movie was from 1983, but even for that period the special effects in the movie was less than mediocre. It was especially awful watching a still frame with the eyes painted green. That just made no sense that they opted for something that simplistic.
"Mausoleum" is by no means an outstanding or memorable horror movie, and I dozed off once or twice along the way. Can't really claim to have been missing out on anything important to the storyline during my brief moments of snoring.
I have watched it, and take heed, because this was an abysmal movie. There is nothing in this movie that would make me pick it up and watch it a second time, because it was an ordeal in itself getting through it the first time.
- paul_haakonsen
- Apr 6, 2019
- Permalink
Bobbie Bresee (the temptress in "Ghoulies") stars here as Susan Walker Farrell, whose family history is colourful, to say the least. It dictates that she will fall victim to demonic possession as an adult, when she is married to concerned nice guy Oliver Farrell (Marjoe Gortner, "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?"). Various people are killed off by her while she is in this demon incarnation, and it will be up to her longtime psychiatrist, Simon Andrews (Norman Burton, "The Gumball Rally"), to do his reading on the Nomed family (the name is a clumsy clue) and find out how to save the day.
The 80s live on in ultra-cheesy spectacles like this one. While hardly a "good" film, that matters little. The truth is, it's a VERY amusing low budget horror / sleaze / schlock film, complete with negligible acting, ropey visual effects, decent gore, a dose of nudity from Ms. Bresee, entertainingly designed creatures (the "demon breasts" are the most original touch), melodramatic music by Jaime Mendoza-Nava, and a fair amount of humour, at least some of which I believe IS intentional. The silly script is credited to Robert Barich (who pulled triple duty; he was also a producer and the cinematographer) and Robert Madero. The film is never more fun than when Ms. Bresee is undergoing her monstrous manifestations. These are always worth hearty laughs.
Marjoe, commendably, looks very serious as the distraught husband. The same goes for the great character actor Burton. Bresee is very sexy, but not much of an actress. Laura Hippe ("The Swinging Barmaids") plays Susan's aunt Cora. Maurice Sherbanee ("Charlie Wilson's War") is the horny, seedy gardener; La Wanda Page of 'Sanford and Son' fame is priceless as the maid who just might be the smartest character in this whole thing. And that's Bill Vail, Kirk from the original "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", as the final incarnation of the demon.
"Mausoleum" is a hoot and a half, a film very much of its time that can barely be considered scary, but is awfully damn entertaining much of the time.
Seven out of 10.
The 80s live on in ultra-cheesy spectacles like this one. While hardly a "good" film, that matters little. The truth is, it's a VERY amusing low budget horror / sleaze / schlock film, complete with negligible acting, ropey visual effects, decent gore, a dose of nudity from Ms. Bresee, entertainingly designed creatures (the "demon breasts" are the most original touch), melodramatic music by Jaime Mendoza-Nava, and a fair amount of humour, at least some of which I believe IS intentional. The silly script is credited to Robert Barich (who pulled triple duty; he was also a producer and the cinematographer) and Robert Madero. The film is never more fun than when Ms. Bresee is undergoing her monstrous manifestations. These are always worth hearty laughs.
Marjoe, commendably, looks very serious as the distraught husband. The same goes for the great character actor Burton. Bresee is very sexy, but not much of an actress. Laura Hippe ("The Swinging Barmaids") plays Susan's aunt Cora. Maurice Sherbanee ("Charlie Wilson's War") is the horny, seedy gardener; La Wanda Page of 'Sanford and Son' fame is priceless as the maid who just might be the smartest character in this whole thing. And that's Bill Vail, Kirk from the original "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", as the final incarnation of the demon.
"Mausoleum" is a hoot and a half, a film very much of its time that can barely be considered scary, but is awfully damn entertaining much of the time.
Seven out of 10.
- Hey_Sweden
- Aug 24, 2019
- Permalink
There are elements of a really fun midnight movie here, like boobs turning into faces, but so much of it is slow moving that it drags it down. That said, the comic relief maid was so off the wall and practically from a different movie that it's worth a watch just for her!
- kevin_robbins
- May 1, 2021
- Permalink
What the hell was this, horror movie or soft-core porno flick? Bobbie Bresee was naked more often than not and either seducing or humping different men. The "demon" make-up was the worst I've ever seen and the acting was just pathetic. This movie should pride itself on being one of the worst films out there.
- Huntress-2
- Mar 23, 1999
- Permalink
I felt at home as soon as the opening credits began, and for the most part, the movie kept me there. Mausoleum was made in 1983 but it feels like it was made in 1978, and that only adds to its appeal. It's really one of the best examples of a film that perfectly abridges the most cherished elements of late 70's horror with early 80's horror in a heavily stylish, free-flowing manner. Apparently the producers managed to lose the highest quality print of the film before it was even released, so the version that's always existed feels like some sort of dub. The film scratches are incredibly apparent through the entire film, and what I am 98% certain is the sound of a reel machine playing the actual print of the film can be heard in nearly every scene. Again, this just adds to the overall aesthetic and expedience.
The film reminded me more of a Lucio Fulci film than anything else. There is one basic plot concept which is laid out in the beginning and then the entire movie floats along through it. Literally the only flaw I found with this film is that it does get quite a bit less interesting as it goes. The second half felt quite a bit slower than the electric first. But it has WAY more strengths than flaws. The Argento-esque lighting is done tastefully and really adds a ton to the movie - it feels born from Argento but actually reminded me even more of contemporary works like those of Nicolas Winding Refn or Panos Cosmatos. There are plentiful sequences of fun gore, practical makeup effects, and over-the-top dialogue delivery. The music is moody and effective. The lead actress carries the movie wonderfully, always amusing with her campy yet dreamlike performance.
This is one of the more underrated horror gems I've seen in a while. This, and Blood Rage, except Blood Rage is straight up so-bad-it's-good while this flick really does offer quite a bit with merit. Definitely recommended for fans of Italian horror or dreamy, stylish films.
The film reminded me more of a Lucio Fulci film than anything else. There is one basic plot concept which is laid out in the beginning and then the entire movie floats along through it. Literally the only flaw I found with this film is that it does get quite a bit less interesting as it goes. The second half felt quite a bit slower than the electric first. But it has WAY more strengths than flaws. The Argento-esque lighting is done tastefully and really adds a ton to the movie - it feels born from Argento but actually reminded me even more of contemporary works like those of Nicolas Winding Refn or Panos Cosmatos. There are plentiful sequences of fun gore, practical makeup effects, and over-the-top dialogue delivery. The music is moody and effective. The lead actress carries the movie wonderfully, always amusing with her campy yet dreamlike performance.
This is one of the more underrated horror gems I've seen in a while. This, and Blood Rage, except Blood Rage is straight up so-bad-it's-good while this flick really does offer quite a bit with merit. Definitely recommended for fans of Italian horror or dreamy, stylish films.
- Stay_away_from_the_Metropol
- Jan 13, 2020
- Permalink
- Dr_Adam_Warlock
- Apr 13, 2020
- Permalink
- dreamsinger-73873
- Oct 7, 2021
- Permalink