Six months after they've kicked out the troublemaking, drugged-up, and obnoxious member of their band (who we know is this way because we see him calling the barmaid names and generally being mean to everyone in the opening scene), wannabe rock stars, "The Wiseguys", head-off to Empire Studios to film a music video on some classic horror movie film lots. They wouldn't of gotten here if their lead singer's girlfriend's father didn't happen to be the head of a big record label, but all they care about is all the fame (and women) they'll be getting once the video hits big.

The video's obviously gay director (Charles Fleischer, best known as the voice of Roger Rabbit and turning in a funny performance here) doesn't like them and tells them so every chance he gets while their bitchy manager (Priscilla Barnes) is only doing it for the cash-in, but they've got a lot more to worry about than these things and their lack of talent as a killer wearing a messed-up Elvis mask (pompadour and all!) has started bloodily killing people off.

First to go are the people in charge of the "fog machine" and if you look close enough you'll realize one of them is Ken Sagoes, who horror fans will best know from playing "Kincaid" in the third and fourth Nightmare On Elm Street movies. From there others start dropping like flies while Fleischer and Barnes argue bitterly and the band tries to sneak off to make out with their back-up dancers (thus isolating them from the others so they can be murdered).

The Back Lot Murders offers little new as the films tongue-in-cheek approach has been done before, but at least the whole thing is made with conviction and there's lots of self-deprecating humour and "wink, wink" movie references to please fans. When Fleischer and Barnes aren't on screen (and at each other's throats) the movie starts to suffer as none of the no-name actors who fill the other roles really make much of an impression (with Alejando Escos the worst as stoner bass player, Sal). But it still contains a few alright deaths, such as a saw blade to the chest, to keep you interested and any movie featuring a "Colombian Necktie" is sure to be worth watching at least once.

Director/co-writer/co-producer David DeFalco has said they decided to make this movie because they had access to Universal Studios after operating hours (they even get to film some scenes outside the Bates house from Psycho) and while that's a pretty uninspired reason to make the movie, The Back Lot Murders actually turns out fairly entertaining and has a lot more laughs than I was expecting.

But when you get right down to it this is Barnes' movie. She replaced Suzanne Sommers on the popular sitcom, Three's Company, and spent three years on the show until its cancellation in 1984. Since then she's been in a string of mostly forgettable B-movies and recently surfaced as one of the victims in Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects. Here she gives a deliciously sarcastic performance and goes so over-the-top in the finale you can't help but love her. (Chris Hartley, 11/15/05)

Directed By: David DeFalco.
Written By: Paul Arensburg, Steven Jay Bernheim, David DeFalco.

Starring: Priscilla Barnes, Charles Fleischer, Brian Gaskill, Carrie Stevens.