Berserker (1987)

   

Written & Directed by: Jefferson Richard

Starring:


.... Mike
Greg Dawson .... Josh
Valerie Sheldon .... Kathy
.... Kristi
.... Shelly Berserker
.... Larry
.... Officer Hill
George 'Buck' Flower .... Pappy Nyquist


Release Date:
Direct-to-Video: July, 1987

 

Rating:

 

Six teenagers go camping into the deep dark woods as they run into a maniac dressed in a grizzy bear suit slaying them off one by one.

 

The film tries to show a prologue but really you can't tell on what is going on but we have opening credits with a bear growling in between as this looked a little lame to watch.
Then we have an elderly couple wandering in the deep dark woods and realising that they're lost with their emotions and upsetting fears which looked so wooden and lame to watch none of this was believeable as this was supposed to have been a target for the killer to do them in. When watching all of this I knew I was in for a really bad flick.
Then we have the teens getting ready to go on their camping trip discussing stuff like bringing weed which is of course typical for a horror camp flick but this looked incredibly stale by how this was all put together like they were all forced to have conversations with one another.
TRhen there's a situation with them being pulled over and questioned by Officer Hill as this lacked big time and made things look terribly slow in which it was supposed to make you cringe that they were nearly caught in the act for drinking under age. This fails big time though.
Then they are stopped by Pappy Nyquist the campcaretaker as Larry tries to talk to him and he's closed minded but others talk to him and shows a different side this time as this looked terribly cheesy and corny to watch all of this unravelling. Really looked rather lame as it tried too hard to look funny.
Then the gang of friends have fun at the area as the scene tries to make you want to join in on the excitement but this fails in order to do so as things looked way too obvious.
Things looked still when a campfire tale with Josh reading a book on the legend of that place which was supposed to draw you in a bit but yet doesn't do the trick at all.
However we have a nicely focused conversation between Hill and Pappy out on the front porch as well as a creepy misty shot on the wooded area like something creepy is stalking the night. This looked cheesily impressive.
Interesting moments when Kristi is almost lost in the deep dark woods which gives you a sinking feeling that she will be slayed but due to the lack of the budget it's hard to see anything.
Interesting timing when Mike gets it on with his girlfriend Shelly and suddenly Kristi is having her face slashed with close up shots on her at the same time since this looked not too shabby.
We have a real time waster with the gang of friends ending up being lost in the deep dark woods and trying to find their way back as well as them spotting dead bodies along the way which this doesn't look amusing for any kind of horror fan and terribly stupid.
We then spot the killer wearing a bear suit that looked like a lame outfit being revealed with the surviving teens as well as this maniac battling against a grizzly which looked very dumb to watch and not intense enough as it was intended to be.
What's even more slow is when everyone tells Hill to shoot the person in the uniform and is hesitant at first but this looked overly long and badly written like the rest of this clunker.
Bottom line is that this film was so bad and nearly plotless as well as not making any sense as to why this is all happening but it's based on a book as to what took place at the camp site. Still not a good excuse in my opinion. I'm convinced whoever made this film was on some serious acid. It almost seemed like a ripoff to Grizzly at first but it's much worst than that. It's a ripoff in itself. Made on a bad grindhouse type of budget and is hard to watch the night time sequences.

The acting is quite terrible I must admit as Joseph Alan Johnson (Mike) played the guy next door type but was forceful in his words and aggressions. At times he seemed quite smooth with what he was talking about but not passable enough to be considered a character actor in this one. His crying in a scene was terribly over the top. But it's hard to make a moment like that seeming believeable.
Greg Dawson
(Josh) seemed quite annoying in his hyped up and bubbly behavior as he needed some lessons to make alot of that more convincing. However he seemed to come across nicely as someone who's clever and knowing on what he is talking about. Shows some okay energy within that moment I must admit.
Valerie Sheldon (Kathy) wasn't too shabby as someone who's level headed in which she is clear within her speaking. Shows a nice alerted type of attitude by what is going on and seemed to do okay with how she portrayed her role. She wasn't the greatest but better than most of the cast members that were mentioned here so far. Her screaming however was quite off and not believeable.
(Kristi) had the believable looks for a role in a horror film which is a plus for any viewers who like to see these types. She isn't too bad with her performance as well as acting nervous when going into the woods and wondering if she is lost. Seemed to do okay freaking out when she is attacked but needed a bit more inspiration at the same time.
(Larry) shows off his cocky and macho attitude but is he believeable? Not really and very mediocre. He is stiff and slow delivering his lines like the rest of the cast mentioned here. Had the right looks and appeal to his role and grabs your attention by what he does here so he offered something.
(Officer Hill) had the right middle aged looks to play a lawman and offered the right seriousness for what he had to do here. But however was quite stale by delivering his lines as he didn't seem to be into his role at all. The story was bad but he could've added some more to this as he was awfully wooden and dull with everything that he did here.
Fringe celebrity the late George 'Buck' Flower (Pappy Nyquist) I'd have to say was the best out of the whole cast by what he did here and had a real effective supporting role. Pulls off a foreign accent which seemes to look better doing a live theatre performance as it doesn't shine off extremely well onto the camera. Yet offers a nice charm to his personality at the same time. Also does well with his expressions or being well alert to stuff. May he rest in piece and always be remembered for his character roles.

is fully breasted when fornicating in a scene as well as later on having her vagina and butt briefly exposed as well.

Lots of bloody claw slayings on the faces and other body areas.

The composing done by both Chuck Francour and Gary Griffin is bloody terrible in which we mainly hear some deep rumbling sounds throughout most of the storyline which got on my nerves as well as some rusty high pitched noises and windy sounds here and there which wasn't much better. Sounds totally amateurish and typical Z-grade.