Horror Movie Review: Blood Hook (1986)

One of the lesser known Troma released horrors is Blood Hook (also known as Muskie Madness). A low budget, slasher flick with a decent dollop of tongue in cheek humour.

The movie opens showing a young boy & his father on the dock of a lake. The sound of crickets are heard (really, really loud crickets) & then a large fish hook flies out & pierces the man’s body. He screams in pain before being dragged into the water.

Some time later a bunch of different people are heading to the lake for a nice break. The lake is home to a number of cabins where families & friends come to stay & relax. It’s also home to a killer fisherman that likes to ‘hook’ his victims & drag them into the water.

His victims are random but it seems to be related to the big fishing competition that’s also taking place at the lake. A lot of these fishermen take the competition very seriously. One particular teen has more then just a holiday in mind while staying here though. His grandfather was a big name around these parts, well respected & he feels pressure to live up to that name.

Yes, the plot is as dumb & vapid sounding as it that. It’s not particularly exciting or interesting & its low budget nature ensures even the ‘gory’ moments are a let down.

It’s just so stupid. We hear the really loud annoying sound of crickets then a close up of a huge fishing float (with a hook) catch someone in the stomach or neck. They make faces, struggle a bit then somehow get yanked into the water. That this hook doesn’t just tear through the skin is hilariously bad. Even more so, once the villain is revealed you won’t be able to believe they even had the strength to pull a grown adult into the lake with just a fishing line!

Like many under the Troma banner it embraces its silliness but at times does take itself a bit too seriously (in particular the finale). These moments really highlight just how poor the acting is. While not the worst thing you’ll see in any horror, the characters are non-starters & absolutely no-one stands out except for the villain.

There really isn’t much to enjoy here. There isn’t that much gore & the blood looks very fake. A scene that involves chopping up a body takes place mostly out of shot & the body parts are clearly mannequins. It’s also a really lengthy 92 minutes long!