Not all horror movies in the 1980s were slasher flicks. Before he scored theatrical hits with Hellraiser and Nightbreed, horror writer Clive Barker (Lord of Illusions) adapted his own short story, Rawhead Rex, into a movie of the same name. The 1986 Irish horror movie saw only a small theatrical release before finding some cult status on VHS shelves. Neither critics nor audiences were particularly impressed with the rubbery monster or supernatural horror. But is Rawhead Rex just cheap-looking bad movie or is it so bad, it’s good?
Synopsis
On a family trip through the Irish countryside, Howard Hallenbeck and his family travel to a rural church to research items of religious significance. Meanwhile a local farmer inadvertently unleashes an ancient demon, Rawhead, that has remained buried and dormant for centuries. However, somewhere in the local church lies hidden the very weapon that the townspeople once used years ago to vanquish the monster. Now the only chance Hallenbeck has to save his family is to find the religious weapon and destroy the monster for good.
Rawhead Rex is Competent … And Not Much Else
Unlike some other 80s turkey horror movies, like Don’t Go In The Woods, Rawhead Rex isn’t an incompetently crafted production. Director George Pavlou knows how to stage basic scenes and keeps things moving along at a decent pace. No one’s going to accuse this mix of fantasy and supernatural horror of being boring. There’s just enough carnage to keep fans of low-fi practical effects satisfied. In fact, one scene at a farmhouse almost approaches feeling a bit scary. And when Pavlou films the title creature from a distance or uses quick cuts, it doesn’t look quite as awful.
…the creature effects for ‘Rawhead’ are just absolutely terrible – it’s clearly a rubber mask used for the face.
Unfortunately, basic technical competence isn’t enough to give this 80s horror movie a pass. First and foremost, the creature effects for ‘Rawhead’ are just absolutely terrible – it’s clearly a rubber mask used for the face. For some reason, Pavlou never shies away from putting the rubber-faced monster on the screen even in plain daylight. There’s also plenty of questionable gaps in logic such as when a teen girl doesn’t realize she’s only holding the severed hand of a her boyfriend. Moreover, Rawhead Rex lacks anything resembling atmosphere, tension or basic scares.
Rawhead Rex is an Aimless Movie That Benefits From its Own Stupidity
As much as it pains to say it, Pavlou’s direction and poor special effects aren’t the only problem here. Clive Barker is a master horror novelist, but his own adaptation of his short story leaves much to be desired. Simply put, Rawhead Rex feels like an aimless, generic monster movie. What is ‘Rawhead’? And what does the monster want? Barker’s screenplay leaves a lot of interesting ideas around religion and horror on the table. Instead, Pavlou and Barker give us a monster that seems to randomly kill anyone it stumbles across over its 89 minutes. Before its climax, there’s one surprise death that could have added a bit of a nasty edge. Too bad it’s follow shortly afterward where the monster urinates on a worshipper in some bizarre ritual.
Barker’s screenplay leaves a lot of interesting ideas around religion and horror on the table.
Ultimately, that golden shower scene sets the overall tone for this 80s horror movie. For horror fans who can let their brain go and indulge in some unintentional laughs, Rawhead Rex sort of becomes unintentionally funny. Ronan Wilmot’s performance as ‘Declan O’Brien’ stays in tune with the rest of the movie, becoming increasing unhinged in exactly the kind of way you expect from a cult movie. If only the rest of the cast had gotten the same memo. Though character actor David Dukes is passable as ‘Howard Hallenbeck’, the rest of the cast varies from wooden to tone deaf.
Rawhead Rex a Cheesy Turkey for Lovers of Bad Movies
Let’s be honest, Rawhead Rex hasn’t aged poorly – it looked bad all the way back in 1986. Quick shots of the title monster aren’t terrible, but Pavlou doesn’t restrain himself from putting the rubber-faced demon on screen in plain sight. If that’s not enough to elicit unintentional laughter, the golden shower scene ensures this one’s an absolute turkey. Aimless storytelling, hammy performances, and laughable gaps in logic abound from the opening credits to the last unnecessary attempt at a jump scare. At least Rawhead Rex is never dull and might even pass for stupid fun if you’re in the right mindset.