A young woman and her companion (played by Linda Blair and Donna Wilkes) head to a secluded cabin near Big Bear Lake, belonging to her parents. Along for the trip are her father, a celebrated horror makeup artist (Guy Stockwell), and her uncle, who is a plastic surgeon (Tab Hunter). However, their relaxing getaway is disrupted when a group of troublesome punks begins causing problems, though the family has something they aren’t sharing. “Grotesque” (1988) combines the familiar cabin-in-the-woods slasher formula with elements recalling “The Goonies” (1985), and also incorporates villains reminiscent of those in the Mad Max movies. The result is a peculiar mix that proves to be reasonably enjoyable. Still, the outlandish punks—feeling like they belong in a different movie—contrast sharply with the seriousness displayed by everyone else involved, at least for the most part. The local police force seems remarkably inept. Their approach to apprehending the punks consists solely of a standard good cop/bad cop interrogation routine. There’s no mention of fingerprints, forensic evidence, or potential murder weapons; it's 1987, not centuries earlier. Ultimately, “Grotesque” offers enough oddball moments and unexpected twists to entertain viewers who appreciate that kind of thing. However, the film misses an opportunity when it comes to portraying its female characters, considering the talent available. I’m not referring to nudity or anything explicit, but a little attention to how women are filmed would have been welcome. The movie has a running time of 1 hour, 33 minutes and was filmed in Fawnskin, California, and around Big Bear Lake. GRADE: C

Source on TMDB