Am I a bad person? - The Mangler (1995) Discussion

[–] Oceansunset79 19 years ago

I saw The Mangler many years ago and maybe I'm screwed up but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I've had friends who are really into supernatural stuff and the way certain things like words out of the book of spells and trying to exorcise the demon in the laundry machine, seemed an accurate portrayal of an exorcism and cool. I thought it was creepy, gory, and entertaining. The acting didn't seem bad at all to me. The Mangler seemed to be a LOT better than MANY other really really dumb horror movies I've seen, one of which was Donnie Darko that oddly enough has a high rating on this website and it sucked A$$, and another was Wendigo which was just plain stupid (one of those that it hurts just to watch the whole thing it sucks so bad, but I did anyway).

I liked The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (both the old and the new versions). I tend to like some movies that most people don't though. I'm not super familiar with Tobe Hooper but of the movies of his that I have seen, I've been very impressed. So, no, you are not alone. I loved The Mangler! I heard the second one is really stupid but I guess there is a third one that is being worked on (not sure when it is coming out) that is supposed to be more like the first Mangler, so I'll probably check that one out.

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[–] vivalaricicles 19 years ago

I never saw the second one... I glanced at the cover and it looked pretty bad so I thought I'd give it a miss. I heard off a friend of mine - the only other person who liked the mangler out of everyone I know- said he heard something about the third one starring Lance Henriksen. I'll probably check it out. Glad to know there are others who love the film!

"No I did not... I gave him life"

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Mickorola 18 years ago

I want to see this. I've hear alot of people bad-mouthing it, and making fun of those who liked it or want to see it. But like you and the poster, I don't care. I just read the story just last night, and loved it. It was a real nod back to the old-fassioned stories that I've always had a fondness for.

"It's dark down here!"

-What my headstone will say

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[–] dockta_doom 18 years ago

First off, if you think the plotline is stupid, why are you even watching it? Steven King has written stories about haunted toys, haunted trucks, and yes, haunted laundry machines. Know what? They are all excellent ideas done very well. If you dont relate to King's horror fiction style, you wont like movies like this and have no business commenting on them.

And second, Ive seen a lot worse then this. This is no where near as bad as people make it out to be.

"Save the smart comments for the chunky brother in the smock."

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[–] Mickorola 18 years ago

Wait a minute . . . are you talking to me or the poster?

"She knew in her heart that the winter would soon come, and the last of the spring would be gone."

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[–] dockta_doom 18 years ago

Neither. I was referring to the person who thought the plotline was stupid. I was making the point that if they didnt like the plotline of the story, they have no business commenting on a movie which they know they are not going to like.

"Save the smart comments for the chunky brother in the smock."

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[–] l_egolas 18 years ago

I dismiss al supernatural stuff as being cr*p, but I enjoy watching movies about this. This movie had some humor attached to it as well. As for me, I smiled at the Coroner offering a Cherrytomatoe after working on a corpse. Bit bizar is it not?

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[–] opheliamuffet 19 years ago

I really like this movie. I've watched it about a dozen times. I got the dvd recently, I've had the vhs since it was new. My hubby likes it, also.

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[–] Spike_J_Wolfwood 19 years ago

You can’t be a bad person just because you like a movie… unless that movie is Spice World…

Anywho, I liked it when it first came out. Then again, I was thirteen at the time. I just watched it again not more than two minutes ago on HBO. I liked it this time too but for different reasons. What seemed exciting back then now comes off as campy. Not only that, but I like seeing Robert Englund in parts outside of the Elm Street series.

After all is said and done, I can’t say that this movie is entirely bad. Hell, I’d suggest it to a friend who’d never seen it and I’m sure that if they brought back MST3K in another five or ten years and put it on cable this movie would make for a great episode.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] minotaur16102 18 years ago

"No but seriously, it is at least in my own personal opinion, one of those films where someone should have said during pre-production 'What the hell are we doing?! A film about a crazed mangler from hell?!? Come on guys, lets go do something SENSIBLE with our lives!'."

I totally agree. I mean, just looking at some of the shots, the acting all generally quite bad (Robert England is a total(wheezing) ham, Levine barely struggles through as somewhat decent) I thought to myself, "Tobe Hooper must have been filming this all, desperately attempting to get at least decent performances out of the actors before he gave up. He had to put up with setting up all the camera angles, etc. throughout the course of a film that is pretty much about a stationary, demonically-possessed steampress. How the mighty have fallen. etc. etc..."

That said, by the end of it, I somehow felt a pang of enjoyment. Maybe because I tried to see the positives in it, building it into an underdog struggling to be a professional, low budget horror film. Maybe because Tobe Hooper was behind it. Maybe because I started liking the comraderie between Mark and John by the end of the film.
I dunno.

Either way, this pang of enjoyment disturbs me.

Anyhow, as to liking any other films by Tobe Hooper, I quite like Salem's Lot (1979). I own the full length miniseries version on DVD, which is much more preferable to the cut down version.
Somehow, he is able to make it seem much less than its three+ hour running time.

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[–] JahWoo 17 years ago

I liked it....but I watched it ten years plus ago when it first came out...I was younger than.

i just recently watched what i thought was part two, the third one, and god..it is awful.

lol

makes me rethink about the first one but I thikn Id probably still like it..

and i think it could be because of mr englund.

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[–] stabbingstacy 19 years ago

Hooper's awsome. He's done some wonderful things with the genre of horror. He has a bunch of classics (Texas Chainsaw, Salem's Lot, The Funhouse, Poltergeist) This horribly written film could have been far worse in the hands of other directors. It's definitely underrated, should be a four or five. The acting's not too bad, the gore is awsome and it's entertaining.

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[–] blind Io 19 years ago

The story is really bad, the acting worse and the effects should not be in a movie from 1995. If it was made late 70's or early 80's I'd believe it.

This could be my chance to bond and become a valued member of the family

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[–] Maggie71286 19 years ago

Yea, it's a total guilty pleasure...but hey....once you get passed the guilt, it's all pleasure

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[–] cwjack-1 18 years ago

right. it's not the best horror film and it not one of tobe's best but there are things i like about it. the sets are cool. the look of the film is kinda grimy and dark which i liked. Englund does great work here. I like the score. the effects are pretty appropriately disgusting. I also like that the story is about a machine that lives and thrives on the blood of its' workers ("We all have to make sacrifices"). I won't get into the obvious problems as there are already too many that just about everybody else has doted on. Still, not half as bad as it's often labeled to be.

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[–] ehetyz 18 years ago

I found this one quite damn entertaining as well. It's got all the ingredients for a good horror comedy; funny characters, tons of gore, twisted atmosphere...
I think Mangler's an underrated little trash gem. Way better than some other Tobe Hooper flicks (eaten alive, bleurgh!)

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[–] gantami 18 years ago

Gotta admit... I enjoyed it. Liked the look of it. Sort of like a highly stylized comic book type Southern gothic. Not to be taken seriously... I laughed hysterically when Englund got folded.

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[–] LivorMortis 18 years ago

i was still young when ive seen this movie
the only scene that lingered was the old woman vs the mangler

im really not a fan of inanimate objects with a thirst for blood, but this and another movie whose title i cannot remember, its about a lawnmawer that attacks people and one scene where the bald guy had his legs mawed to bits... if you can help me with the title, it'll be appreciated heaps
I will kill you until you die from it!!!

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[–] Barrettm 18 years ago

yes I enjoyed it also. Though I prefer to deny Mangler2 ever existed. Something about seeing the machine turn on Robert Englund's character and fold him up is just so... unbearably brutal I love it.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] thebendsguitarist 17 years ago

No way dude. The Mangler is a new classic, if you ask me. The acting was great horror acting, great bloody scenes (Pictureman barfing blood on the camera, come on!!!), Levine's great lines such as "reality, *beep* reality" and "you miserable piece of dog *beep* etc, all make this a great horror flick. And the premise of the whole thing is totally original if you ask me. If anyone hasn't seen this hit up Netflix and enjoy a horror treat!

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[–] thebendsguitarist 17 years ago

Wow, I can't even say "bull$%*t" on the imdb forums....very lame. And a posting quota? No wonder I don't post here often..............

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] diezman 17 years ago

This movie would have been great for MST3K!

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[–] estein-3 17 years ago

Each time I see a movie based on a Stephen King story or novel, it always touches a nerve.

Some films have bigger budgets and better directors (i.e. Christine (John Carpenter) and The Shining (Stanley Kubrick)). But all always have that magic King touch of the paranormal inside the normal. As someone who has worked on a large metal press in a furniture factory, I can understand that feeling that "inanimate" objects could become "animate". There is this constant tension of making sure your hands are where they are supposed to be (especially after seeing an older operater working on the press next to you with a finger missing!) and being paid "piecework" (i.e. by how fast you work).

A basic fear of machine "mutilation" turned into active entertainment - some of us indeed like being scared (if it's done well).

Given the limits of the level of actors and the fact it comes from a short story rather than a novel (hence little material for character development), I think Tobe Hooper put together a very adequate adaption of the original King story.

I am hoping to eventually see a film adaption of "From a Buick 8", another Stephen King novel again with the paranormal emerging from a normal object (this time a car from a parallel universe).

Does anyone know if such a film project is "in the works".

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] skeletontea 17 years ago

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I'd probably watch it again. However, this doesn't mean I think it was a good movie. I gave it 3 stars.

This movie is poorly written, ill-conceived, and the acting is terrible; but it is fun.

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[–] phunkbluff 14 years ago

Ya know, as bad as this movie is... I really enjoy watching it. I'm into a lot of horror and nothing really scares me. But this movie actually gave me a nightmare like years and years ago and I really have no idea why. It's a freakin possessed laundry machine! lol but yeah I'm interested in reading the short story now, because I haven't yet, and everytime I watch this movie I find something else even more disorientating to wonder about.
It is what it is. lol

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