Hysterical (1983 film)

Last updated
Hysterical
Directed by Chris Bearde
Written byChris Bearde
Bill Hudson
Brett Hudson
Mark Hudson
Trace Johnston
Produced byWilliam J. Immerman
Gene Levy
Starring(See article)
Cinematography Thomas Del Ruth
Edited byStanley Frazen
Music by Bob Alcivar
Robert O. Ragland
Distributed by Embassy Pictures
Release date
  • July 30, 1983 (1983-07-30)
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million [1]

Hysterical is an American comedy film directed by Chris Bearde. Released on July 30, 1983, by Embassy Pictures, it is a spoof of the horror film genre. The film stars the Hudson Brothers.

Contents

In the film, a writer seeks inspiration at a haunted lighthouse in Oregon. He is used in a scheme by two ghosts, and two paranormal investigators subsequently arrive to study the past of the lighthouse.

Plot

Frederic "Casper" Lansing is a writer who hopes to find inspiration while vacationing in Hellview, Oregon; however, the lighthouse in which he is staying is haunted by the ghost of Venetia, who had killed herself 100 years ago and now wants to use Lansing as a vessel for her dead lover, Captain Howdy. When Howdy's ghost starts killing people, two bumbling scientists are brought in to investigate the history of the lighthouse and solve the case.

Cast

Home media

Hysterical was released on DVD by Image Entertainment on January 30, 2001.

Related Research Articles

Corey Burton is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on The Transformers, Brainiac in the DC Animated Universe, Count Dooku and Cad Bane in the Star Wars franchise, Zeus in the God of War series and Hugo Strange in Batman: Arkham City.

<i>The Haunted Mansion</i> (2003 film) Film by Rob Minkoff

The Haunted Mansion is a 2003 American supernatural horror comedy film directed by Rob Minkoff and written by David Berenbaum. Loosely based on Walt Disney's theme park attraction of the same name, the film stars Eddie Murphy as a realtor who, along with his family, becomes trapped in the titular building. Terence Stamp, Wallace Shawn, Marsha Thomason and Jennifer Tilly appear in supporting roles.

<i>13 Ghosts</i> 1960 film

13 Ghosts is a 1960 American supernatural horror film produced and directed by William Castle, written by Robb White and starring Rosemary DeCamp, Margaret Hamilton, Charles Herbert, Martin Milner, Jo Morrow, John van Dreelen, and Donald Woods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occult detective fiction</span> Crossover between mystery and horror fiction

Occult detective fiction is a subgenre of detective fiction that combines the tropes of the main genre with those of supernatural, fantasy and/or horror fiction. Unlike the traditional detective who investigates murder and other common crimes, the occult detective is employed in cases involving ghosts, demons, curses, magic, vampires, undead, monsters and other supernatural elements. Some occult detectives are portrayed as being psychic or in possession of other paranormal or magical powers.

<i>Haunted Lighthouse</i> 2003 American film

R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse is a 2003 short 4-D film. It debuted in several United States theme parks, including SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio. The film was created by Busch Entertainment Corporation and Lookout Entertainment. It is the first 3-D film featured at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghost hunting</span> Investigating reportedly haunted locations for ghosts

Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are purportedly haunted by ghosts. The practice has been heavily criticized for its dismissal of the scientific method. No scientific study has ever been able to confirm the existence of ghosts. Ghost hunting is considered a pseudoscience by the vast majority of educators, academics, science writers and skeptics. Science historian Brian Regal described ghost hunting as "an unorganized exercise in futility".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Films</span> Animation production arm of comic book publisher Harvey Comics

The Harvey Entertainment Company was the production arm of comic book publisher Harvey Comics. It was founded in 1957.

<i>The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper</i> 1996 American TV series or program

The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper is an American animated television spin-off series and a sequel of the feature film Casper, which, in turn, was based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character of Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Casper's Haunted Christmas is a 2000 animated Christmas supernatural black comedy film produced by The Harvey Entertainment Company and Mainframe Entertainment, based on the character Casper the Friendly Ghost, and was released in the United States by Universal Studios Home Video on October 31, 2000. Unlike either its theatrical or two direct-to-video predecessors, which combined live-action and CGI, the film was fully made in computer animation. It stars Brendon Ryan Barrett as the voice of the title character. Randy Travis provided original music.

<i>The Haunted Strangler</i> 1958 British film by Robert Day

The Haunted Strangler is a 1958 British horror film directed by Robert Day and starring Boris Karloff, Jean Kent, Elizabeth Allan, and Anthony Dawson.

The Ghostbusters franchise consists of American supernatural comedies, based on an original concept created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis in 1984. The plot follows a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and eliminate ghosts, paranormal manifestations, demigods, and demons. The franchise expanded with licensed action figures, books, comics, video games, television series, theme park attractions, and other branded merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casper the Friendly Ghost</span> Fictional cartoon ghost

Casper the Friendly Ghost is a fictional character who serves as the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. He is a translucent ghost who is pleasant and personable, but often criticized by his three wicked uncles, the Ghostly Trio.

<i>Casper</i> (film) 1995 film by Brad Silberling

Casper is a 1995 American supernatural fantasy comedy film directed by Brad Silberling, in his feature film directorial debut, based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost created by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo. The film stars Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, and Eric Idle, with voice talents of Joe Nipote, Joe Alaskey, Brad Garrett, and the film introduction of Malachi Pearson in the title role. The film follows Casper (Pearson), a friendly ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion called Whipstaff Manor in Friendship, Maine, meets and befriends a teenage girl named Kat Harvey (Ricci), the daughter of Dr. James Harvey (Pullman), a paranormal therapist who is hired to move into Whipstaff in order to rid the mansion of its spectral inhabitants.

<i>Tower of Evil</i> 1972 British horror film by Jim OConnolly

Tower of Evil, also known by the titles Horror on Snape Island and Beyond the Fog, is a 1972 British horror film directed by Jim O'Connolly.

<i>Esprit damour</i> 1983 film by Ringo Lam

Esprit d'amour is a 1983 Hong Kong supernatural romance film directed by Ringo Lam and starring Alan Tam, Shu-Chun Ni and Cecilia Yip. Shot in modern-day Hong Kong, the film centres on protagonist Koo Chi-Ming, a hapless insurance investigator who while investigating the death of a young women begins being haunted by her spirit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zak Bagans</span> American actor

Zachary Alexander Bagans is an American paranormal investigator, actor, television personality, museum operator, and author. He is the principal host of the Travel Channel series Ghost Adventures.

<i>The Ghost and the Guest</i> 1943 film

The Ghost and the Guest is a 1943 American black-and-white comedy-mystery film directed by William Nigh and starring James Dunn, Florence Rice, Robert Dudley, and Sam McDaniel. The plot finds a newlywed couple honeymooning in a house they think is haunted but which is really overrun by a gang of criminals trying to recover stolen loot. Based on an original story by American animator Milt Gross, the screenplay was the first film script by comedian Morey Amsterdam.

<i>Insidious</i> (film series) Horror film franchise

Insidious is an American horror franchise created by Leigh Whannell and James Wan that has been produced by Blumhouse in association with Sony’s Stage 6 Films since 2010. The films in the franchise include Insidious (2010), Chapter 2 (2013), Chapter 3 (2015), The Last Key (2018), and The Red Door (2023). The films have grossed over $731 million worldwide on a combined budget of $42.5 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casper the Friendly Ghost in film</span> Feature length filmography based on Casper the Friendly Ghost

The cartoon character, Casper the Friendly Ghost who appears in numerous cartoon shorts as well as Harvey Comics publication, has appeared in five films since his inception, most of which were either released in television or straight-to-video while only one was released theatrically. Many for the most part are unrelated to each other. Like in the comics and animated shorts, the films feature Casper, a ghost of a deceased child, who refused to frighten others and would like nothing more than to be friendly around the world, due to the nature of what he appears to be, it would often get him shunned by whoever he encounters, but along the way, he would find and befriend a certain someone he could identify himself with, and would often help that someone in need.

The Cheltenham Ghost was an apparition said to haunt a house in Cheltenham in western England. The building in Pittville Circus Road was the home of the Despard family who saw the ghost of a veiled woman on several occasions in the 1880s.

References

  1. Chase, Donald (Mar 14, 1982). "The New Star Producers: The New 'Star' Producers". Los Angeles Times. p. K1 via ProQuest.