Horror

Berserker

American Video Group

United States of America

English

Joseph Alan Johnson

Greg Dawson

Valerie Sheldon

Shannon Engemann

Beth Toussaint

Rodney Montague

Oscar Rowland

Beverly Rowland

John F. Goff

George Buck Flower

Mike Riley

Bart the Bear

Joan Weidman

Chuck Francour

Gary Griffin

Perri Sorel

Bill Cornford

Jules Rivera

Joseph Kaufman

Robert Seibert

Robert A. Foti

Verkina Flower

Henning Schellerup

Marcus Manton

Carol Lynn Saolonen

Jefferson Richard

**_Surreal terror in the Utah woods_**

Three teen couples camp out in the remote Utah wilderness where a bear is loose and an old couple is missing. The area was settled by Scandinavian immigrants and there are spooky legends of a berserker demon who possesses Viking descendants. Who’s doing the killing? 

"Berserker” (1987), aka “Berserker: The Nordic Curse,” is a low-budget slasher in the tradition of “Friday the 13th” (1980) albeit with a set-up reminiscent of "Without Warning" (1980). While this is technically a slasher, the gore isn’t over-the-top, and anyone who appreciates forest creature features like “Day of the Animals” (1977) and "Into the Grizzly Maze" (2015) should find something to like, assuming you don’t mind low-budget Indies or fog machines.

Beth Toussaint stands out in the female department; she’s a Linda Hamilton lookalike, just more alluring. Look for her as Tasha Yar’s sister in the 1990 Next Generation episode “Legacy.”

While there’s too much padding and therefore the story is sometimes tedious, the actors are convincing and the mundane situation is believable (except for one element). Bart the Bear is a highlight in his younger age. He was featured in numerous movies that required a dangerous bruin throughout the 80s-90s, including “The Edge” (1997). I also like the eerie music and surreal sylvan ambiance in the second half.

The film runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot at Flying Birddog Ranch, Hailstone Junction, Utah, which is east of Salt Lake City in the mountains (around Big Cottonwood Canyon, I think).

GRADE: C+/B-

Berserker (1987) [Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Promo Trailer]

Best Movies

Berserker

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Joseph Alan Johnson

Greg Dawson

Valerie Sheldon

Shannon Engemann

Beth Toussaint

Rodney Montague

Oscar Rowland

Beverly Rowland

John F. Goff

George Buck Flower

Box office

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