Review: The Resonator: Miskatonic U

 Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

The Resonator: Miskatonic U
Directed by William Butler
Candy Bar Productions; Full Moon Features; MVD Entertainment
68 minutes, 2021
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Before even starting on this review, there are two important things to keep in mind: the first and foremost is that this film is based on the H.P. Lovecraftian world of Miskatonic University, where old gods dwell and science projects go beyond baking soda volcanos. Anyone familiar with the likes of Stuart Gordon’s (d. 2020) vision of The Re-Animator (1985) and especially in this case, From Beyond (1986), should have their ears perking up. In the universe this occupies, it shares the space with both of Jeffery Combs’ characters, Crawford Tillinghast and Herbert West with different actors portraying each. An interesting concept.

The other is that this is a film from Full Moon Features, and while this is not directed by Charles Band (though he did produce it as he owns Full Moon), the label itself, like Troma, is known for various levels of cheese. I say that not as a criticism, but as a truthful observation. The trailers from the brand that come with this attest to that (four of six have drug references). Listen, I love me some cheese with my films, with horror especially.

Christina Braa, Dane Oliver

The main character here is Crawford Jr. (Dane Oliver), son of the scallywag who had his pineal gland grow out the top of his head. Crawford Sr. (Jeffrey Byron) was also a professor at MisU, before his demise, as is Katherine McMichaels (a cameo by Amanda Wyss, infamous for being in A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984 and Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982), obviously getting over being driven mad in the original From Beyond where her character was played by Barbara Crampton. Another academic of note is professor Wallace (the underrated Michael Pare, brought to fame with the cult classics Streets of Fire in 1984, Eddie and the Cruisers in 1983, and 1984’s The Philadelphia Experiment), who essentially fills in the Dr. Pretorious role, whose line “Humans are such easy prey” has become iconic.

Junior has taken up his father’s work, and has built the titular resonator, which causes both practical SFX and CGI wigglies to appear that have caused some havoc, so he’s distracted enough to ignore his girlfriend, Mara (Christina Braa). In fact, unlike his hyper-intense dad, Crawford has a lot of extremely attractive friends that he is pleased as punch to share in his rebuild.

Austin Woods, Amada Jones, Alex Keener

The cast is just the right age and prettitude that this could bee an episode of “Riverdale,” with Crawford being Archie, dark-haired Mara as Veronica, longish-haired Brandon (Austin Woods) as Jughead, blonde Carrie (Amanda Jones) as a lesbian Betty, and football jock Bear (Alex Keener) as Reggie. Surely, I am not the only one to put these pieces together. The television program certainly seems to be the seed of this release, mixed a bit with the group of experimenting doctors-to-be in Flatliners (1990): “I know, let’s cross ‘X’ with ‘Y’! It’s gold, Jerry, gold!!” Yes, that kind of cheesy.

Continuing in this vein, especially being a Full Moon release, basically there are (again) two elements that the resonator brings to the story. One is of course gore in the form of cool creatures floating around, and the other is the horniness and nudity it brings to our crew, giving the viewer some enjoyable eye candy. This is a bit more than Crampton’s leather and lipstick fetish, of course, to keep up with the times.

Hannah Hueston

Crawford hooks up with Veronica, lezzy Carrie with Bear (shades of 1997’s Chasing Amy), and Brandon with a tentacle-headed female Cthulhu-type nude woman (Hannah Hueston). Once the resonator is turned on, the fear is that a door between the two dimensions will be opened even after the machine is turned off. Actually, it’s never turned off, though it is unplugged, shot at (numerous times, and other hard unbooting, like turning off a computer with the on button rather than the shut-down feature.

As a quick side note, and I don’t know why this matters to me but for some reason it does, schools of higher learning do not ring bells between classes like high schools. Courses in universities vary in lengths usually anywhere between an hour and three, rather than being a standardized time. And I don’t know of any University that has a dress code like a private or Catholic school. Perhaps that was the first “Riverdale” identification awakening for me. And why does a school that is supposed to take place in Arkham, Massachusetts, have cars with California license plates (it was filmed in Van Nuys, he said answering his own question)?

I am not going to lie: I was kind of hoping for a quick cameo by Jeffrey Combs and/or Barbara Crampton, but it is nice they were included in the after-film Thank You list. I also applaud that the film was dedicated – and rightfully so – to Stuart Gordon.

The release is definitely short, at just over an hour, but considering that this is one of five films the director will release this year, that is hardly a surprise. Who’s got the time, right? Anyway, the point is, the end result is nicely defined, with very little filler – nor character development, but that is definitely okay for this kind of film, where the action is hot and the cast is hotter.

As the film is short, so are the extras. Along with a few Full Moon trailers that I mentioned before, including for his film, there is the “From Beyond to the Resonator: The Making of The Resonator” featurette (17 min.), which can also be found on TubiTV (HERE).  If one remembers the VHS releases from Full Moon, there was always a making of documentary at the end called “Videozone,” and this has the same formula, I’m happy to say. Lots of images from The Re-Animator and From Beyond, and how they rolled their way into this film, including comments by the director, William Butler (in oddly extreme close-ups). Others interviewed include all five main characters, Pare (who gets to let his Brooklyn out), and even Wyss.

It is obvious by a character introduction at the end of the film proper, as is Full Moon’s wont, that they are setting this up as a franchise (and I wholeheartedly endorse), as they did with Puppet Master and Subspecies. I look forward to more cheese like this one, thank you.