Fiend (1980) Review

Fiend (1980) Review

After being inhabited by a glowing, mutant mosquito, a decaying cadaver is reanimated in its grave and sent on a brutal strangling spree throughout the wilds of Maryland. It seems he’s been possessed by a “Fiend” a force of unadulterated evil and must assimilate the life-essence of human victims to rejuvenate his constantly rotting visage.

Co-written and directed by Baltimore filmmaker Don Dohler, 1980’s FIEND is a low-budget sci-fi horror flick that is an acquired taste. Some will not warm to its dodgy effects, numerous plot-holes, hammy, but earnest, acting and write this off as a travesty. This is a shame as there’s more heart and soul at the core of this endearing slice of B-movie hokum than there is in many a low-budget genre offering of later years.

Even the film’s tagline – A horror story…definitely not for the nervous! – leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy for that bygone era when films were made to be enjoyed rather than the cynical attempts of nowadays geared primarily to make money rather than entertain. Topped off by a decent synthesizer score, courtesy of composer Paul Woznicki, Dohler’s film doesn’t always make a lot of sense, and some moments simply beggar belief – a grave digger just happens to have a newspaper clipping that’s relevant, upon his person, when needed to move the plot along – however FIEND is such a feast of the ridiculous that it somehow hangs together despite of its numerous shortcomings.