The Club (1994) User Reviews (21)

Inexplicable Canadian horror

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 2 October 2017]

THE CLUB is a low rent Canadian horror film that didn't make much sense to me as a viewer. The story involves a bunch of students on prom might who become trapped in a large building and are pursued by villains with supernatural powers. The film has no back story and the emphasis is very much on the stylistics of the piece, with a lot of blue-filter night sequences and the usual dated '90s trappings.

The characterisation is next to nil and it's one of those films where the main characters are reactive rather than proactive, never doing much to extricate themselves from their situation. The acting is pretty bland, aside from the reliably kooky Kim Coates - ever a mainstay of B-cinema - but there are some gory moments to take your mind off the inanity of it all.

YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM YOUR SELF

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 11 June 2019]

A senior prom is being held in a castle. At midnight everyone disappears except for a hand full of students who must fend off a psychopathic serial killer (Kim Coates) and a shape shifting demon (J.H. Wyman). The students must face their own fears to survive. Wymen provided us with a demon with personality, capitalizing on the success of the "Freddy" franchise.

The film was okay. It is dated to the 90's and has lost its cool appeal. Now available on an 8 film mutti-pack.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, minor nudity (Kelli Taylor)

It needed more Matthew Ferguson

[Grand · 5/10 · 6 September 1999]

He was the the reason I spent a very long time trying to track down a tape of this Wyrd little film. My vote definitely would have been higher if there had been more Ferguson it it. Other than that, I found the film a mixed bag -- some unexpected twists and some ho-hum predictable scenes. It certainly deserves a look-see from any horror film afficiando, at least. .

A surprisingly underrated unknown gem, that's somewhat creepy and very unique, with a good story, and good performances

[callanvass · 27 May 2006]

This is a surprisingly underrated unknown gem, that's somewhat creepy and very unique, with a good story, and good performances!. All the characters are wicked, and the special effects are surprisingly solid as well, plus it has a few decent gory scenes. For a very low budget Direct to video Horror film, this is as good as it gets, and I was lucky enough to find this at a pawn shop for just over 1$! on VHS, plus I especially liked the ending, as it made me grin a little bit. J.H. Wyman is absolutely wonderful in his role he was so funny, and Hammed it up incredibly, and I absolutely loved it, plus I especially loved the setting as it was quite creepy. I loved the torture sequences, and the finale is very exciting, plus with an unknown cast they performed pretty damn good in my opinion. Some if it is a bit cheesy but in a good way, and as I said the special effects really surprised me, plus I especially loved the bathroom scene where Kim Coates(Mr. carver) beats the holy hell out of J.H. Wyman(Rotman in the bathroom s that was quite a harsh and memorable scene. This is a surprisingly underrated unknown gem, that's somewhat creepy and very unique, with a good story, and good performances, I highly recommend this one!. The Direction is great!. Brenton Spencer does a great! job here with awesome camera work, wicked angles, using a great creepy setting and keeping the film at a very fast pace. The Acting is surprisingly quite good. J.H. Wyman is brilliant here he hammed it up big time and I absolutely loved it, he was so entertaining and unpredictable, I loved his performance, he was one of the main reasons I enjoyed this film so much. Kim Coates is great as the other villain Mr. Carver he was just so vicious and mean, and was really quite menacing, this guy didn't mess around, I really dug him. Andrea Roth is very cute and does fine as the female lead I really liked her, she also had very good chemistry with Rino Romano(Evan). Rino Roman is also very good as the male lead he was very likable and made a solid hero. Zack Ward is very effective as the cocky asshole with a temper, and did his job well. Kelli Taylor is OK in her role and did what she had to do adequately. Rest of the cast are fine. Overall I highly recommend this one!. ***1/2 out of 5

The Worst movie of ALL time

[niteboon-2 · 1/10 · 29 July 2006]

I remember watching this film 10 years ago. It stuck in my memory as the most arduous task of my life. Along with 6 friends we watched a trio of movies rented for the evening.

Not one ounce of pop corn or chips were eaten in this whole time as we all stared pointlessly at the film in its whole entirety.

Some of us tried to sleep but they were slapped and whipped so they could not escape from the torture we all were to endure! Everything bad written about any movie should be applied here, I'm sure at some point it would be justified.

Shame on you... shame

I've always loved this little diabolical club...

[Vomitron_G · 6/10 · 4 June 2009]

Damned be nostalgia. Once again, it has gotten me into a spot of defending a movie I (still) like, while it's not exactly a superb film. I saw THE CLUB back in 1994 on a horror film festival. I remember enjoying it quite a bit. Years went by and while my memories of this film became a bit vague, I never really forgot about it. With my love for horror having rekindled in recent years, the urge grew to re-watch this Canadian genre film. I took a bit of effort and a bit of luck to finally track down a copy of it, but I got one. I was literally holding my breath when I popped in the tape (that same day I received it). Maybe this movie would suck, after all those years, not being half the fun I remembered it to be?

Relief. It doesn't suck and it's still fun. But you'll have to be a bit forgiving. And for a horror fan, that's usually not a hard thing to do. THE CLUB basically is an amalgam of good ideas, fun special effects, atmosphere, a healthy dosage of enthusiasm from cast and crew and the use of a great Gothic castle location. Obviously, it's not a horror film to be taken too seriously. But I'll admit, the execution of the film leaves things to be desired. Plus, the movie has a good & fun concept to boot, but lacks a decent story and feels under-developed. It's a simple set-up: There's a school dance in a remote castle. When midnight comes around, a small group of friends suddenly find themselves in a surreal situation. All other students have disappeared, and while they're wandering through the castle alone, trying to figure out what happened to them, they'll soon become the target of nightmarish manifestations.

If you had fun with movies like NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 1 & 3, SPOOKIES, and maybe especially even Ken Russel's 'GOTHIC', then go ahead and give THE CLUB a try. It's a similar film, only with a more 90's look & feel. Back in '94 I didn't realize it, but THE CLUB stars a young Andrea Roth in it. I only "discovered" this blonde Canadian cutie about four years later, when I saw her alongside Rutger Hauer in CROSSWROLDS. Recently I saw John Fawcett's LAST EXIT, and was again surprised about how decent an actress she is (and a mature woman she came to be).

Horror-ible!

[andy-1468 · 10/10 · 12 October 2006]

I had the pleasure of working on this dog of a movie. I was one of the talent(?) drivers (really just drove around Toronto in the middle of the night buying cigarettes for the grips). Kim Cotes was a nice guy as was Joel Wyner. He actually replaced the legendary Corey Haim who was fired because the producers thought he was a screw-up and on drugs. He seemed okay to me. I think he was pretty sober at that point. We shot a few days with Haim before they booted him.

I remember the producers during the shoot talking about all these fantastic morphing effects they were going to add in post that would really make the movie stand out. I think they spent about $1.98 on effects.

Robbie Cooper (as he was known at York University) went on to write other stuff and created the Stargate TV franchise.

You can always change your mind

[Cemetarygirl · 6/10 · 14 February 2007]

I guess it must be me again as I can't understand why people do not like this film. Granted the budget is not very big but the premise is good and the acting is okay and the story is alright and I love the Goth location and even some of the camera work. So why don't people like it, not enough actors, not gory enough? not 'big' enough? I found 'John' to be a great demon, goading people and putting doubts into their mind. Feeding them on feelings of inadequacy. I loved his style a mix of Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice and a touch of Christian Slater. Making his comedic demon both attractive and grotesque in the same breath. It's a pity that the 'geek' didn't get a chance be brave and overcome his desire to suicide, as I think that would have been a nice touch. Some may have been a little confused about the lack of continuity but that was part of the time out of time idea. And even though this was set in 1993 I feel that it does stand the test of time. It may not be everyones taste in horror viewing and so you may not agree. You can probably pick it up as a weekly now and so watch it. You can always throw the popcorn and boo at me instead. Cheers Furdion

The Club is Cool

[DAAR-2 · 13 February 1999]

This movie is pretty good, even though it has a Backstreet Boy look alike in it. A bunch of kids go to an old house, and meet this freaky kid with greasy hair who yells a lot (but is funny). The special effects aren't good, but watching the people die will make you pee your pants (I DID!)

poor poor forgotten film...

[Spirit-o-moonflower · 7/10 · 29 September 2005]

Despite what the ONLY other person who commented on this film said, I actually really enjoyed this movie. My best friend and I must have watched it about ten times! We would always rent a film on the weekend (or two), and if we couldn't find anything else to watch, we would rent this one. Okay, so the special effects were a little silly looking (it was made in 1994 and very low budget!), and the acting could have been better, but all in all, the story was pretty good, and it made you wonder...However, this has now possibly become one of the hardest movies to get your hands on (believe me, I've been trying!!), so my review may never help out anyone, because I can't imagine many people even know about this movie, unless they are a Kim Coates or Matthew Ferguson fan! Please, if you get your hands on this movie, sit down, turn the lights low, and enjoy it, it's okay to laugh a little at it, it's a B-movie after all! What's the fun in watching a B-movie if you can't laugh at it! I'm not going to give the story away, just in case any actually does see it, but the premise is, a group of friends/lovers are celebrating their prom in a spooky old mansion/castle, and then, it's like time stops, and every one disappears, except for this group of friends...and a mysterious teacher (councelor?) with mischief on his mind...and one other kid that no one seems to know. Basically the kids get 'enrolled' into the Club (ah-ha, remember the name of the movie?), and the movie follows the kids as they all are initiated in different, and sometimes gruesome ways. I especially liked Matthew Ferguson's (Darren's) initiation...Well, there you have it. A positive review and a negative one...You decide!

The best Canadian film ever & a top 5 horror movie. I love it!

[midnight_wanderer · 10/10 · 25 October 2000]

I really can't explain why I like movies like this but it's just the setting & darkness of the setting. I just like certain dark & evil things. Night of the Demons is very closely related to The Club I think because of it's dark setting. Anyhow I just don't think it could have been done any better. Its perfect! I also loved House On Haunted Hill [1999].

Entertaining horror/comedy movie

[grubertm · 7/10 · 19 January 2001]

Excellent interior setting ("Casa Loma" in Toronto- just like X-Men..), funny characters, acceptable acting and a typical campfire plot make this an enjoyable horror/comedy movie. As someone who usually does not like horror movies I very much liked this film- especially since the amount of gore is limited. Even though the plot is mostly predictable there still are some surprising twists and turns. Add to this some black humor (thankfully only very little slapstick acting..) and you get an entertaining not-too-much-horror horror movie.

A great movie on a tight budget.

[ulrichburke · 4 December 2007]

I wish I could see it online so I could remember more about it. I loved the clever philosophy all the way through. If there was a big-budget remake - and there deserves to be one - the baddie would be a gimme for Jack Nicholson. The atmosphere was good, the special effects were great and very cleverly used to create shocks. Every plot twist was well thought out and all the way through you're wondering what 'The Club' actually is.

And then, slowly, you realise......!! Find the film and realise for yourself - I'm not going to spoil it for you. Forget the first comment about it, that guy didn't 'get' it. I've seen it about 4 times, it's worth it.

Not Awful

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 13 October 2015]

Time stops at midnight at the Senior Prom for five students, one murderous counselor, and John. They must find the courage to face themselves or, when time starts again, they may find that they are joining John's Club.

This is apparently not a well-known movie. IMDb does not even have a poster image for it (as of October 2015). Which is just as well, I suppose, because the image that Netflix uses is not that great and almost scared me off giving it a chance.

We have some nice performances, including one from Zack Ward before he really hit it big. That alone makes it worth watching. But then add in Kim Coates and a few others... this is a very nostalgic sort of film, like a mid-1990s film trying to capture the sort of feeling that the 1980s had with movies like "Waxwork".

Good movie

[kasey8473 · 8/10 · 10 December 2012]

I was pleased to find this title very recently added to Netflix streaming. I've been trying to remember the name of it for years & stumbled on it again. It's a movie that doesn't take itself very seriously & I think it has held up rather well. I consider it a must-see for people who like horror with a touch of comedy at various points in the plot. Don't get me wrong, it's not a laugh a minute, but there are touches of humor throughout the story. The subject matter for the interwoven character stories isn't light either. All in all, I find watching this movie to be a satisfactory way to spend a weekend afternoon.

In my opinion, the character of John is the highlight of the film. I understand the actor is now both a writer, producer, & director. I may have to check out his work as a director!

The idea of this movie was great!

[jadesdestiny_77 · 10/10 · 14 June 2006]

I saw this movie several years ago and it has always been one of my favorites. Just the whole aspect of time stopping time and having to choose which path you want to take. To see what kind of person you really are compared to the person you thought you were. Maybe some things could've been done differently, but the whole concept of the movie was great!!! Makes you wonder which side you would really be on. I also thought the for the most part the characters were great. You had the preppy, the popular, the nerd, the jock and seeing how their personal demons helped them choose which path to take. My only problem with this movie is not being able to find it. I have talked about it several times and no matter what movie store I go to, I can't find it to rent. I haven't even been able to find it to buy.

the club

[ceriauna · 10/10 · 14 June 2006]

I have no idea why this film and me get along but it's one of my favorites. I love the storyline. It's unique and has a powerful underlying moral factor. Basic storyline is focused around 2 couples and a completely physco school counselor. At senior prom the clock stops entrapping them in an alternate reality. They have to learn to face their fears or they will never get out. This movie deals with peer pressure sex and rape. This is the movie I had to stop and rewind the credits. I couldn't believe that little "Moody" grew up so gorgeous. I have a thing for red heads and Zach Ward is one of those that I would watch in anything. Great movie Great cast!

* * out of 4.

[brandonsites1981 · 4 June 2002]

Group of teenagers fall victim to the devil on Prom Night. He freezes time at midnight and gives the teens the chance to either kill themselves, be killed, or he simply lets them act out crimes they would normally commit. Sometimes incoherent flick, is original and better done then you would expect. The special effects are rather well done and creative and the cast has appeal.

Rated R; Nudity, Graphic Violence, Profanity, and Sexual Situations.

A Fun "B" Movie

[zagethe · 10/10 · 7 March 2005]

This is one of those low-budget, where did it come from, movies that you find on the back shelf of the video store. While it is not a "gorefest" horror movie (I like those too) it is a "trippy" little movie about a group of high school kids that must learn to face their fears. The acting is uneven at times but most of the cast does a fair job. Joel Wyner (as John) does a good job of being menacing though I'm not sure why he morphs into a jester during the middle of the film. I think his character would have played better "playing it straight". Kim Coates (as Carver) plays creepy very well (as always) and I just liked the whole idea that the demons don't actually do any of the killing they just manipulate their victims into murder or suicide. Great it ain't, but I think its a fun little horror movie that's worth the popcorn.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB

Simply Awesome!

[daryldemarco-752-177177 · 10/10 · 16 July 2020]

This film has it all! everything that you would want from a b movie horror.... epic villains, hapless teens, it's eerie and mystical. Ok so it's not perfect but it's something awesome and 20 years later i still enjoyed watching it as much as i did when i saw it first! Oh and I've always believed J.H Wyman is serious underrated! Wish he was in more films the industry needs more like him!

Interesting oddball horror item

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 29 August 2013]

A group of teenagers find themselves trapped in an enormous castle on prom night. The teens discover that there is no way out and try to figure out exactly why they are stuck in the place. Director Brenton Spencer relates the fascinatingly quirky premise at a hypnotically gradual pace, does a masterful job of creating a supremely creepy and surreal anything-can-happen nightmarish atmosphere, makes excellent use of the opulent location, and maintains an intriguing aura of mystery throughout. Robert C. Cooper's offbeat and inventive script keeps the viewer guessing for the most part about what's really going on and comes complete with a strong central moral message. Joel Wyner brings an inspired and energetic element of lip-smacking warped lunacy as sarcastic smartaleck demonic minion John Rutman. Kim Coates likewise hits it out of the ballpark with his extremely intense and scary portrayal of mean and menacing high school guidance counselor Mr. Carver. Moreover, there are solid contributions from Andrea Roth as the sweet and vulnerable Amy, Rino Romano as nice guy Evan, Zack Ward as impotent brute Kyle, Kelli Taylor as Kyle's fed-up girlfriend Laura, and Paul Popwich as the nerdy Greg. The brooding score by Paul Zaza and Peter Breiner further enhances the ominous and enigmatic mood. Curtis Petersen's slick cinematography makes nifty occasional use of stylized slow motion and offers a wealth of startling grotesque images. Recommended viewing for fans of bizarre fright fare.