This Day in Horror History: DR. GIGGLES Opened in 1992
Mike Sprague
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On this day in horror history, writer-director Manny Coto’s awesome 90’s comedy slasher Dr. Giggles with Larry Drake and Holly Marie Combs was released in 1992.
Ted Danson (Three Men & a Baby) and Matt Frewer (Honey I Shrunk the Kids) were considered for Dr. Giggles and Jennifer Aniston (Leprechaun) and Ashley Judd (Double Jeopardy, Kiss the Girls) both auditioned for the role of Jennifer.
To create the notorious POV shot through the mouth, an oversized prop was constructed for the camera to fit into from behind. To match the size of the mouth, an oversized tongue depressor was created for Larry Drake to use.
Written and directed by Coto, Dr. Giggles was the first film produced as part of the deal between Largo Entertainment and Dark Horse Comics.
It begins in 1957 when Evan Rendell (Larry Drake) flees after his father is lynched for killing multiple patients in his effort to find a replacement heart for his ailing wife. After 35 years, Evan escapes from a mental institution and returns to town for revenge, killing off residents one by one. When Jennifer (Combs) and her friends break into the Rendell house out of morbid curiosity, Evan notices Jennifer has a heart condition similar to his mother and decides to make her his final victim.
The film stars Holly Marie Combs with Cliff DeYoung, Glenn Quinn, Keith Diamond, Richard Bradford, Michelle Johnson, John Vickery, Nancy Fish, William Dennis Hunt, and Doug E. Doug with Larry Drake as Doctor Evan Rendell Jr. / Dr. Giggles.
The film sports a 17% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes with a Critics Consensus that reads: Larry Drake’s deranged performance as the titular doctor is just about all that distinguishes Dr. Giggles from its slasher brethren.
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