Rent Bloody New Year (1986)

Enjoyable low budget horror loopiness. - Bloody New Year review by NP

There’s a lot to enjoy in this film, but for the longest time I was wondering when the actual story would start. When it becomes apparent that a group of hapless young people getting into one scrape after another *is* the story, you find you’re already enjoying yourself and decide to go with it.

An out-of-season funfair by the sea makes for a nicely spooky setting. The cast are not naturalistic performers (with the possible exception of Mark Powley, who – probably rightly – chooses to slightly underplay the character of Rick) but approach the story with vigour and are appealing. My favourite might well be Janet, played by Nikki Brooks, who is screamingly lovely and a bit silly. “Oh Rick, do you think we *are* stuck in a time warp?” she asks at one point, as if she’s asking about her shopping. There’s also some good stunt-work and practical effects

Like many Norman J Warren films, this is difficult not to like, despite, or possibly because of, its offbeat, low-budget loopiness – however, the never-ending mishaps and madness, with only the vaguest covering explanation, can get somewhat wearisome. The music however, by Cry No More, is great. My score is 7 out of 10.