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The greatest movie ever made..!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

One of those splinter in your mind films, you know the kind you would rent on VHS or see on late night broadcast TV as a kid & could never quite remember the name of {it doesn't help when they've changed it - when I rented it back in the day it was called "The Lawnmower Massacre"}. So I have been tracking it down for three years {thank goodness for IMDb.com even though it was still a little hard to find} so I could show my husband one of my "don't blame me - I'm so weird cause I saw this as a kid movie". I find at times it is much simpler to explain some aspects of psychology with films.... but I can't rate this one till I rent & watch it again because I don't remember how this one became a splinter in the first place {some are good obsessions, some were simply so traumatic in there badness that they glitch their way into the mind & you don't remember why until you revisit them & traumatize those you love}

"Wacko" is one of those films that audiences will either love or hate. It is dated, it is un-PC, it is crass and cruel all at the same time, but in the same sense it is a precursor to the now-popular "Scary Movie" franchise. For a PG rated film it pushes the envelope, it creates a world where one would have to have seen the film that they are spoofing, or be left in the dark. Unlike the "Scary Movie" films, "Wacko" leans away from the bathroom humor (albeit there is plenty there), but actually parodies cult films from Hitchcock, John Carpenter, De Palma, and so forth. Joe Don Baker is phenomenal. I am surprised that he didn't redefine this genre. His mannerisms, his insanity, and his surprisingly fresh take on his determined detective out to discover the truth is laugh-out-loud funny. Couple this with a fresh-faced Andrew Dice Clay jumping excitedly into the shoes of the local hipster/jock, be prepared for a wild ride. "Wacko" is fast past, absurd, and confusing all at the same time (i.e. see the talking elephant), but it isn't perfect. While two viewings continued to bring a chuckle to the room, any further viewing may be disastrous. There are some great repeatable lines, some great references, but these are coupled with some slow scenes and staged dialogue. There are moments where "Wacko" has no direction, and director Greydon Clark obviously has no idea where he is headed either. While this adds to the enjoyment of "Wacko", there was a moment where a secure storyline would have been a powerful alley to this laserdisc. Anything to keep us grounded while Clark took us around the corner, under the bridge, and into that darkened alleyway known as horror parodies.Overall, "Wacko" needs a DVD release. This is a film that could be watched on college campus', midnight Halloween night at your local independent theater, or with a group of friends with drinks. It is one of those 80s campy horror comedies that were afraid to take chances, and I respect "Wacko" for that. Obviously, it will not win awards, but I see that it make it into the "cult cannon" any day of the week. I would not suggest repeat viewings, but at least two for the detailed humor of Joe Don Baker and Andrew Dice Clay (in this film, merely known as Andrew Clay). The humor is sharp, the dialogue less friendly, and the in today's modern world, it would not be PG rated, but thanks to the 80s – it is mediocrity to its perfection.Grade: *** out of *****

I think it's funny that someone actually thought this was an inspiration for "The Lawnmower Man," which was actually loosely based on a story published by Stephen King five years before "Wacko" was made.So...inspiration for "The Lawnmower Man"? No. Damn funny horror spoof? Yes. Check this out, along with "Student Bodies"...the only two good horror spoofs to date.

Parody of the first generation of US splatter pics works on about the level of a Mad Magazine parody, but one of the FUNNY ones. (You may have to be kind of old like me to remember those.)Some veteran hams give it a kick along. Julia Duffy, (who was the snooty chambermaid who never did any work in the "Newhart" TV series set in an inn in Vermont)has exactly the right aloof/just don't care/not all there presence for the heroine here. Andrew Dice Clay has a great bit as the Vinnie Barbarino parody "Tony Schlongini". His theme-song/entrance is a case of 'once fingerpopped, never forgotten'.Proudly unsophisticated comedy has the dual charm of complete conviction in its silly gags, and not pretending it's anything other than what it is. Very easy watch, with more than enough laughs to get you through.