The Mangler (1995)
Director: Tobe Hooper
Stars: Robert Englund, Ted Levine, Daniel Matmor
Today, Stephen King's epic fantasy saga THE DARK TOWER finally hits the big screen, so Awfully Good Movies is opening its pages to one of Stephen King's lesser moments on film: the 1995 adaptation of his short story THE MANGLER! This one was hyped up in the advertising as the ultimate team-up between three iconic names in horror filmmaking: a short story by Stephen King, adapted for the screen by TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and POLTERGEIST director Tobe Hooper, starring NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET star Robert Englund. However, not even Alfred Hitchcock could manage to make a terrifying movie monster out of a demon-possessed laundry press machine. But that doesn't mean that King, Hooper and Englund don't try to make the best of it, as this "Mangler" terrorizes a small Maine town and its perpetually drunk detective, played by Ted "Buffalo Bill" Levine. So I think it's safe to say this flick makes this trio of horror legends look more like the Three Stooges than the Three Musketeers, and unless Idris Elba needs his duster jacket dry-cleaned, I don't think the Mangler will be popping in the DARK TOWER Stephen King multiverse any time soon.
And if you want more terrifying tales from Awfully Good Movies, then let these YouTube links scare the hell out of you…
And don't forget to take our VIEWER POLL! Write down in the comments which Stephen King sequel you wanna see me review:
LAWNMOWER MAN 2: BEYOND CYBERSPACE