Horror Movie Review: Luther the Geek (1990)

Luther the Geek is a Troma release that isn’t what regular Troma watchers might expect. The concept seems silly & cheesy but the movie takes itself surprisingly seriously in the end.

It opens at a carnival freak show where young Luther Watts is fascinated by a ‘geek’ who bites the heads off live chickens for the entertainment of a baying mob. The boy accidentally bites his lip & discovers he kind of likes the taste.

The movie then jumps 30 years forward where a parole board is discussing the potential release of the now adult Luther (Edward Terry). He has been locked up after going crazy & murdering a bunch of people. For reasons that make little sense, a couple members of the parole board are desperate to get him released & eventually get their way.

Luther is free along with his customised metal teeth, something that should have probably guaranteed no release.

Almost as soon as he is free, Luther attacks an elderly woman & rips her throat out. All while clucking like a chicken. He eventually finds his way to a remote farmhouse & begins terrorising a mother & daughter.

Luther the Geek is not a good film as the early scenes show how little logic matters. The plot is light & stutters to a halt with over half the movie left. Once at the farmhouse things drag & dumb character decisions are made time & time again.

One of the more decent things about the film is Luther, an interesting character well played by Edward Terry. He has no dialogue & while his clucking is a bit silly at times, it does make him more sinister.

The rest of the cast…well, they’re not terrible but not exactly turning in a memorable performance. Being a Troma you can always expect nudity & actress Stacy Haiduk delivers with a lengthy shower scene.

Luther the Geek’s reputation seems to suggest that it’s a super-violent film so it is pretty disappointing to see such little gore. There’s definitely some bloody scenes as Luther gorily tears into necks with his metal teeth but they are nothing special. It might be a 90’s horror but it has a light 70’s exploitation feel about it.

The movie really begins to drag during its final 20 minutes & it’s ending is hardly satisfying. The sight of Luther & his last victim clucking away at each other is unintentionally hilarious though.

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