This 1983 horror film begins at a cemetery where a young girl attends
her mother's funeral and is tempted to enter a mausoleum where a demonic spirit possesses her. Years later, she still has flashbacks of that moment and the demon in her starts to break loose. Her husband starts to see a bit of a change in her behavior and confides in her psychiatrist to help her. This isn't that bad, except for some of the acting, the leading lady, Bobbie Bresee is not only very attractive, but does a decent job and some make-up is pretty good, but a bit cheesy in places. Give this a try if you're into supernatural horror flicks.
72 Reviews
Nice and cheesy 80's horror.
Coventry24 October 2005
I haven't got the slightest idea what the hell the story of "Mausoleum" was all about, but it sure was fun to watch! This is another imbecile and over-the-top cheesy 80's horror flick about demonic possession with an awfully bad script and hilarious special effects. Around her 30th birthday, beautiful Susan starts to suffer from the ancient family curse that also caused her mother to die when Susan was ten. Now and whenever she feels demonic, Susan can light her eyes funky green and whatever poor soul she's focusing on dies a very unpleasant death. The script foresees absolutely no logic or suspense, and the only enjoyable sequences (apart from Bobbie Bresee's many nude-scenes) are the imaginative murders. Her elder sister, for example, is lift up over a balcony and her body is torn open while floating around! Quite gory, but not at all scary. The origin of the family curse remains vague and the whole climax is very, VERY lame. Not even an exorcism or a battle between demonic forces. There are about a million better films handling about demons and possession, but if you have a soft spot for low-budget 80's cheese, you might find "Mausoleum" mildly entertaining.
What would Joe Bob say?
BandSAboutMovies18 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Susan Nomed (Playboy Bunny Bobbie Bresee, Ghoulies) was only ten-years-old when her mother died. During the funeral, she ran from her family to the mausoleum, where the fog rolls in and a demon calls out to her.
Now, twenty years later, she's the heiress to her family's fortune. She's also married to Oliver Farrell (Marjoe Gortner, Starcrash), who is never home, but everything seems fine. However, Susan is starting to go stir crazy, flirting with the gardener, who exudes pure filth. That's when we learn about the second part of Susan's inheritance: an ancient curse.
Soon, Susan is turning into a green-eyed demon and having sex with plenty of men, then murdering them in all manner of interesting ways. Want an example? How about her breasts eat a man's chest and leave him a bloody mess in the bathtub?
LaWanda Page of TV's Sanford and Son shows up as Elsie the maid and you'll be shocked to see how racist her role is. Actually, you won't. We just watched the remake of Thirteen Ghosts (with the early 2000s title that seemed trite even back then, Thir13en Ghosts) and the black maid in that film acts just as stereotypically in that film.
Also, if you're wondering how good the script is, Susan's last name is demon backward.
This movie reminds me of late-period Fulci, as its look is very Italian. It's filled with gore, nudity and a nonsensical plot, but there are times in your life when that's what you're looking for.
Now, twenty years later, she's the heiress to her family's fortune. She's also married to Oliver Farrell (Marjoe Gortner, Starcrash), who is never home, but everything seems fine. However, Susan is starting to go stir crazy, flirting with the gardener, who exudes pure filth. That's when we learn about the second part of Susan's inheritance: an ancient curse.
Soon, Susan is turning into a green-eyed demon and having sex with plenty of men, then murdering them in all manner of interesting ways. Want an example? How about her breasts eat a man's chest and leave him a bloody mess in the bathtub?
LaWanda Page of TV's Sanford and Son shows up as Elsie the maid and you'll be shocked to see how racist her role is. Actually, you won't. We just watched the remake of Thirteen Ghosts (with the early 2000s title that seemed trite even back then, Thir13en Ghosts) and the black maid in that film acts just as stereotypically in that film.
Also, if you're wondering how good the script is, Susan's last name is demon backward.
This movie reminds me of late-period Fulci, as its look is very Italian. It's filled with gore, nudity and a nonsensical plot, but there are times in your life when that's what you're looking for.
Fun, nostalgic '80s flick!
shutterspeedfilmsdotcom27 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Pay no mind to the many troll user comments listed herein. If you're the kind of person who might rent such a movie as Mausoleum based on its posterart (or, furthermore, its very title), comments made about acting, budget, and special effects limitations are completely misguided.
Mausoleum is strictly for those of us who cut our canines on '80s direct-to-video horror shinola, and who wax nostalgic for clam shell video cases.
Bobbie Breese is stunning in the film, and how could you NOT appreciate Marjoe Gortner having his intestines eaten away (nevermind the fact that he's simply IN the film in the first place!) by Breese's monstrous, double-breasted chompers.
The gardener is a cinematic wonder/McGuffin to behold, and LaWanda Page doing an incredibly un-PC Steppin Fetchit routine has to be seen to be believed! The movie is a definite throwback to classic '70s horror films (moreso in the beginning), before really taking off in the film's third act. Dugan's direction is especially atmospheric and under-appreciated. It's a shame his film career output was so limited.
If any of these comments sound appealing to you, and you know who you are, help keep the memory of this little cinematic footnote alive in the new millennium.
Mausoleum is strictly for those of us who cut our canines on '80s direct-to-video horror shinola, and who wax nostalgic for clam shell video cases.
Bobbie Breese is stunning in the film, and how could you NOT appreciate Marjoe Gortner having his intestines eaten away (nevermind the fact that he's simply IN the film in the first place!) by Breese's monstrous, double-breasted chompers.
The gardener is a cinematic wonder/McGuffin to behold, and LaWanda Page doing an incredibly un-PC Steppin Fetchit routine has to be seen to be believed! The movie is a definite throwback to classic '70s horror films (moreso in the beginning), before really taking off in the film's third act. Dugan's direction is especially atmospheric and under-appreciated. It's a shame his film career output was so limited.
If any of these comments sound appealing to you, and you know who you are, help keep the memory of this little cinematic footnote alive in the new millennium.
At times, this demonic gore fest is so bad it's good
Leofwine_draca27 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
At her mother's funeral, an upset daughter runs through a graveyard before entering a steaming mausoleum. Inside, her eyes turn green and a man's head explodes. A woman, Susan (Bobbie Bresee) awakes suddenly from the terrible dream she's been having, and her husband (Marjoe Gortner) comforts her. The pair go to a nightclub and indulge in some disco dancing, and a rude drunk gets into his car which burns and explodes. An odyssey of death has just begun.
Demonic possession was all the rage in the early '80s and this low budget film, which looks very cheap indeed, is surprisingly funny, mainly due to the series of gory deaths which fill it up. The make up is okay too, and it's obvious where the money was spent. There isn't much plot to speak of, and explanations are given in dream sequences with no dialogue, so there isn't anything to muddle your brain while watching. It's a simple tale of a demon-possessed woman who murders literally anybody who steps into her life (and house).
The gore is plentiful, including a man's eyeball coming out, and a woman's chest being graphically torn open. Another comedy moment involves a man's head exploding with a pop noise. It's hilarious, it really is! Obviously it looks like I'm a complete sicko now, but the gore is pretty ineptly done so it isn't disturbing or anything - just amusing, and overall, fun. The film is populated by strange characters, and not one person can be described as 'normal'. The gardener is a voyeur, and most of the men have sex on their minds (nothing new there).
Marjoe Gortner is the curly-haired husband who remains hilariously oblivious to all the murders going on around him and to the fact that his loving wife is in fact a demon in disguise, even when he's murdered he still doesn't get it. Bobbie Bresee is a supremely untalented actress who shows a surprising willingness to strip off for the camera and prance around topless. Her bad acting is pretty funny. There's even a doctor character obviously based on Doctor Loomis from HALLOWEEN, which is no bad thing, and a housekeeper who offers comic dialogue. Bresee's demon makeup is also pretty funny and fake. There is one unique moment in this film when Bresee's breasts become little demon faces complete with snapping teeth, and then proceed to rip out her screen husband's chest. It's a memorable scene in what is otherwise a cheaply made abomination with enough gore and bad special effects to stop it being entirely useless - just slightly. Worth a look if you're in the mood.
Demonic possession was all the rage in the early '80s and this low budget film, which looks very cheap indeed, is surprisingly funny, mainly due to the series of gory deaths which fill it up. The make up is okay too, and it's obvious where the money was spent. There isn't much plot to speak of, and explanations are given in dream sequences with no dialogue, so there isn't anything to muddle your brain while watching. It's a simple tale of a demon-possessed woman who murders literally anybody who steps into her life (and house).
The gore is plentiful, including a man's eyeball coming out, and a woman's chest being graphically torn open. Another comedy moment involves a man's head exploding with a pop noise. It's hilarious, it really is! Obviously it looks like I'm a complete sicko now, but the gore is pretty ineptly done so it isn't disturbing or anything - just amusing, and overall, fun. The film is populated by strange characters, and not one person can be described as 'normal'. The gardener is a voyeur, and most of the men have sex on their minds (nothing new there).
Marjoe Gortner is the curly-haired husband who remains hilariously oblivious to all the murders going on around him and to the fact that his loving wife is in fact a demon in disguise, even when he's murdered he still doesn't get it. Bobbie Bresee is a supremely untalented actress who shows a surprising willingness to strip off for the camera and prance around topless. Her bad acting is pretty funny. There's even a doctor character obviously based on Doctor Loomis from HALLOWEEN, which is no bad thing, and a housekeeper who offers comic dialogue. Bresee's demon makeup is also pretty funny and fake. There is one unique moment in this film when Bresee's breasts become little demon faces complete with snapping teeth, and then proceed to rip out her screen husband's chest. It's a memorable scene in what is otherwise a cheaply made abomination with enough gore and bad special effects to stop it being entirely useless - just slightly. Worth a look if you're in the mood.
What Nice Muppet Boobs You Have, Ms. Bresee!
wkduffy4 March 2006
A film like this puts everything in perspective. Allow me to elaborate.
Plaintiff's Exhibit A: Consider, if you will, films like "The Children" (kids on a school-bus ride through a radioactive cloud, become zombies, and hug their parents to death), or "The Dark" (William Devane and Cathy Lee Crosby circle Los Angeles trying to find a monster who can't decide if he's a mentally retarded caveman or an alien from outer space). Before watching "Mausoleum," I always considered these flicks to be kitschy, low budget, suitable time wasters. However after watching "Mausoleum," I can confidently say films like "The Children" and "The Dark" are top-notch, creative, creepy, mind-blowing classics.
That's an indirect way of letting you know that "Mausoleum" is dreck. Junk, plain and simple. I'm a forgiving soul when it comes to horror movies of all kinds (revisit Exhibit A if you have any doubts)I'll give just about any "filmic art" the time of day. But 25 minutes into this empty "Mausoleum," and my attention was already wandering to the fridge. FLAT is probably the best descriptive adjective. The characters, the cinematography, the plot, the setting, the musicthe whole package is as flat as an 80s pancake. Even the "Oogily Googily!" mutterings of LaWanda Page as the black maid who "exits stage left" in a "comedy" moment when things turn uglyeven that is FLAT. It's not funny or entertaining; Page's portrayal and delivery is so flat, it's not even a racial stereotype. Even Bobbie Bresee's "demon breasts" that come alive and chew through Marjoe Gortner during a sexy embrace are FLAT.
Well, her breasts aren't flat by any means, but the drooling Muppet-like toothy puppets that her breasts becomethe whole thing is inexcusably dumb. And worse, even forgiving the limitations of 80s technology, her puppet boobs look dumb.
Word to the wise: Skip it. You won't be missing a thing.
Defense Exhibit B: Allow me to offer one counterargument. There's a potentially revelatory moment in the film that almost makes it rise to the level of "worth mentioning"-not "worth watching," but worth mentioning. At the end of the film, as Psychologist Simon and Protag Bobbie stumble out of the titular mausoleum having apparently defeated the evil, Simon turns to a mysteriously hooded grounds-keeper sitting near the gate and says: "You've known about this your whole life and have lived with the secret. For God's sake, don't ever let anyone enter the mausoleum!" As the two speed away, the camera centers on the grounds-keeper who is cutting some flowers. He looks directly at the camera and begins to cackle and cackle and CACKLE and CACKLE and---suddenly, just before the end crawl started, just for one freaking microsecond, I could've sworn this dude was LAUGHING AT ME for having just whittled away an hour and half of my life watching this dreck. I even rewound it and watched again, trying desperately to infer the intentions of the actor, the director, the cameraman. Was that their intention? WAS I BEING LAUGHED AT? If true, this might very well be the coolest horror flick on the planet. Even if it were an accident, that kind of self-referential humor (pointed keenly at the audience) is a mark of geniusa genius I only wish the rest of the film bore out. But ultimately it doesn't.
Anyway, just one last gem of dialog before I go (and I won't make any inappropriate "fish" jokes hereI'll leave that up to you):
Oliver (husband): "What's for dinner?"
Susan (wife): "Poached Salmon...and me."
Plaintiff's Exhibit A: Consider, if you will, films like "The Children" (kids on a school-bus ride through a radioactive cloud, become zombies, and hug their parents to death), or "The Dark" (William Devane and Cathy Lee Crosby circle Los Angeles trying to find a monster who can't decide if he's a mentally retarded caveman or an alien from outer space). Before watching "Mausoleum," I always considered these flicks to be kitschy, low budget, suitable time wasters. However after watching "Mausoleum," I can confidently say films like "The Children" and "The Dark" are top-notch, creative, creepy, mind-blowing classics.
That's an indirect way of letting you know that "Mausoleum" is dreck. Junk, plain and simple. I'm a forgiving soul when it comes to horror movies of all kinds (revisit Exhibit A if you have any doubts)I'll give just about any "filmic art" the time of day. But 25 minutes into this empty "Mausoleum," and my attention was already wandering to the fridge. FLAT is probably the best descriptive adjective. The characters, the cinematography, the plot, the setting, the musicthe whole package is as flat as an 80s pancake. Even the "Oogily Googily!" mutterings of LaWanda Page as the black maid who "exits stage left" in a "comedy" moment when things turn uglyeven that is FLAT. It's not funny or entertaining; Page's portrayal and delivery is so flat, it's not even a racial stereotype. Even Bobbie Bresee's "demon breasts" that come alive and chew through Marjoe Gortner during a sexy embrace are FLAT.
Well, her breasts aren't flat by any means, but the drooling Muppet-like toothy puppets that her breasts becomethe whole thing is inexcusably dumb. And worse, even forgiving the limitations of 80s technology, her puppet boobs look dumb.
Word to the wise: Skip it. You won't be missing a thing.
Defense Exhibit B: Allow me to offer one counterargument. There's a potentially revelatory moment in the film that almost makes it rise to the level of "worth mentioning"-not "worth watching," but worth mentioning. At the end of the film, as Psychologist Simon and Protag Bobbie stumble out of the titular mausoleum having apparently defeated the evil, Simon turns to a mysteriously hooded grounds-keeper sitting near the gate and says: "You've known about this your whole life and have lived with the secret. For God's sake, don't ever let anyone enter the mausoleum!" As the two speed away, the camera centers on the grounds-keeper who is cutting some flowers. He looks directly at the camera and begins to cackle and cackle and CACKLE and CACKLE and---suddenly, just before the end crawl started, just for one freaking microsecond, I could've sworn this dude was LAUGHING AT ME for having just whittled away an hour and half of my life watching this dreck. I even rewound it and watched again, trying desperately to infer the intentions of the actor, the director, the cameraman. Was that their intention? WAS I BEING LAUGHED AT? If true, this might very well be the coolest horror flick on the planet. Even if it were an accident, that kind of self-referential humor (pointed keenly at the audience) is a mark of geniusa genius I only wish the rest of the film bore out. But ultimately it doesn't.
Anyway, just one last gem of dialog before I go (and I won't make any inappropriate "fish" jokes hereI'll leave that up to you):
Oliver (husband): "What's for dinner?"
Susan (wife): "Poached Salmon...and me."
Standard Fare for the Time
onward-116 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
There seemed to be a lot of these movies, all probably in reaction to "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby" in latter-seventies. You can add this film to the list including The Car, The Wraith (with a young Charlie Sheen, if memory serves, The Herse and Devil's Rain. The Dunwich Horror... well... it fits in this category, but is almost too good to include. Besides, it at least has Sandra Dee! And now a SLIGHT spoiler warning as this has been mentioned in previous comments...
The secret family name NOMED was a rather obvious plot hint. If I were marrying someone with that name, one of the first things -I- would probably realize was that it indeed was DEMON spelled backwards.
I think I would insist on a hyphenated name. Like Susan Cthulu-Smythe or some-such.
This film would probably be a good selection for a collection of films which are "so bad, they're good."
The secret family name NOMED was a rather obvious plot hint. If I were marrying someone with that name, one of the first things -I- would probably realize was that it indeed was DEMON spelled backwards.
I think I would insist on a hyphenated name. Like Susan Cthulu-Smythe or some-such.
This film would probably be a good selection for a collection of films which are "so bad, they're good."
80s horror doesn't disappoint
PeterBradford10 June 2019
Well-shot, atmospheric chiller. Bobbie Bresee, in her first horror film, doffs her blouse at every available opportunity. Marjoe Gortner (FOOD OF THE GODS) is very effective as Bresee's hubby. The late John Buechleur does an outstanding job on makeup effects. His female demon has to be seen to be believed.
Cool cover, bad movie.
Zorin-218 April 2001
I bought Mausoleum at a pawn shop because the cover looked cool and made the film look scary. The film turned out to be a total waste of time. The story was all right, but the film was made poorly, with poor performances and sets. A women enters a cursed Mausoleum and gets possessed by a demon said in an old family curse. Every once and a while she turns into a demon with carnivorous breasts. Yeah right.
Naughty, Nasty Nostalgia
Falconeer30 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A staple of 80s cable TV, this twisted, cult horror film could only be played after 10 pm on Showtime, due to its graphic nature. Deservedly so, as "Mausoleum" contains a lot of sex and bloody violence. This tale of a sexed up housewife who goes on a killing spree after being possessed by a demon that has been taking over the bodies of every first female of every generation of the Nomed family lineage, (Nomed is demon spelled backwards), truly must be seen to be believed. Now until I saw the beautifully restored version on Bluray, I thought this was a made for video production, but I must say it looks gorgeous, and the director's talents can finally be appreciated. The Italian Greats such as Bava and Argento, were obviously an influence, as can be seen by the film style and color scheme of the sets. This is truly the relic of a better time in cinema, and the young directors of today try to mimic this vintage style of film making, but this is the real deal. Just as nasty and sexy as I remember, "Mausoleum" is truly a guilty pleasure. I can't recommend the new Bluray from Vinegar Syndrome highly enough. They have been reviving many long forgotten gems like this one. This one will hold a special interest for gore hounds and those into gore makeup effects, as there is some truly memorable stuff here.
What possessed them to make this?
BA_Harrison19 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Shrouded in fog and subject to constant violent thunderstorms (despite being situated in an otherwise very sunny and pleasant looking cemetery), the Nomed (oooh, how clever is that?) family mausoleum would probably be the last place I would choose to enter if my lineage was cursed by demonic possession. However, after fleeing her mother's funeral, Young Susan Walker Farrell happily seeks solitude in the spooky burial chamber, and becomes a host for the creature that resides within.
Years later, and the demon finally makes its presence known, turning the now married Susan (played by busty-but-otherwise-talentless starlet Bobbie Bresee) into a glowing-eyed, murderous nymphomaniac. After sleeping with and killing her gardener, bumping off a delivery boy, ripping her aunt apart, dropping a guy over a balcony in a shopping mall, scaring off the comic-relief home help (a crazy black housemaid who constantly jibber jabbers to herself), and partially devouring her husband with her slavering demonic breasts (I kid you not), Susan is saved by her shrink, who places a crown of thorns on her head, causing the monster within to crawl back to its crypt.
Mausoleum, as you can probably tell from my description, is a rather crappy horror that lacks anything even remotely resembling a coherent and logical plot. It is laden with abysmal visual FX and make-up, loaded with genre clichés (fog, thunder and lightning, rats, cobwebs etc.), features tons of terrible acting, and, despite some very cheesy moments, is pretty dull viewing.
Bresee gets her tits out quite a lot to try and compensate somewhat for her dreadful performance, but, even if she had done an explicit nude gymnastic routine in a hall of mirrors, it wouldn't have been enough to save the film from being a major waste of time. A dreadful twist/surprise ending (which also makes absolutely no sense) leaves viewers wondering just how such an obviously awful idea ever made it past the planning stage.
Years later, and the demon finally makes its presence known, turning the now married Susan (played by busty-but-otherwise-talentless starlet Bobbie Bresee) into a glowing-eyed, murderous nymphomaniac. After sleeping with and killing her gardener, bumping off a delivery boy, ripping her aunt apart, dropping a guy over a balcony in a shopping mall, scaring off the comic-relief home help (a crazy black housemaid who constantly jibber jabbers to herself), and partially devouring her husband with her slavering demonic breasts (I kid you not), Susan is saved by her shrink, who places a crown of thorns on her head, causing the monster within to crawl back to its crypt.
Mausoleum, as you can probably tell from my description, is a rather crappy horror that lacks anything even remotely resembling a coherent and logical plot. It is laden with abysmal visual FX and make-up, loaded with genre clichés (fog, thunder and lightning, rats, cobwebs etc.), features tons of terrible acting, and, despite some very cheesy moments, is pretty dull viewing.
Bresee gets her tits out quite a lot to try and compensate somewhat for her dreadful performance, but, even if she had done an explicit nude gymnastic routine in a hall of mirrors, it wouldn't have been enough to save the film from being a major waste of time. A dreadful twist/surprise ending (which also makes absolutely no sense) leaves viewers wondering just how such an obviously awful idea ever made it past the planning stage.
An enjoyably schlocky 80's low-budget horror exploitation hoot
Woodyanders6 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Lovely and sweet young Susan Farrell (a respectable performance by deliciously voluptuous blonde bombshell Bobbie Bresee) suffers from an especially nasty family curse: she gets possessed by the spirit of an evil and lethal, yet enticing distaff demonic spirit that takes over the first born daughters of every line in her family. Pretty soon Susan just ain't acting like herself anymore; she starts seducing and murdering various guys. It's up to concerned psychiatrist Dr. Simon Andrews (nicely played by Norman Burton) to save Susan's soul before it's too late. Director Michael Dugan does a sound job of creating and maintaining a flesh-crawling ooga-booga atmosphere, pours on a handy helping of juicy gore (the definite splatter highlight occurs when Susan levitates a guy and sends the man falling to his death from a three story balcony onto a glass table), tosses in several moments of hilariously campy humor, and has the luscious Ms. Bresee bare her insanely hot body at pleasingly regular intervals. The game cast do their best with the rather silly material: the ever-cool Marjoe Gortner as Susan's loving, but busy husband Oliver, Laura Hippe as Susan's worried Aunt Cora Nomed, and Sheri Mann as helpful demonic possession expert Dr. Roni Logan. LaWanda Page (Aunt Esther on "Sanford and Son") provides gut-busting lowbrow comic relief as superstitious black maid Elsie. Maurice Sherbanee likewise amuses as creepy, lecherous Mexican gardener Ben. Robert Barich's polished cinematography makes occasional inspired use of a fluid gliding Steadicam. Jaime Mendoza-Nava's spooky'n'moody score does the shuddery trick. John Carl Buechler comes through with a marvelously grotesque make-up design for the hideously ugly female demon; the foul beast's drooling, fanged, snarling breasts are particularly funky and memorable. Granted, this flick certainly isn't a subtle and sophisticated work of cinematic art, but it does overall pass muster as a highly entertaining piece of cheerfully cheesy trash.
Part pure camp, part legitimate horror
drownsoda9012 December 2018
"Mausoleum" follows Susan, recently turned thirty, who is plagued by an ancestral demon she encountered after her mother's death in the family mausoleum. This pesky parasite causes her to transform into a grotesque monster and kill everyone around her.
This retro 1980s schlockfest is one of the better possession/"Exorcist" knockoffs, blending elements of slasher films with possession horror and the monster movie. The result is potent with campiness, but it's really all in good fun. Bobbie Bresee plays the lead Susan, who falls in and out of her possession with a complete lack of awareness; her eyes glow green when she's under the influence of the demon, and green smoke rolls out under the door of her bedroom. At her most extreme, she morphs into a revolting creature that predates Angela in "Night of the Demons." What's surprising here is that by and large, the special effects (helmed by the famed John Carl Buechler) are very good given the time period. There are some effective levitation sequences, and the monster effects are impressive and practical.
The film also boasts solid cinematography that is at times legitimately nightmarish and recalls Italian horror cinema of the '60s and '70s, and is tied together with a moody score that adds to the ambiance. Where the film falls flat is the writing and acting, which are both mixed bags. Bresee is alternately decent and awful as Susan, but her character is so vacant that it hardly matters. Norman Burton is serviceable as her psychologist, and LaWanda Burton provides short-lived comic relief as the maid who gets the heck out of dodge before becoming demon mincemeat. It seems to me that part of the pitfalls in the performance have to do with the dialogue, which feels stilted many times throughout. Then again, this is an early-'80s monster possession flick, so I'm not sure the bar is to be set quite so high.
Overall, I found "Mausoleum" an effective early-'80s supernatural horror film. Save some lazy writing, there is a lot of fun to be had here, and the movie is chock full with gruesome murder scenes and all sorts of other supernatural (and green-glowing) mayhem. Fans of other "Exorcist"-esque horror such as "Beyond the Door" will have a riot with it, and in some ways it's better. 7/10.
This retro 1980s schlockfest is one of the better possession/"Exorcist" knockoffs, blending elements of slasher films with possession horror and the monster movie. The result is potent with campiness, but it's really all in good fun. Bobbie Bresee plays the lead Susan, who falls in and out of her possession with a complete lack of awareness; her eyes glow green when she's under the influence of the demon, and green smoke rolls out under the door of her bedroom. At her most extreme, she morphs into a revolting creature that predates Angela in "Night of the Demons." What's surprising here is that by and large, the special effects (helmed by the famed John Carl Buechler) are very good given the time period. There are some effective levitation sequences, and the monster effects are impressive and practical.
The film also boasts solid cinematography that is at times legitimately nightmarish and recalls Italian horror cinema of the '60s and '70s, and is tied together with a moody score that adds to the ambiance. Where the film falls flat is the writing and acting, which are both mixed bags. Bresee is alternately decent and awful as Susan, but her character is so vacant that it hardly matters. Norman Burton is serviceable as her psychologist, and LaWanda Burton provides short-lived comic relief as the maid who gets the heck out of dodge before becoming demon mincemeat. It seems to me that part of the pitfalls in the performance have to do with the dialogue, which feels stilted many times throughout. Then again, this is an early-'80s monster possession flick, so I'm not sure the bar is to be set quite so high.
Overall, I found "Mausoleum" an effective early-'80s supernatural horror film. Save some lazy writing, there is a lot of fun to be had here, and the movie is chock full with gruesome murder scenes and all sorts of other supernatural (and green-glowing) mayhem. Fans of other "Exorcist"-esque horror such as "Beyond the Door" will have a riot with it, and in some ways it's better. 7/10.
If man-eating demonic breasts can't save a movie, nothing can
happyendingrocks13 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This incomprehensible offering squanders a decent premise by bogging it down with so many inconsistencies that the end result is an incoherent mess. Taken a bit more seriously, the basic plot line of Mausoleum could have been shaped into a real gem, but as it stands, only the most forgiving genre fan will find much of interest here.
The story revolves around a woman named Susan who inherits a family curse and becomes possessed by a demonic spirit with the ability to summon psychedelic lighting and dry ice wherever it appears. When both her husband and her psychiatrist begin to suspect that something is amiss, they embark on a race against time to defeat the evil invader, while Susan keeps herself busy by getting naked and killing off any man who hits on her.
Though John Carl Buechler is on board for this ride, the special effects are a decidedly mixed bag, ranging from a handful of nicely executed gore gags to one dreadfully sloppy sequence in which demon-mode Susan forces a victim to float through the air, during which the harness used to suspend the ersatz Mary Poppins from the ceiling is not only clearly visible on screen, but remains in the frame for the entire stunt so that we can see the apparatus moving along its track as the doomed woman levitates. The various stages of Susan's transformations are likewise disjointed. The more subtle touches work best; a scene in which our hexed heroine sits silently in a rocking chair with her disfigured face obscured by shadows is one of the few genuinely creepy images in the film. However, when the demon is on full display, the mounds of latex on Susan's face make her look like she's ready to audition for GWAR.
Ex-Playboy bunny Bobbie Bresee offers a decent performance, but it's made abundantly clear throughout the movie that the film-makers' primary emphasis is on her multiple nude scenes. Bresee is certainly easy on the eyes, but her rather ambiguous and prototypically banal brand of attractiveness ensures that she shifts throughout the film looking alternately beautiful and bland, depending on the lighting.
The biggest problem with Mausoleum is that so little of the film adheres to its own flimsy logic. The crux of Susan's monstrous manifestations seems to be her anger at being a viewed as a sex object, since she wreaks violent vengeance upon multiple men whose crass advances mark them as near future victims. Yet, she actively seduces two of her casualties, and has sex with one of them before dispatching him. Her motives become even more dicey with the random killing of a female character, whose only sin is stopping by the house to drop off some paperwork.
The set-ups for the murders are so transparent that they play out like scenes from a porno script, particularly the arrival of a delivery driver who Susan invites in to "use the phone". I kept waiting for a pizza man to show up and ask Bresee, "who ordered the extra sausage?"
A comic relief monologue by a sassy African-American maid ends up being one of the most memorable moments in the movie, but since this is the only time the film actively courts intentional humor, this portion ends up being perplexing and out of place. Still, it's a genuinely funny sequence, so we have to at least give Mausoleum credit for succeeding on that front.
The scene in which Susan's breasts morph into snaggle-toothed, blood-thirsty mammary monsters pretty much defies critical analysis, so I'll let that dubious plot point speak for itself.
Despite a few strong touches along the way, the film completely falls apart during the last reel, and once we discover that the secret weapon needed to defeat the demon is a crown of thorns (?), any chance of Mausoleum finding a steady footing is erased immediately. The final scene attempts to insert a game-changing twist, but since said twist makes absolutely zero sense, the effectiveness of this fade to black is debatable. The incessant maniacal chuckling which concludes the film seems to suggest that Mausoleum has descended into such heady depths of idiocy that all you can really do is laugh about it. Of course it goes without saying that the song that plays over the closing credits is atrocious beyond belief.
There are a few inspired moments here, but only the most ardent early '80s horror completist will glean much satisfaction from this thoroughly baffling exercise. Rest assured, the "so bad it's good" label can be readily applied to Mausoleum, so if your tolerance for that school of film-making is high, I can recommend this to you a bit more enthusiastically.
The story revolves around a woman named Susan who inherits a family curse and becomes possessed by a demonic spirit with the ability to summon psychedelic lighting and dry ice wherever it appears. When both her husband and her psychiatrist begin to suspect that something is amiss, they embark on a race against time to defeat the evil invader, while Susan keeps herself busy by getting naked and killing off any man who hits on her.
Though John Carl Buechler is on board for this ride, the special effects are a decidedly mixed bag, ranging from a handful of nicely executed gore gags to one dreadfully sloppy sequence in which demon-mode Susan forces a victim to float through the air, during which the harness used to suspend the ersatz Mary Poppins from the ceiling is not only clearly visible on screen, but remains in the frame for the entire stunt so that we can see the apparatus moving along its track as the doomed woman levitates. The various stages of Susan's transformations are likewise disjointed. The more subtle touches work best; a scene in which our hexed heroine sits silently in a rocking chair with her disfigured face obscured by shadows is one of the few genuinely creepy images in the film. However, when the demon is on full display, the mounds of latex on Susan's face make her look like she's ready to audition for GWAR.
Ex-Playboy bunny Bobbie Bresee offers a decent performance, but it's made abundantly clear throughout the movie that the film-makers' primary emphasis is on her multiple nude scenes. Bresee is certainly easy on the eyes, but her rather ambiguous and prototypically banal brand of attractiveness ensures that she shifts throughout the film looking alternately beautiful and bland, depending on the lighting.
The biggest problem with Mausoleum is that so little of the film adheres to its own flimsy logic. The crux of Susan's monstrous manifestations seems to be her anger at being a viewed as a sex object, since she wreaks violent vengeance upon multiple men whose crass advances mark them as near future victims. Yet, she actively seduces two of her casualties, and has sex with one of them before dispatching him. Her motives become even more dicey with the random killing of a female character, whose only sin is stopping by the house to drop off some paperwork.
The set-ups for the murders are so transparent that they play out like scenes from a porno script, particularly the arrival of a delivery driver who Susan invites in to "use the phone". I kept waiting for a pizza man to show up and ask Bresee, "who ordered the extra sausage?"
A comic relief monologue by a sassy African-American maid ends up being one of the most memorable moments in the movie, but since this is the only time the film actively courts intentional humor, this portion ends up being perplexing and out of place. Still, it's a genuinely funny sequence, so we have to at least give Mausoleum credit for succeeding on that front.
The scene in which Susan's breasts morph into snaggle-toothed, blood-thirsty mammary monsters pretty much defies critical analysis, so I'll let that dubious plot point speak for itself.
Despite a few strong touches along the way, the film completely falls apart during the last reel, and once we discover that the secret weapon needed to defeat the demon is a crown of thorns (?), any chance of Mausoleum finding a steady footing is erased immediately. The final scene attempts to insert a game-changing twist, but since said twist makes absolutely zero sense, the effectiveness of this fade to black is debatable. The incessant maniacal chuckling which concludes the film seems to suggest that Mausoleum has descended into such heady depths of idiocy that all you can really do is laugh about it. Of course it goes without saying that the song that plays over the closing credits is atrocious beyond belief.
There are a few inspired moments here, but only the most ardent early '80s horror completist will glean much satisfaction from this thoroughly baffling exercise. Rest assured, the "so bad it's good" label can be readily applied to Mausoleum, so if your tolerance for that school of film-making is high, I can recommend this to you a bit more enthusiastically.
a mediocre classic
scrotumscraggle6910 June 2002
Mausoleum is a strange and somewhat interesting film about demonic possession. The special effects for the gore were exceptional, however, the special effects for other aspects were quite poor and low budget. The acting is fair and the storyline is a little far-fetched but the movie itself is pretty good. The movie has its creepy moments and it has a tendency to keep your interest. This is a fairly good B film and if you get a chance check it out.
Pretty Entertaining
G00fhunter5 September 2021
This is a pretty entertaining 80's horror movie and actually a little better than i thought it'd be. Whether it's Susan's beauty or Ms. Elsie's responses to things,this movie will keep you watching. The runtime is a little long and the graphics are pretty bad but hey, it was a low budget movie in the 1980's. Give this a shot if your a true horror fan you might like it.
This was... uhm, something else alright...
paul_haakonsen7 April 2019
Granted I wasn't expecting much from a movie from 1983, especially since it was a movie that I hadn't even heard about, much less knew existed prior to stumbling upon it in 2019. But given the fact that it is a horror movie, then that was sufficient enough to make me pick it up and watch it.
In terms of plotline and story, then "Mausoleum" was less than mediocre. Actually the storyline was so simplistic that it was almost an insult to the audience. I have to admit that I lost interest in the movie very quickly, and the fact that the entire movie seemed to be made up without a proper coherent script as they went along really didn't help much on my enjoyment.
As for the special effects. Sure, the movie was from 1983, but even for that period the special effects in the movie was less than mediocre. It was especially awful watching a still frame with the eyes painted green. That just made no sense that they opted for something that simplistic.
"Mausoleum" is by no means an outstanding or memorable horror movie, and I dozed off once or twice along the way. Can't really claim to have been missing out on anything important to the storyline during my brief moments of snoring.
I have watched it, and take heed, because this was an abysmal movie. There is nothing in this movie that would make me pick it up and watch it a second time, because it was an ordeal in itself getting through it the first time.
In terms of plotline and story, then "Mausoleum" was less than mediocre. Actually the storyline was so simplistic that it was almost an insult to the audience. I have to admit that I lost interest in the movie very quickly, and the fact that the entire movie seemed to be made up without a proper coherent script as they went along really didn't help much on my enjoyment.
As for the special effects. Sure, the movie was from 1983, but even for that period the special effects in the movie was less than mediocre. It was especially awful watching a still frame with the eyes painted green. That just made no sense that they opted for something that simplistic.
"Mausoleum" is by no means an outstanding or memorable horror movie, and I dozed off once or twice along the way. Can't really claim to have been missing out on anything important to the storyline during my brief moments of snoring.
I have watched it, and take heed, because this was an abysmal movie. There is nothing in this movie that would make me pick it up and watch it a second time, because it was an ordeal in itself getting through it the first time.
The best thing about this movie is its cover art...
UltimateDarkness9 March 2004
The only reason I rented this movie was because it has one of the coolest covers I've ever seen of any movie and the title is cool. But, the cover art of Mausoleum is the best thing about the whole movie. The plot is decent, something about a woman being able to turn into a demon after she is possessed early on in her life inside a mausoleum which housed an evil spirit of some sort she accidentally unleashed, and if the movie had a better script it might have actually been able to be a decent movie since its effects and photography weren't that bad. But its script sucks, and the movie is pervasively boring throughout. And the climax is awful as well, I remember how anxious I was wanting the movie to JUST END, but it kept going on, and on, and on, avoid this movie unless you love shlocky bad boring movies.
There's some strange *beep* going on in this house.
Hey_Sweden25 August 2019
Bobbie Bresee (the temptress in "Ghoulies") stars here as Susan Walker Farrell, whose family history is colourful, to say the least. It dictates that she will fall victim to demonic possession as an adult, when she is married to concerned nice guy Oliver Farrell (Marjoe Gortner, "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?"). Various people are killed off by her while she is in this demon incarnation, and it will be up to her longtime psychiatrist, Simon Andrews (Norman Burton, "The Gumball Rally"), to do his reading on the Nomed family (the name is a clumsy clue) and find out how to save the day.
The 80s live on in ultra-cheesy spectacles like this one. While hardly a "good" film, that matters little. The truth is, it's a VERY amusing low budget horror / sleaze / schlock film, complete with negligible acting, ropey visual effects, decent gore, a dose of nudity from Ms. Bresee, entertainingly designed creatures (the "demon breasts" are the most original touch), melodramatic music by Jaime Mendoza-Nava, and a fair amount of humour, at least some of which I believe IS intentional. The silly script is credited to Robert Barich (who pulled triple duty; he was also a producer and the cinematographer) and Robert Madero. The film is never more fun than when Ms. Bresee is undergoing her monstrous manifestations. These are always worth hearty laughs.
Marjoe, commendably, looks very serious as the distraught husband. The same goes for the great character actor Burton. Bresee is very sexy, but not much of an actress. Laura Hippe ("The Swinging Barmaids") plays Susan's aunt Cora. Maurice Sherbanee ("Charlie Wilson's War") is the horny, seedy gardener; La Wanda Page of 'Sanford and Son' fame is priceless as the maid who just might be the smartest character in this whole thing. And that's Bill Vail, Kirk from the original "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", as the final incarnation of the demon.
"Mausoleum" is a hoot and a half, a film very much of its time that can barely be considered scary, but is awfully damn entertaining much of the time.
Seven out of 10.
The 80s live on in ultra-cheesy spectacles like this one. While hardly a "good" film, that matters little. The truth is, it's a VERY amusing low budget horror / sleaze / schlock film, complete with negligible acting, ropey visual effects, decent gore, a dose of nudity from Ms. Bresee, entertainingly designed creatures (the "demon breasts" are the most original touch), melodramatic music by Jaime Mendoza-Nava, and a fair amount of humour, at least some of which I believe IS intentional. The silly script is credited to Robert Barich (who pulled triple duty; he was also a producer and the cinematographer) and Robert Madero. The film is never more fun than when Ms. Bresee is undergoing her monstrous manifestations. These are always worth hearty laughs.
Marjoe, commendably, looks very serious as the distraught husband. The same goes for the great character actor Burton. Bresee is very sexy, but not much of an actress. Laura Hippe ("The Swinging Barmaids") plays Susan's aunt Cora. Maurice Sherbanee ("Charlie Wilson's War") is the horny, seedy gardener; La Wanda Page of 'Sanford and Son' fame is priceless as the maid who just might be the smartest character in this whole thing. And that's Bill Vail, Kirk from the original "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", as the final incarnation of the demon.
"Mausoleum" is a hoot and a half, a film very much of its time that can barely be considered scary, but is awfully damn entertaining much of the time.
Seven out of 10.
Below average 80s horror flick
Armin_Nikkhah_Shirazi25 March 2022
MAUSOLEUM tells the story of a woman who, under a centuries-old family curse, is possessed by a demon which has an abode in said mausoleum.
The movie has a few effective gore scenes, but overall, the silly plot and especially the schlocky creature effects drag it down. Given how bad those effects are, it is hard to believe that this was made 10 years after THE EXORCIST(1973), of which it is faintly reminiscent.
Another point of criticism is a brief comedic interlude with vaguely racist undertones which would likely not be acceptable today.
What saves this film from going to the bottom of the trash heap are a reasonably coherent story (though not always, e.g. What happened to the truck of the delivery driver?), a nice atmosphere, the willingness of the main actress to give 100% in her performance, and the film's willingness to kill off characters one might not have expected to die. One such character, whose chest is ripped out by demon-faced breasts, provides a particularly original, if unintentionally funny scene.
The film is interesting for another reason: it provides in one scene a nice contrast between the practical effects of yore and CGI of today. Early in the movie, a character dies by partial head explosion. The effect is done well, and for that reason unsettling. Today, this would have been done with CGI, but I don't think that CGI could achieve the same visceral impact on the audience, no matter how graphic.
Overall, this is mainly for fans of 80s horror.
The movie has a few effective gore scenes, but overall, the silly plot and especially the schlocky creature effects drag it down. Given how bad those effects are, it is hard to believe that this was made 10 years after THE EXORCIST(1973), of which it is faintly reminiscent.
Another point of criticism is a brief comedic interlude with vaguely racist undertones which would likely not be acceptable today.
What saves this film from going to the bottom of the trash heap are a reasonably coherent story (though not always, e.g. What happened to the truck of the delivery driver?), a nice atmosphere, the willingness of the main actress to give 100% in her performance, and the film's willingness to kill off characters one might not have expected to die. One such character, whose chest is ripped out by demon-faced breasts, provides a particularly original, if unintentionally funny scene.
The film is interesting for another reason: it provides in one scene a nice contrast between the practical effects of yore and CGI of today. Early in the movie, a character dies by partial head explosion. The effect is done well, and for that reason unsettling. Today, this would have been done with CGI, but I don't think that CGI could achieve the same visceral impact on the audience, no matter how graphic.
Overall, this is mainly for fans of 80s horror.
This is an underrated picture and should be on your "80s classics" list
kevin_robbins2 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Mausoleum (1983) is a classic horror gem I recently watched for free on Tubi. The movie focuses on a woman who had a demon take over her body as a girl; and now that she's a woman, the demon begins using his vessel for his own devious plans. This movie is directed by Michael Dugan (Raging Hormones) and stars Marjorie Gortner (Earthquake), Bobbie Bresee (Ghoulies), Maurice Sherbanee (The Pursuit of Happiness) and Norman Burton (Diamonds are Forever). I loved this movie. Bobbie Bresee was outstanding as the main character and her seduction of the characters was hilarious, as were the green eyes special effects. The opening scene where the demon takes her over was good also. I adored the transformation scenes at the end and there is plenty of 80s nudity in here. Overall this is an underrated picture and should be on your "80s classics" list. I'd score this a solid 6.5/10.
Almost a cult classic
jellopuke7 April 2021
There are elements of a really fun midnight movie here, like boobs turning into faces, but so much of it is slow moving that it drags it down. That said, the comic relief maid was so off the wall and practically from a different movie that it's worth a watch just for her!
A HIGHLY underrated schlock horror gem
Stay_away_from_the_Metropol14 January 2020
I felt at home as soon as the opening credits began, and for the most part, the movie kept me there. Mausoleum was made in 1983 but it feels like it was made in 1978, and that only adds to its appeal. It's really one of the best examples of a film that perfectly abridges the most cherished elements of late 70's horror with early 80's horror in a heavily stylish, free-flowing manner. Apparently the producers managed to lose the highest quality print of the film before it was even released, so the version that's always existed feels like some sort of dub. The film scratches are incredibly apparent through the entire film, and what I am 98% certain is the sound of a reel machine playing the actual print of the film can be heard in nearly every scene. Again, this just adds to the overall aesthetic and expedience.
The film reminded me more of a Lucio Fulci film than anything else. There is one basic plot concept which is laid out in the beginning and then the entire movie floats along through it. Literally the only flaw I found with this film is that it does get quite a bit less interesting as it goes. The second half felt quite a bit slower than the electric first. But it has WAY more strengths than flaws. The Argento-esque lighting is done tastefully and really adds a ton to the movie - it feels born from Argento but actually reminded me even more of contemporary works like those of Nicolas Winding Refn or Panos Cosmatos. There are plentiful sequences of fun gore, practical makeup effects, and over-the-top dialogue delivery. The music is moody and effective. The lead actress carries the movie wonderfully, always amusing with her campy yet dreamlike performance.
This is one of the more underrated horror gems I've seen in a while. This, and Blood Rage, except Blood Rage is straight up so-bad-it's-good while this flick really does offer quite a bit with merit. Definitely recommended for fans of Italian horror or dreamy, stylish films.
The film reminded me more of a Lucio Fulci film than anything else. There is one basic plot concept which is laid out in the beginning and then the entire movie floats along through it. Literally the only flaw I found with this film is that it does get quite a bit less interesting as it goes. The second half felt quite a bit slower than the electric first. But it has WAY more strengths than flaws. The Argento-esque lighting is done tastefully and really adds a ton to the movie - it feels born from Argento but actually reminded me even more of contemporary works like those of Nicolas Winding Refn or Panos Cosmatos. There are plentiful sequences of fun gore, practical makeup effects, and over-the-top dialogue delivery. The music is moody and effective. The lead actress carries the movie wonderfully, always amusing with her campy yet dreamlike performance.
This is one of the more underrated horror gems I've seen in a while. This, and Blood Rage, except Blood Rage is straight up so-bad-it's-good while this flick really does offer quite a bit with merit. Definitely recommended for fans of Italian horror or dreamy, stylish films.
An entertaining flick, you won't even mind that it's a rip off of The Exorcist
Dr_Adam_Warlock14 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Let's face it, every now and then there is a movie that is so entertaining that you will be willing to dismiss its shortcomings. Mausoleum is definitely one of them.
The story goes like this: traumatized by her mom's death, a girl runs off in a cemetery and ends up in her family's mausoleum. The same demonic force that took her mom away from her and many other people in her bloodline has now possessed her.
Fast forward about a few years, this girl is grown up into a woman oh, and she seems normal. But the same demonic possession that claimed her mother's life when she was a little girl has now started its work on her. Bizarre accidents and deaths seem to surround her, and it's up to her husband and her psychiatrist to retrieve a crown of thorns from the family mausoleum to place upon her and expel the demon forever and save not only her life but her soul as well.
For an exploitation movie from the early 80s oh, this had some pretty cool effects for a low budget Exorcist clone. Yes it's not well acted, and there are major plot holes, but you will have so much fun watching this you won't even mind.
The story goes like this: traumatized by her mom's death, a girl runs off in a cemetery and ends up in her family's mausoleum. The same demonic force that took her mom away from her and many other people in her bloodline has now possessed her.
Fast forward about a few years, this girl is grown up into a woman oh, and she seems normal. But the same demonic possession that claimed her mother's life when she was a little girl has now started its work on her. Bizarre accidents and deaths seem to surround her, and it's up to her husband and her psychiatrist to retrieve a crown of thorns from the family mausoleum to place upon her and expel the demon forever and save not only her life but her soul as well.
For an exploitation movie from the early 80s oh, this had some pretty cool effects for a low budget Exorcist clone. Yes it's not well acted, and there are major plot holes, but you will have so much fun watching this you won't even mind.
B-A-D-
Huntress-224 March 1999
What the hell was this, horror movie or soft-core porno flick? Bobbie Bresee was naked more often than not and either seducing or humping different men. The "demon" make-up was the worst I've ever seen and the acting was just pathetic. This movie should pride itself on being one of the worst films out there.
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