Written By: Jase Marsiglia
The Oxford Word of the Year in 2024 was “brain rot.” According to the dictionary, “brain rot” refers to the perceived decline in intelligence or critical thinking skills, particularly as a result of overexposure to unchallenging or frivolous content posted online. Surprisingly, “brain rot” hasn’t become a hot-button political term like “global warming,” “woke,” or “fake news.” Yet take a look around at your family, friends, co-workers, or even the people shoving carts next to you at the supermarket, and it’s hard to deny that the rot is real. Need more proof? Turn on the TV.
TV was the original “brain rot” before the internet arrived, what with 24/7 news cycles, Nickelodeon cartoons that baffled the “boomer” generation ("Ren & Stimpy", anyone?), and, of course, the dreaded, brain-melting specter of MTV.
The 1980s hilariously warned us about our own “brain rot” while simultaneously feeding us the very thing supposedly causing it. My personal favorite example is a late 1987 episode of the Friday night sitcom "Perfect Strangers". Oh, Balki…you silly, naïve couch potato. Another, far bonkers example comes courtesy of Empire Studios, in the form of a gnashing, googly-eyed space creature beamed into your home via satellite, turning cable television into…
TerrorVision (1986)
⭐️⭐️½
The typical 80s “nuclear family” is the target: Gerrit Graham plays the tech-obsessed dad, Mary Woronov the aerobics-obsessed mom, Diane Franklin and Jon Gries as the MTV-obsessed punks, and Chad Allen as the precocious, imaginative son, marching around the house with boozy Army vet grandpa Bert Remsen. Their new satellite television brings a slimy, carnivorous creature from space straight into their home.
As the gooey, wide-eyed monster runs amok, devouring household members while Mom and Dad swing in the hot tub, it falls to the heavy metal kids and the Army brat to destroy the satellite and send the creature back into space—before it kills them all.
An intentionally goofy B-movie satire, "TerrorVision" sees director Ted Nicolaou continuing his tenure at Empire Pictures with a send-up of both the evolving 80s “family paradigm” and the deadly home “invader”—satellite television and its brain-rotting effects. The alien itself seems to drain the intellect of the household before mutating into even dumber versions of already clichéd stereotypes. It’s all in dopey good fun, but the film’s quirky, surrealist humor will appeal mostly to those with a specific comedic palate. Imagine Weird Al Yankovic directing a horror movie, sprinkling in references to a made-up alien flick “that makes you cry like a butthole,” slapping on a B-52s-style theme song, and co-starring a busty, snake-haired Elvira spoof played by Jennifer Richards—and you’ll have the right idea.
MMI Effects, led by John Carl Buechler, brings the slime-dripping monster to life. A definite cult favorite from the 80s, it’s up to the viewer to decide whether the R-rating and goofy B-movie sensibilities gel with their tastes.
Home Video
"TerrorVision" grew in popularity on home video after its release by Lightning Video in February 1987 and gained further traction on cable. Scream Factory gave it its first real high-profile release in 2013 with a Blu-ray/DVD combo set, pairing it with the similarly themed "The Video Dead" in a double feature. That edition included an audio commentary by director Ted Nicolaou and actors Diane Franklin and Jon Gries, the documentary "Monster on Demand: The Making of TerrorVision", and a poster/stills gallery.
In 2019, German distributor Wicked-Vision Media released three extremely limited Mediabook editions with varying artwork. The edition shown here (Cover B, limited to 333 copies) contained everything from the Scream Factory release, plus a new intro by Nicolaou, a new interview with the director, a theatrical trailer, and a 24-page collectible booklet featuring another interview with Nicolaou and essays by David Renske and Timm Bamberg. The only catch: all text is in German.
Bits ‘n’ Pieces
Traum-A-Meter:
2 out of 4.
The violence is played for comedy, so it’s more gooey and gross than disturbing—think Nickelodeon meets horror.
Today’s Jam: “Kyrie” by Mr. Mister soared across the airwaves while the "TerrorVision" monster was sucking brains via satellite.
This Episode’s Moral:
Maybe just…pick up a book?
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