Happy 40th Birthday, TerrorVision!

Posted on by

The news arrived the other day that Hi Mom! is hitting Blu-ray in a couple of months and it got me thinking about Gerrit Graham and why I am such a huge fan. In two of Brian De Palma’s Robert De Niro movies, Greetings and Hi Mom!, Graham manages to steal the film from De Niro, which is no easy feat! He then gave the performance of his career in De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise. Not to mention becoming a serial scene stealer, but this time from Kurt Russell and Jack Warden in Robert Zemeckis’ Used Cars in 1980.

These four films alone add up to a fairly impressive résumé, and Graham kept busy throughout, popping up in colourful supporting roles in projects such as Cannonball, Special Delivery, and even the pilot for the Blazing Saddles spin-off, Black Bart. Despite that steady stream of work, genuine leading roles proved elusive. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Graham finally found himself heading up a couple of ensemble casts in modestly budgeted B-movies, and one of those was:

Terrorvision

Directed by Ted Nicolaou and co-written by Nicolaou alongside Empire Pictures founder Charles Band, TerrorVision burst onto the scene in 1986. It arrived at a time when sci-fi and horror were mixing in strange ways, often with satellite dishes and alien threats, but somehow, TerrorVision felt uniquely strange.

So, what’s the plot? Well, the synopsis is almost as bizarre as the execution. It follows an alien creature known as “The Hungry Beast.” This entity is somehow turned into energy on the distant planet Pluton and then beamed all the way to Earth! The Hungry Beast gets picked up by the Sherman family’s satellite dish. Once received, he manifests in a form and promptly starts causing death and mayhem. Think killer pizza box, if that makes sense.

The movie was voiced by Frank Welker – yes, the legendary voice actor (Scooby Doo, Curious George) – and joining Graham are Jon Gries, Chad Allen, Diane Franklin, Mary Woronov, Bert Remsen and the fantastic Randi Brooks.

When it was first released, TerrorVision was critically panned. Many found it confusing, its visual effects dated, and its plot holes were… noticeable. But, you know who gets it? The fans. Over the years, TerrorVision has earned a dedicated cult following. It’s embraced as a quintessential “so bad, it’s good” classic. Its bizarre premise, dated special effects, and sheer audacity have won over generations of viewers who appreciate its unique charm.

At 40 years young, TerrorVision remains a cult classic that perfectly lampoons the B-movie genre. Its “cheap” practical effects offer a refreshing, hand-crafted soul that feels far more creative than the sterile digital polish found in many of today’s budget films.

TerrorVision stands as a brilliant showcase for Gerrit Graham’s unique talent. He managed the impossible: delivering a performance that was wildly over-the-top yet entirely convincing, knowing exactly when to lean into the absurdity and when to let his comedic timing do the heavy lifting. Now retired from the screen, Graham remains a fixture on the convention circuit, where he continues to delight fans and keep the legacy of cult classics like this alive.

And the love keeps growing! Shout Factory has released TerrorVision on DVD and Blu-ray, even pairing it up with fellow 80s cult oddity, The Video Dead.

You can watch the entire movie below via the Up All Night YouTube channel.