Horror Movie Review: Head of the Family (1996)

A Full Moon feature directed by Charles Band. Head of the Family is a horror comedy with a nod or two to the likes of Basket Case 2. It’s as wacky as that movie but nowhere as inventive. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable because it is, it really is!

The movie stars Blake Adams as Lance. The owner of a small-town diner who happens to be having an affair with Loretta (Jacqueline Lovell). She is married to the town thug, Howard (Gordon Jennison Noice). So should the pair be caught, they’d be sure to regret it.

They’ve managed to get away with it up to this point which is a surprise considering how small and sleepy the town seems to be. Maybe it’s because the townspeople are more fascinated by a family of oddities who live nearby called the Stackpools.

We’re first introduced to them when they arrive to collect pre-ordered groceries and it’s fairly obvious that they’re not quite right.

One night while driving back to town, Lance sees the family drag a man into their house clearly against his will. Lance sees this as an opportunity to get some money out of the family and deal with the problem of Howard.

What awaits him in the Stackpool house is nothing but horror though.

Head of the Family has quite a bit to enjoy. Such as the competent acting of Blake Adams and Jacqueline Lovell, the pair having some mighty fine chemistry. The former’s smooth-talking sleaze-ball antics keeps many a scene together and the latter has no issue with taking her clothes off. In fact, I’d wager she is nude more than she is clothed in this movie. Regardless of that she’s a good actress and has some funny lines, particularly during the climax.

Unlike a lot of low budget Full Moon movies, Head of the Family holds up really well. In particular the effects with the ‘head’ off the family looking great even by 2019’s standards! While it has a cult following, its release date saw it pass by with barely anyone noticing. The 90s were not a good time for horror and this was never going to have mass appeal.

It’s well worth a watch though. An entertaining story, good effects, good acting, a solid payoff and plenty of skin will do the job.