Next Door

Ghastly Showtime rehash of NEIGHBORS (1981), except this time the annoying music is by Van Dyke Parks! Does contain scenes to please both those who desire to see Randy Quaid cause great physical pain to James Woods as well as those who desire to see James Woods cause great physical pain to Randy Quaid.

I remember getting drawn into watching this one night as a kid, and it feels every bit as weird now as it did then. A ‘comedy-drama’ but mixes lighthearted gags with some seriously disturbing scenes, and a jaunty score so ill-fitting it’s fascinating. A made-for-TV piece, the decent cast and direction elevate it to a much more watchable quality. A few tweaks here and there and this could have been a genuinely gripping film.