Fatal Pulse (1988)

   
Produced & Directed by: Anthony J. Christopher

Written by: James Hundhausen

Starring:

Michelle McCormick .... Lisa
Ken Roberts .... Jeff
Joe Estevez .... Ernie
Alex Courtney .... Professor Caldwell
Steven Henry .... Brad
Blair Karsch .... Mark
Skylar Nicholas .... Carol
Maureen O'Hanlon .... Sheila
Cindra Hodgdon .... Cassie
Roxanne Kernohan .... Ann
Kristie Mucciante .... Karen

Release Date: Direct-to-Video: March 12, 1988 (Japan)

 
Rating:

 

At a sorority house a popular guy named Jeff (Ken Roberts) has broken up with his girlfriend Stephanie (Kitty) and later was raped and murdered by a killer in black gloves.
Later on everyone thinks that Jeff is a suspect for this as more of the coeds are murdered in various nude ways.
Some think it is the caretaker named Ernie (Joe Estevez) who seems to enjoy watching them.
A former friend of Jeff's named Brad (Steven Henry) seems to be jealous that his ex-girlfriend Lisa (Michelle McCormick) is now dating Jeff so he tries to find any way of framing him for these killings on the coeds.
Lisa is slowly thinking that Jeff is a possibility as she lived with these five coeds who were murdered in strange and perverted ways and will she be the next victim?

 

An interesting shot on a sorority girl near a doorway and then a gloved hand grabbing her neck and dragging her to a bed strangling her even if it looks a bit obvious.
There's a corny discussion with Brad coming up to both Lisa and Jeff acting aggressive which looked roughly done.
There's a very weak moment with a discussion between
Ann talking to Lisa as her crying looks very unbelieveable.
We spot a good shot on some gloved hands picking up a record and then slitting Ann's neck which was an original moment for a slasher film but yet the situation really lacks when she slowly dies.
There's a good dark shot on Ernie up in an attic acting disturbed and bothered cringing in a corner which leaves a good impression that he's a suspect on the killings.
There's an interesting moment with Jeff coming up to Ernie and arguing with him.
We spot a good conversation between Lisa and Carol near a window sill having an emotional discussion.
There's a good camera shot on Cassie taking a bath as it looked silent with a gloved hand grabbing her neck and breaking the silence with great shots on her screaming and splashing around.
There's a good shot on the gloved hands with some scissors approaching Carol and cutting off her top while she is tied standing up near a bed and getting electrocuted.
We spot some aggressive conversations between Brad and Jeff but it looks very obvious. However, we do spot a good shot on Brad pointing a gun at him with some insane expressions. There's some cheesy camera shots on a brawl between them too.
We have some good shots on Brad getting beat up by vigilante's acting brutal and nasty towards him.
More good shots on Lisa trying to run away from Professor Caldwell while he's on her tail near a basement area of the sorority house and some fairly decent struggling moments too which also involves Brad.
Bottom line is that this was a badly made slasher film as the writer tried to make the odd killings original but really it was lame and the film didn't seem to carry a budget for gore effects either. It is fun to watch if you're in the mood for it and made on a bigger budget than let's say Sorority House Massacre but otherwise you might want to skip this one.
It seems like more a murder mytery in the beginning but yet afterwards you knew the makers were making a horror flick as it had bad writing and plenty of skin since the film wasn't scary enough and the killings with the gloved hands looked very obvious too. However in todays cheaply made slasher films, the makers have a much weaker budget making movies like this sadly as they pull out their camcorder and decide to make an indie film.

The acting is pretty bad for the most part but it's due to some bad writing too. Michelle McCormick (Lisa) seemed a little low on energy during many of her scene's in the film and was awful acting emotional too. She basically had the healthy girl next door looks that carried her part in the film. In a scene she does well with her aggressive and cold words towardsher fellow actor by accusing him of the murders.
Ken Roberts
(Jeff) was very average in his part as a guy next door who's a possible suspect and wasn't convinced that he could carry a character for what he had to do and barely had the right looks to top it all off.
Joe Estevez
(Ernie) tried his best with what he had to do but again he didn't save the film very much with his gruff speaking but knew how to act disturbed in which you wonder if he is the killer in the film. He's done work better than this. In a certain scene he has
a growly voice to him. This looked cheesy at the same time and low on energy.
Alex Courtney
(Professor Caldwell) is probably the best actor in this film even if his role wasn't that big and really knew how to sound icy with his speaking as well as showing disburbed actions and non facial expression like when he does something.
There's a good approach with him by standing near a light in the dark outdoors staring at the sorority house and acting strange with his words.
Steven Henry
(Brad) really tried to hard playing a bad ass type in the film as he forced his aggressions way too much and sadly I can't see him going places except for just his looks and no talent. Does well with his icy words on telling someone on a murder that has just happened in a certain scene.
Blair Karsch
(Mark) seemed to pull off a witty role as an airhead in the film who is fascinated by cartoon characters but at times he was annoying too. Still he was a bit of an interesting character nonetheless.

A woman is barebreasted dead on her bed
Another one takes off her top fully breasted while about to change into another shirt
There's a bathtub scene with a full shot of a woman sitting in the water
A killer clips off a woman's shirt exposing her breasts before killing her
The killer lifts up a woman's top to show her boobs while about to throw her out the window of a building.

A woman is slit in the throat by a sharp record
A woman is a bit bloodied after thrown out of a building window.

There's some annoying high pitched synthesizer music but we also have the deep tone's too which sounds effective. We also have the odd pounding synth music which almost sounds similar to a Night of the Living Dead type of fell to the film but in a cheesy way for the creepy moments.