The Horror Show

"They tried to electrocute "Meat Cleaver" Max. It didn't work."

1989 1h 35m EN

😐

5.4

MID

★5.4TMDB · 173

HorrorThrillerFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Vowing revenge on the detective who apprehended him, serial killer "Meat Cleaver" Max Jenke returns from beyond the grave to launch a whole new reign of terror.

“They tried to electrocute "Meat Cleaver" Max. It didn't work.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon Prime VideoSubscription

fuboTVSubscription

MGM+ Amazon ChannelSubscription

PhiloSubscription

MGM Plus Roku Premium ChannelSubscription

MGM PlusSubscription

Amazon Prime Video with AdsSubscription

Fandango At HomeRent

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Lance Henriksen
Detective Lucas McCarthy
Brion James
Max Jenke
Rita Taggart
Donna McCarthy
Dedee Pfeiffer
Bonnie McCarthy
Aron Eisenberg
Scott McCarthy
Thom Bray
Peter Campbell
Matt Clark
Dr. Tower
David Oliver
Vinnie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Isaac
Writers: Alan Smithee, Leslie Bohem, Allyn Warner
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "House Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Isaac, shot by Mac Ahlberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Harry Manfredini. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Edward A. Kull shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Lance Henriksen and Brion James and Rita Taggart carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They tried to electrocute "Meat Cleaver" Max. It didn't work.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0097527 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Isaac directs. Mac Ahlberg behind the camera. Harry Manfredini scores. Edward A. Kull cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "House Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by James Isaac, shot by Mac Ahlberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Harry Manfredini. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Edward A. Kull shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Lance Henriksen and Brion James and Rita Taggart carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "They tried to electrocute "Meat Cleaver" Max. It didn't work.".
8IMDB entry: tt0097527 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Mac Ahlberg
Original score: Harry Manfredini
Editing: Edward A. Kull
Costume design: Cynthia Bergstrom
Makeup / hair: Robert Kurtzman
Stunt coordinator: Kane Hodder
Runtime: 95 min · 1h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $1,738,897
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Horror Show (1989)

Part of

House Collection

An American comedy horror film series.

Also by

James Isaac

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2026-04-19
★ 6/10
When electrocuted killers come back In the late ’80s several movies were made about a violent criminal being executed by electric chair and coming back with a vengeance. “Prison” and “Destroyer” preceded this one by a year and it was followed by “Shocker” six months later and “The First Power” six months after that. I suppose it’s most similar to Wes Craven’s “Shocker,” minus the sense of humor, yet beat it to theaters. Ironically, it heavily borrows from Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” flicks but isn’t anywhere near as effective. It was originally conceived as the third film in the “House” franchise, however, MGM forced modifications for a fresh beginning with an anticipated new iconic villain; that is, Max Jenke played by Brion James, who hams it up. Hence the name “The Horror Show” for America audiences while it was still called “House III” in other markets. The first half is quite good with Lance Henriksen as the cop protagonist and lovely Dedee Pfeiffer as his daughter. Regrettably, I found myself getting bored in the second half by the perfunctory storytelling. This is augmented by how reality and a character’s visions are intermixed and so you can’t discern what’s real and what’s not. The first two “House” flicks are all-around more entertaining, not to mention amusing. A direct-to-video fourth installment would come out in early 1992. It runs 1h 35m and was shot in Aug-Oct 1988 in Los Angeles, including San Pedro for the power plant sequence. GRADE: B-/C+

Production companies