No Budget Theater: Rawhead Rex

He’s Pure Evil. Pure Power. Pure Terror. Pure Rubber.
Both of my readers out there will recognize this title as one of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood, which is one of his earlier films based on his graphic novel story of the same name (in Books of Blood III, I believe). Clive Barker has had a hit or miss record regarding his book-to-film stories. Other gems worthy of review will soon follow after his breakthrough Hellraiser. We’ll tackle Nightbreed later.



Nutshell: An 80s version of the 50s monster movie. In the Irish countryside, a farmer moves an ancient stone that happens to be keeping a horrible demon at bay. Meet Rawhead Rex, a nasty, rubbery-faced, mouth full of fangs who terrorizes the local village. Rawhead pisses off the wrong American tourists who obtain the magic plot device from the evil priest and use it (along with a magic light show) to defeat the beast.

Delcan O’Brien: "He was here before Christ, before civilization. He was king here!
Rawhead, that’s what they called him! RAWHEAD!"



Things I’ve Learned from this Movie:
Rawhead hates recreational vehicles!
Pagan monsters were really, really pissed!
If you find a phallic stone in your potato field, leave it alone and plant around it!
If you get attacked by a horrible monster, head to your local church and pay attention to the stained glass portrayal on how exactly to beat it.

Good
Great atmosphere and nice change-up from typical 80s slashers
The “couple running through the woods” scene
The church being the conduit for pagan power
The evil priest
Deviation from 80s horror formula

Bad
The Plot: just a modernized 50s monster movie
The Acting
The Special Effects

Fugly
The magic stone plot device, the goofy lightshow, and the fact that its spelled out in stained glass on just how to beat this demon.
The Urination Baptism
The rubber hand
Rawhead grabs a girl through the window and rips her dress clean off in one swoop
Glowing Red Eyes
Rawhead’s mullet

Last Modified: 12/2008

Authors: Clockworkcanary, Scarboroughchic, & Zombies_Ate_My_Neighbor