Dr. Giggles (1992) ***

I'm pretty sure that I saw Dr. Giggles (1992) when it first hit home video, but it's entirely possible that I just watched the trailer enough times to convince myself that I had seen the film. I remember the poster being everywhere as well. If I had seen DG, I basically forgot most of it. What a blast this movie is though, especially with the right audience.

Giggles jumps right into the action with no build-up (honestly I love when films do that). Crammed with more medical puns (some of which fall flat but most of which are a delight) than should be considered legal, DG ticks every box on the Horror 101 checklist—it's a veritable slasher tropefest. Larry Drake plays the titular character and he plays it with relish. He just seems to understand the essence of this material and goes to town with it (and he delivers on those giggles, let me tell you).

Director Manny Coto does a more than competent job of satisfying expectations (mine, anyway) for a low budget horror film. He never attempts to break the mold but sometimes that's not always necessary. That sentiment reminds me of how I find Scream (1996) (review) (whose director Wes Craven seems to be an influence on DG) to not be nearly as clever as people give it credit for (nor deserving of the accolades that everyone bestows upon it). Strip it of its meta qualities and Scream is not that far removed from Dr. Giggles. 

In fact, DG's lead actress, Holly Marie Combs, even looks like Neve Campbell—and her character in Giggles, Jennifer Campbell, acts more than a bit like Sidney Prescott of Scream fame. Speaking of, there are some super cookie cutter characters in DG but that is sort of the point with slashers—audiences want to see dumbasses get offed in creative ways and feel remorse for the "good" people that don't "deserve" to die.

Sam Raimi also seems to be a big influence on the style, production, and camera angles of Giggles, which makes sense since star Drake played the heavy in Raimi's Darkman two years earlier. The balance of horror, humor, and camp also calls to mind Re-Animator (1985) (review), though DG never reaches the glorious heights of that classic.

The production design and cinematography is really top notch for a low to mid-size budget film such as this. The always reliable Brian May provides a grand orchestral score that does a lot to add manic energy to the picture.

Dr. Giggles will make you groan, it will make you giggle, and if you don't have fun with it, maybe you better check your pulse (you didn't seriously think I was going to finish this review without throwing in at least one pun of my own, did you?).

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