Who was the real INTRUDER?
Can we all just take a minute and appreciate the 1989 movie INTRUDER?
Originally called “The Night Crew” this movie centers around a group of teens working at a supermarket as the night crew banning together to take on a killer that is hell bent on eliminating everyone.
Warning…Spoilers ahead
The move starts off and never leaves the supermarket which makes you feel just as trapped as the crew does. Right off the bat they set the tone introducing all the characters and of course the ex-boyfriend who just got out on parol that is smoking a cigarette and being all shady outside.
Throughout the whole movie we get glimpses of the store, we notice some odd behaviors of crew members, watch Sam Raimi spit watermelon seeds and wonder how on earth this place stayed in business for so long. Jennifer; the main girl, deals with her stalking ex-boyfriend who we met earlier, which freaks everyone out and after a confrontation in the supermarket is thrown out after getting into some good old fist fights and kinda dominating most of the male and female workers.
We start to pick up some steam as mysterious murders happen right after a big argument between the current owners. Interesting timing huh?
One by one the night crew gets picked off and with some truly gross kills including a bandsaw, a box compressor and an eye gouging gag that is sure to leave you cringing for more. As these kills are going on that darn ex-boyfriend keeps showing up at the wrong time further pushing that he is the killer in this.
Just as the movie gets to the final chapter, we get a big reveal….Craig the odd story teller and now ex partner is the crazy maniac with the butcher knife! I gotta say, the way they shot and showed his descent into madness was very well done. Especially the face turning effect using the stacked bottles with the screech of the violin background music is very, very well done.
One of the best scenes we think was foreshadowed in a story Craig told during their lunch break with Craig walking down the aisle after Jennifer with a sandwich in one hand and a decapitated head in another. What makes it great is not how he randomly got the sandwich but the way he uses that head to beat down Bill. Yes you read that right. He beats up a guy with the head of his former partner. Brilliant.
The movie ends with yet another twist as Craig, who keep in mind was just beaten to death in a phone booth with a now blood soaked and dull butcher knife manages to come around long enough to say “they killed everyone.” The small town cops don’t waste anytime as they continue to rough up Jen and her ex-boyfriend and book them for the murders. Gotta say, didn’t see that coming.
Overall this movie was pretty darn good and certainly worth a few watches. I know on my next collecting outing I will be looking for this to add to my VHS collection.
Have you seen this movie? If so, what are your thoughts?