Evil Laugh

Obscure but enjoyable slasher with great audio commentary by The Hysteria Continues

Evil Laugh is a rather obscure but still enjoyable slasher from the seemingly endless well of 80s genre cinema. The film itself may not be one of the great classics of the genre, but it has enough charm, gore and self-aware touches to make it worth watching. One interesting aspect is the appearance of Kim McKarny in her film debut, who would later become much better known as Ashlyn Gere. Even more notable, however, is the film’s playful, self-referential approach. Long before Scream made this kind of meta-slasher humour famous, Evil Laugh was already having fun with some of the genre’s rules and clichés. The movie is entertaining rather than truly great, but this release makes it much easier to recommend. The picture quality is excellent, and the extras are genuinely worthwhile. I especially enjoyed the audio commentary by The Hysteria Continues, whose podcast I also follow and always appreciate. The feature-length documentary The Joy of Laughter: Making Evil Laugh is another strong addition and offers plenty of background information on the production. Overall, Evil Laugh may be a fairly average slasher, but thanks to the great presentation and the excellent bonus features, this edition is definitely worth picking up for 80s slasher fans.

Groovy slip

Excellent packaging can’t wait to watch

Die and Laugh!

An excellent little regional slasher that makes up for its shortcomings with its charm and atmosphere.