In the history of horror, there has always been a cult following that appears to flourish on the gruesome and macabre aspects of the genre. The slasher subgenre appeared to have reached its saturation point with audiences sometime during the decade of the 1990s. On the other hand, moviemakers were determined to prevent this subgenre from becoming extinct. One of those movies, Dr. Giggles, was one of those that demonstrated that the slasher genre was not entirely extinct and could be reimagined.
Largo Entertainment and Dark Horse Comics worked together to produce the comic book titled “Dr. Giggles,” which was first published in the year 1992. A new cult following was established thanks in part to the film’s comedic take on the slasher genre, despite the fact that it did not achieve the same level of success as other famous slasher films such as Halloween or Friday the 13th. By embracing the cheesy and absurd aspects of the subgenre, the director Manny Coto was able to achieve his goal of introducing a fresh perspective to the subgenre. Because of his familiarity with legendary monster movies and EC Comics, Coto was able to craft an engaging story that managed to be both funny and terrifying at the same time.
The character of Dr. Evan Rendell, also known as Dr. Giggles, is portrayed by Larry Drake, and his story serves as the basis for the plot. Rendell is a runaway mental patient who comes from a household with a history of negligent medical treatment. Rendell is so consumed with seeking vengeance for the death of his father that he exacts his retribution on anyone who so much as gets in his way. Holly Marie Combs gives life to the character of Jennifer Campbell, a young woman who has a pre-existing cardiac condition and a profound phobia of medical professionals. Dr. Giggles, a psychopath who stalks and murders his way through the made-up community of Moorehigh, sets his sights on her as a potential victim.
Larry Drake’s performance was a major factor in the overall popularity of Dr. Giggles. He threw himself wholeheartedly into the absurdity of the role, and the result was a performance that was simultaneously hilarious and frightening as Dr. Giggles. He makes so many puns about medicine that even Freddy Krueger would urge him to calm down and stop it. The movie isn’t exceptionally bloody, but it has some great practical effects done by KNB EFX, and Greg Nicotero, who plays Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead, is the one in charge of the project.
The good folks at Scream Factory have upgraded the doctor so that he can now be viewed in high definition. The movie was initially made available on DVD in 2007 as a component of the Twisted Terror Collection that was published by Warner Bros. A 2.0 Stereo DTS-HD Master Audio track can be found on the freshly scanned film. A brand new conversation with Coto and an interview with Drake that has never been seen before are both included in the 26-minute featurette that is included on the Blu-ray. Despite the film’s many flaws, the filmmakers are very pleased of their work.
The movie “Dr. Giggles” was an important factor in the resurgence of the “slasher” subgenre in the 1990s. A new popular following was established thanks in large part to the film’s comedic approach to the genre, Larry Drake’s performance, and Manny Coto’s direction. Although the movie isn’t for everyone, horror aficionados who are looking for something a little bit different should definitely check it out.
