Hearing that Bill Oberst Jr. and Bill Moseley co-star in Devil’s Junction instantly sets an incredibly high bar to meet (this film was shot before 3 From Hell). They might not be household names, but their genre credentials are vast and impressive. While not every film they star in is good, through their skills and professionalism, they elevate each title just by appearing in it. If you don’t believe me read the reviews for Abraham Lincoln Versus Zombies or Homesick for proof. So, does the movie offer more than just these two veterans sharing the screen?
Steffen Crane (Jake Red) convinces his friends Doc (Danni Spring), Rosie (Kyle Anderson), Josie (KateLynn E. Newberry), Rick (Arthur Marroquin), and Abby (Cody Renee Cameron) to join him on his latest business venture. He wants to turn an old TV studio into an after-hours club. The group goes to tour the place when they discover puppets left over from the 1960s show that was shot there. The popular program, Mr. Jolly And Handy Dandy, was ended after Mr. Jolly (Bill Oberst Jr.) committed suicide.
“…the puppets live and are full of bloodlust. To that end, the Handy Dandy, Sugar, and Niki hunt down the group of friends…”
Somehow, the puppets live and are full of bloodlust. To that end, the Handy Dandy (Jake LaMarca), Sugar (Victoria Esther Castillo), and Niki (Mark Sikes) hunt down the group of friends for a good old fashioned night of slaying. How are the puppets alive? Why do they want to kill these people? What is the significance of the blood moon? How is Steffen’s father, Richard (Bill Moseley), connected to the murdering evil?
Devil’s Junction, also known as Devil’s Junction: Handy Dandy’s Revenge or simply Handy Dandy, is not as good as one imagines the initial meet up of Oberst Jr. and Moseley could have been. But that is not to imply there is no fun to be found here. First off, Oberst Jr. and Moseley work their brand of horror magic. Well, that is true for everything but the very first scene of the movie. This sequence sees an uninspired Moseley talk to a hammy, masked pantomiming Oberst Jr. with zero context for the viewer to make sense of any of it.
"…Oberst Jr. and Moseley work their brand of horror magic."
Bobby,
I want to thank you and Film Threat, as ever, for a fair and generous review. I really appreciate you guys taking these indie films on their own terms, finding the charms they may hold and not comparing them to the mega-budgets. That is kind and it is classy.
Bill
Bill Oberst Jr.