Nice guy Michael (winningly played by the affable Jon-Michael Bischof) gets an Ouija board as a gift for his 18th birthday from his smartaleck best buddy Tony (the solid Juan Ignacio Aranda). Michael summons the lethal and evil spirit of Virgil, who takes possession of Tony's body and starts bumping off Michael's friends. Writer/director Ruben Galindo, Jr. trots out all the expected endearingly hokey 80's teen fright feature clichés: we've got a couple of false scares, a corny lovey dovey montage set to infectiously bouncy 80's rock music, a generic spooky'n'shuddery ominous score by Pedro Plascencia Salinas, a tasteful make-out scene, and even the always amusing psycho in the back seat of a car bit. Moreover, the basic plot blatantly emulates the second "A Nightmare on Elm Street" movie, the pace really kicks into gear and rarely lets up after the rather leisurely opening third, the 80's clothes and hairstyles are hilariously hideous (Michael's silly blue pajamas are especially sidesplitting!), and Galindo, Jr. gleefully pours on the blood by the gallon with several pleasingly brutal murder set pieces. Additional accolades are in order for the mostly sound acting from the personable cast. The stunningly gorgeous and adorable Gabriela Hassle in particular impresses with her warm and charming performance as Michael's sweet gal pal Alexandra. Screaming Mad George's funky special effects and the reasonably polished cinematography by Miguel Arana and Daniel Lopez both hit the spot as well. A fun little flick.
Review of Don't Panic
