In a dystopian city, aspiring comedian Sam Coex (Steve Munroe) murders Joey Myers (Jeff Pirie), the leading comic on the club circuit, and takes his place in the limelight. Soon after, Sam hooks up with drug-addict stripper Ann (the beautiful but untalented Berderia Timini), who is the cause of his downfall.
I first saw The Comic at the legendary Scala cinema in King's Cross, at an event called Splatterfest '90. Since IMDb says that the film was made in 1985, I can only assume that it languished unreleased for quite a few years on account of it being so completely and utterly awful. It should have stayed on the shelf, in my opinion; what were the organisers thinking when they added this to the programme? I recall that the film was so poorly received at Splatterfest that its director Richard Driscoll, who was present at the screening, sloped off without saying a word.
Having just watched the film again after 30 years, I can confirm that the film is every bit as awful as I remembered it to be. Worse, in fact: it can now add 'looking horribly dated' to its long list of cinematic offences. I hate this film with every fibre of my being. I hate the dreadful dialogue and corny performances. I hate Coex's terrible orange hair (Coex is supposed to be a top comedian, but his hair is the only funny thing about him). I hate the over-use of a smoke machine (99% of the film is swathed in smoke, Driscoll clearly a man who likes to get his money's worth). I hate the gaudy coloured lighting. I hate Coex's badly wall-papered apartment. I hate the totalitarian guards with their stupid little ponytails (what I like to call 'punytails'). To be honest, I hate everything about this film and everyone involved for making such a joyless train-wreck.
1/10. Definitely in my Top Ten Worst Films Ever list, and I've seen a lot of rubbish.
