Tagline: This New Year’s, you’re invited to a killer party…
Curiosity: It’s a horror movie about punk rockers… from the original punk era!
Plot: In a twist that completely removes the punk element from the film, Diane Sullivan (Roz Kelly) is the host of a New Year’s evil special called New Year’s Evil, with music supplied by a really shitty hair metal band dressed up like a punk band. In a second twist, a mysterious caller promises to kill someone at midnight for every time zone, culminating in Diane’s own death!
In a truly bold third twist, we learn like 10 seconds later that the mystery guy is Diane’s husband, Richard (Kip Niven). He dons a series of disguises – including a fake mustache! – to con desperate middle aged women into making out with… HIS STABBIN’ KNIFE!
In a way more interesting, way less explained subplot, their son, Derek (Grant Cramer), obsesses over getting his mommy to love him, dresses up in women’s clothing, and mutilates himself. None of this is ever explained or explored further.
Thoughts: For a shitty, terrible, awful, stupid movie, New Year’s Evil wasn’t half-bad. In fact, I probably would’ve liked it more without the faux-punk angle. See, the music/lifestyle barely plays into the story, and given that the filmmakers chose a bunch of crappy songs that don’t even fit into the genre, it’s just distracting. It’s punksploitation, and I am offended. Outraged! Morally put upon, even!
Also interesting: There is no attempt to conceal Richard’s identity, plus the final reveal of why he’s trying to kill his wife is so lame that any air of mystery goes right out the window. There’s very little tension as he anonymously picks up one horny, lonely lady after another. It’s actually rather sad. Most horror movies dispatch naked, promiscuous teens; New Year’s Evil prefers to destroy single, working class ladies.
Reflection: Between this and
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