The early ‘90s were a transitional time for the horror genre. The slasher picture was effectively on life support while filmmakers pivoted toward more cerebral setups that focused on atmosphere over stalk-and-slash conventions. Dr. Giggles co-writer and director Manny Coto saw that emerging trend and said, “Hold my beer.” Rather than moving away from the kind of campy excess that defined the ‘80s, he ran toward it. In doing so, Coto delivers an over-the-top spectacle that might not get everything right, but the film nonetheless has an irresistible charm that I can’t get enough of.
With the picture observing a release date anniversary today, I am gearing up to dig into what it does well and why we’re still talking about it 33 years later. For starters, Dr. Giggles is unhinged, gruesome, and often hilarious. Larry Drake knows exactly what kind of film he’s starring in, and he’s fully committed to the lunacy. If you enjoy genre fare that straddles the line between serviceable filmmaking and complete trash, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for within.
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This absurd effort features an often-convoluted narrative that catches up with Evan Rendell Jr. (Drake) as he’s staging his escape from a mental institution. Following his “release,” the wannabe doctor picks up where he left off and carries on with his lifelong passion for medicine. Though the lead character has yet to attend medical school, he knows a thing or two from apprenticing under his late father, Evan Rendell Sr. (William Dennis Hunt).
The elder Rendell was an actual physician who ultimately claimed several victims in an ill-fated attempt to cure his wife’s heart condition. Now, Jr. is carrying on his father’s legacy, and he’s set his sights on “helping” young Jennifer (Holly Marie Combs), a high school student with the same heart condition as his late mother. As Jennifer wrestles with anxiety about her health and grapples with the recent loss of her own mother, she finds herself an unwilling patient in a hellish healthcare landscape.
Despite a consistently campy tone, Jennifer’s backstory provides a sobering counterbalance to the rest of the picture. Her journey is particularly heavy for a slasher film. The genre typically features happy-go-lucky teenagers with typical teenage problems. Dr. Giggles, however, marks a dramatic departure from that tendency. Said departure is necessary, seeing as Drake’s performance is so far over the top. That leaves the film in need of something to anchor the audience. As it turns out, an ailing teenage protagonist works well enough to offset the unhinged titular character.
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Aside from serving as a more grounded counterbalance to the antagonist, Combs also proves a fairly effective final girl over time. She starts out about as meek as a mouse, but as time passes, she gradually builds up confidence and comes into her own. By the final frame, she’s established herself as a worthy adversary who ultimately turns the tables on the doctor, giving him a taste of his own, er, medicine.
I’ve heard some viewers posit that the Jennifer character is a little flat, but there’s a reason Coto and cowriter Graeme Whifler scripted her as they did. Dr. Giggles is a larger-than-life character. He sucks the oxygen out of every room he enters. If Jennifer were even half as energetic as he, it would almost certainly feel as if the two were competing for the spotlight. Keeping Jennifer slightly more reserved allows Dr. Giggles to take center stage without any competition. Moreover, allowing Jennifer to really come into her own during the denouement strikes just the right balance and ensures everyone has their moment in the sun.
Drake seems to be having great fun with his moment in the sun. He seems endlessly content to deliver one bad pun after another. He rattles off one-liners with complete conviction and stone-cold sincerity, which I find rather charming. It’s hard not to have fun watching as he gleefully carves up unsuspecting victims in gruesome, gratuitous fashion. His outrageous performance seems to either make or break the film for most. Fans who connect with the picture tend to praise Drake’s commitment to the role and his zest for the ridiculous. However, even I can admit that the character is a lot to take.
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For instance, the character’s constant emphasis on gags sometimes detracts from the overall intensity. On one hand, I can see how some lament that the comedy often outshines the horror. I don’t necessarily mind, though. As a connoisseur of camp, I love the spectacle of it all. Not to mention, there are actually a few scenes where the inverse is true. The house of mirrors sequence at the carnival is really unnerving thanks to killer set design, effective editing, and an ominous score. The surgical scenes are also plenty chilling and allow the horror to take center stage.
The film’s emphasis on gruesome practical effects additionally adds to the intensity. The kills are memorable and well-rendered. They also demonstrate that Coto possesses a clear understanding of the type of viscera fans want from a film like this, and he delivers in spades. What makes that especially meaningful is that he did so at a time when the slasher picture was in need of a champion. He pours his heart and soul into the production, delivering arterial spray, severed limbs, and even a ghastly sequence where a youthful version of the titular character uses a scalpel to carve his way out of his late mother’s womb. Yuck! That scene features some questionable logic, but Coto and company didn’t set out to make the most medically accurate horror film possible; they instead endeavored to shock and disgust, and I think they succeed quite nicely.
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On the whole, Dr. Giggles is a film that may not deliver much artistic merit, but it still functions as a trashy good time. Late actor Drake’s unwavering commitment to the nonsensical nature of the setup, coupled with the gratuitous practical effects, is enough to outshine what the film doesn’t quite get right. Not to mention, it lovingly and unironically embraces slasher conventions at a time when filmmakers were actively avoiding the genre.
If you’re game to take the film in on its release date anniversary, you can catch it on Tubi!
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