Monsters In The Closet

Next up is The One-Percenters. Tiffany (Jordan Flippo) is the daughter of a uber-rich Chester (Phillip Green Dad). For reasons that are never made clear, the college-aged woman is begging him to let her go on a camping trip with her boyfriend Vinny (Nelson JoaQuin) and some friends, including Maureen (Shanna Bees). Chester relents and lets Tiffany go. However, while experiencing the great outdoors, Tiffany accidentally shoots Vinny, and he dies. When the others won’t help her cover it up, she decides to take them out as well. Will anyone escape the affluent and violent Tiffany’s rage?

This is the worst segment by a mile. As alluded to, why Tiffany needs her father’s permission makes zero sense, and this detail nags in the back of one’s head, dying to be explained. Of course, the Syngg brothers needed to establish Tiffany’s wealth and family culture, but there had to be a better way of doing it, right? Not helping matters is the fact that Flippo is awful in the role. She’s awkward, unconvincing, and annoying; only one of those traits is presumably intentional. While the ending to this tale is great, overall, it is not worth it.

“…astounding animatronics and special effects that look much better than the budget would suggest.”

The final story of Monsters In The Closest is Frankenstein’s Wife and is set, in all places, New Jersey. Victor (John Fedele) is experimenting day and night, driving his neighbors and wife, Valerie (Valerie Bittner), up the wall. Unfortunately, one day, when trying to surprise Valerie, Victor kills her. Because he loves her so much, he brings her back to life. Valerie hates how her reanimated self looks and dies again. So again, Victor brings her back. Rinse, repeat, each time, Valerie loses more and more of her body and self. Will enough ever be enough for the mad scientist?

Fedele is exemplary as the modern-day take on the classic mad doctor. His comedic timing is excellent, and the actor earnestly plays his love for his continually dying wife. Bittner is also fantastic, as she performs her character’s frustrations with each new revival with the right amount of bitter anguish and love. It’s a tricky line to walk, but both actors pull it off nicely. They are helped along by some truly astounding animatronics and special effects that look much better than the budget would suggest.

Like almost every anthology, not every tale in Monsters In The Closet works or is all that interesting. But, three of the four stories are good to great, and the wraparound is excellent. As such, this horror movie is sure to delight fans everywhere.