TerrorVision | |
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Directed by | Ted Nicolaou |
Produced by |
Albert Band Charles Band Debra Dion |
Written by | Charles Band Ted Nicolaou |
Starring |
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Music by |
Richard Band The Fibonaccis |
Cinematography | Romano Albani |
Edited by | Thomas Meshelski |
Distributed by | Empire Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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83 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $320,256 |
TerrorVision is an 1986 American science fiction horror comedy film directed by Ted Nicolaou, produced and written by Albert and Charles Band and composed by Richard Band, all of whom would go on to found and work with Full Moon Features in 1989. TerrorVision was made by Empire International Pictures, the production company owned by Charles Band prior to Full Moon, and was released in February 1986.
The story follows an alien creature sent to Earth, which ends up inside a household where three kids must take care of it to prevent it from going into a hungry rampage. While not a critical and commercial success, it later developed as a cult film, particularly a "so bad it's good" film.
On an alien planet named Pluton, an alien garbage disposal converts a monstrous mutant called a Hungry Beast into energy and beams it into space. Meanwhile, on Earth, the Putterman family is getting satellite television, courtesy of a temperamental DIY antenna. The reception is poor at first, but suddenly strengthens when a bolt of the alien energy hits the dish.
The little boy Sherman Putterman and his ex-military, survivalist grandfather enjoy a night of horror films hosted by the buxom Medusa, while Sherman's parents go out to meet some swingers and his sister goes to see her boyfriend, named O.D.. Sherman and his grandfather eventually fall asleep, but are woken when the Hungry Beast materializes out of the TV and eats the grandfather. Sherman's parents arrive at this point with swingers Cherry and Spiro, and lock up Sherman in his grandfather's bunker. There, the Beast imitates the old man in order to fool the boy's mother into thinking it safe.
Sherman tries calling the police, but they take him to be a prank caller. He also calls Medusa, but she dismisses him as a psychotic. Later, the Beast travels through the television into the house's sex-themed "Pleasure Dome", eats Cherry, and imitates her to lure Spiro. Sherman's parents also get eaten after they discover the remains of the swingers. Sherman uses some plastic explosive to break out of the bunker as O.D. and his sister arrive.