Director: Joe Dante
Starring: Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Corey Feldman, Bruce Dern, Rick Ducommun, Henry Gibson
31 Days of Horror continues with this review by Rob Nijman. Send me your horror reviews.
An overstressed suburbanite and his paramilitaric neighbour struggle to prove their paranoid theory that the new family in town is a front for a cannibalistic cult.
(Because why would you try and find a proper introductory quote when the movie’s synopsis is this awesome..)
For those movie doting people that prefer to shy away from the horror genre, there’s this great invention called “comedy”, which is sometimes implemented into “horror” movies in order to make them more “entertaining” and generally more “accessible” (*imagine annoying gestures with the index and middle finger of both hands for dramatic effect) for the faint of heart. Or, you know, people with “good taste”. As cannot be stressed enough, the eighties excelled in mixing these two genres, spawning such classics as Gremlins, Maximum Overdrive and The Lost Boys. In other words, the eighties gave a guy like me something to do in a month that celebrates a genre otherwise snobbishly passed over without good reason. So in trying to add another one of those contemporary gems to LFF’s 31 Days of Horror, I knew I had to come up with a picture that either employed comedy rich enough to be deserving of the genre label, or starred Corey Feldman. Or, better yet, both. Just falling short at failing to do so, I came up with The ‘Burbs and hit the trifecta, as it also features the genius that directed him in Gremlins: Joe Dante.
Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) has a minor case of burn-out and decides to take the week off. He and his wife Carol (Carrie Fisher) are discussing this short hiatus over breakfast (notice the Gremlins cereal box!), as she wants to go to the cabin at the lake, but he prefers to stay in. Little did he know however, he choose the wrong week to find his peace at home. As it happens, in the suburban quarters of Mayfield Place, neighbourhood paranoia (basically the storyline’s cornerstone) is at an all-time high. These people don’t look at each other – they stare, squint and wonder what the other one (or worse: their dog) is possibly thinking, or maybe even planning. Especially with respect to the Klopeks, the new guys on the block whom everyone has yet to meet. But in a world where Forrest Gump is married to Princess Leia, who wouldn’t be paranoid? Feldman’s character Ricky even makes a habit out of inviting friends or dates over to sit on the porch, eat popcorn and enjoy the surrounding extravaganza that is his neighbours’ mutual distrust, and the sneaking around it instigates.
Their internal feuds and differences are quickly brushed aside though, as the plethora of random characters (e.g. Rick Ducommun as the goofy Art who sees a conspiracy in everything, or a maniacal Bruce Dern as a retired paramilitary lieutenant) team up against their common enemy, the Klopeks. It’s here where xenophobia enters the mix of plot-related themes. The fact that one of the guys finds out the previous Klopek residence burned to the ground under rather suspicious circumstances, doesn’t really help a situation that is about to get out of hand rather fast. Especially considering their new neighbours have been living their for about a month now, without ever leaving the house or receiving any deliveries (‘what do you think they eat, huh?’), and no-one has seen them. Except Ray’s son, who spotted them digging around in the back yard..
Time for Ray and Art to take a little reconnaissance trip then. As they walk up to the steps of the Klopeks, Dante goes all spaghetti western with his camera, close-upping on the bystanders faces one after the other, and there’s even a hint of a Man With An Harmonica playing, well, harmonica. No-one answers the doorbell though, so it’s back to scouting in the bushes – as you do. They’re awfully sure of their hysterical case against the Klopeks when one of them does come out at night though, driving his car from the garage to the sidewalk only to dump his garbage in the cans on the stoop, and then starts persistently and incessantly bashing it with a stick. On the very same night the old guy down the street disappears, leaving behind no more than a hint of his presence, and a scruffy version of his otherwise well-groomed poodle. Cue ominous organ music..
‘I’ve never seen that. I’ve never seen anybody drive their garbage down to the street and bang the hell out of it with a stick. I-I’ve never seen that.’
The build-up goes on for a bit, slowly but surely sending everyone to a hyper-tensioned brink of insanity. What, if anything, will they uncover, and who will come out of this mess with all his marbles intact – if that’s even possible. When you start shouting hysterically that you need to get to the religious supply store and stock up on gallons of holy water and big strings of garlic, it may very well be too late for you, my friend. In the end, it’s hard to say what makes The ‘Burbs work (if you do in fact think it works at all). Because much of the production is quite shoddy. The music and camera movements range from slightly over the top to full-on psycho to match the actors’ efforts – which goes for both the mentally unstable suburbanites and their intriguing intruders, led by the joyfully eerie Henry Gibson as head of the Klopek household. And the plot doesn’t stop at just being ridiculous either. It’s probably the absurdity of it all then. Whenever you think these people cannot possibly get any stupider when it comes to acting on their xenophobic suspicions, they do just that. Army dude on his roof. Goofy dupe being all ninja. Rational Ray slowly losing it (‘it’s not them, it’s us!’). And still no evidence of what’s actually going on. Is there an actual message, or lesson to be learned? As far as we know, there might either be actual gremlins in the Klopek basement (as they also have a sled called Rosebud in there), or it’s all a bit of the suburban imagination run amuck. You have to find out for yourselves though, spoiler-wise. And when you do, you might first want to find your DeLorean, flux capacitate it to 88 and travel to ’89, because if this movie is indeed to work, it might only be then and there. Which is probably a good thing; the eighties as a museum or showcase for some of Dante’s more ingenious works of art. Also, it’s here where he finally comes to terms with the zone of influence surrounding The Feldman, as the director gave him the movie’s last lines (‘God, I love this street..’). Uttered straight into the camera, Corey Feldman is probably the only actor to consistently play himself and still overact – with considerable gusto.
Halloween-related note: the movie set, which was also part of Gremlins’ Kingston Falls (can you say ‘full circle’?), is now Desperate Housewives’ Wisteria Lane, with many a house – or basement – unchanged.. (cue more ominous organ music).
