Most of what I watch, and what I think most movie-goers watch, is mainstream entertainment.  The stuff that costs millions of dollars to produce, dominates the entertainment landscape and sometimes actually creeps into the culture.  But for every mainstream movie that receives a wide theatrical release there are, I’m guessing, at least a dozen that do not.  I don’t know the figures; it may be much higher than that, but certainly not lower.  Material that goes directly to DVD, or sees some film festivals but never quite breaks out, or is simply posted on the internet.  “Alternative cinema” is a handy phrase which covers this and a whole lot more, and it is a booming enterprise.

For every Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay or J. J. Abrams there are a dozen (or many more) low-budget filmmakers like Charles Band, Rebecca Miller or Noah Baumbach, who have established credibility and recognition and can get good projects made with familiar Hollywood talent.  And for every Band, Miller or Baumbach are a dozen (or many more) low, low-budget filmmakers like Jim Wynorski, Pete Jacelone, James Balsamo, Christopher Mihm, or Patrick Devaney.  Many of these directors work in the horror genre, where it seems easier to find investment money and ensure a return once the film is made.  A built-in audience awaits such shockers.

One of these artists, Pete Jacelone, works in horror because he loves it.  He’s been producing, writing, directing and editing shorts and features since the 1990s; his most-well known works are Psycho Sisters (1998), The Erotic Mirror (2002), Sculpture (2009) and, now, The Lunatic’ler.  I attended the premiere of this comic horror film last night at the New Filmmakers Anthology Film Archive in New York City.  Full disclosure requires me to also note that Pete Jacelone is our family chiropractor, so we do have a personal relationship.

Pete makes low-budget horror films locally here in New Jersey, and, I think, is pretty good at it.  While I do not share Pete’s love of the gruesome, I’ve enjoyed all of his films I’ve seen so far.  The Lunatic’ler is quite effective low-budget shock cinema, although it may be a little funnier than he intended it to be.  It concerns Larry (Pete Jacelone, for once taking a very active role in one of his movies), a lonely man whose adolescent tickling encounter with a clown (Edward X. Young) has left him psychologically scarred.  And when, now years later, Larry once again experiences abuse, he reacts by transforming into a much scarier version of himself, and tickling his tormentors to death.

Now this isn’t exactly Shakespeare, or even J. K. Rowling material.  But there is historical precedent for tickling as torture, and Pete and his screenwriter, Trevor Wright, have done an intriguing job connecting tickling torture to clowns to lunar influence to revenge.  This is a rather silly premise that actually creates genuine suspense, and decent shocks as well.  Everybody hates clowns (I know I do) so the creepiness factor is already high, and some of the transformation effects are not only surprising but really cool.  The psychological scenes, especially between Larry and his mother (Lisa Deane) and her boyfriend, Dale the clown (Young) are very well staged and edited, explaining some of Larry’s mania but leaving a lot of his suppressed rage unspoken.

What doesn’t work so well are the teenagers and their reactions to Larry’s transformations.  When one teen is killed, another (Ben Akaezuwa) screams like a little girl, thus providing the comic highlight of the movie.  It makes no sense for the teens to hide the killing from the dead guy’s sister (Heather Drew), just as it makes no sense for her to be a hooker in the evenings, nor to be stalked by her diabolical pimp Diablo (John Link, providing the most over-the-top performance in the film).  The script is overwrought when it comes to these young adults, all of whom eventually come face to face with the killer.

However, some of the acting is excellent.  Heather Drew is very believable and excels at dramatically convincing crying scenes; she takes this very seriously and delivers a nice performance.  Lisa Deane is quietly effective as Larry’s mother; I wish she had had a larger role.  Daylan Ludemann is very empathetic and incredibly athletic, especially when taking on the killer clown in the finale.  In a tiny role David Teitel is the most realistic of teens, as opposed to the larger-than-life bravado of Ben Akaezuwa and especially Jesse Amici.  On the other hand, Amici’s death scene, staged in a car, is one of the film’s most effective sequences.  And let’s not forget Chase Bolnick as young Larry, having to endure a tickling torture scene; this kid is already a seasoned veteran and has a very bright future.  Pete is okay as Larry, but lacks the emotional depth to hook the audience’s empathy (sorry, Pete).  And the best performance is given by Edward X. Young as Dale the clown.  Let’s just say that this performance could inspire nightmares.

Pete’s direction is better than his acting.  Intriguing composition and camera angles give this story an eerie feel, and sequences build to some genuine tension and fear.  The film benefits from a lush music score by Anthony Belluscio that propels the story over some blunt transitions and smartly captures the story’s moods.  Pete’s editing should be tighter in places, and a couple of the kill scenes probably should be gorier (yes, I said it) to be truly effective.  Parts of the story are horrific and disturbing while others seem to be played for laughs rather than scares.  A more consistent tone would help sustain the disquieting aura that is being targeted, although Pete has suggested to me that he is known for mixing moments of mirth into his stories, then suddenly switching to jarring horror.  That certainly occurs here.  It also seems that no one outside of these meddling teens is prey for the killer; I think the film suffers from this insularity.  The film also has a few sound issues, though they are minor.  That’s just another fact of life when the shooting schedule consists of ten days over a three-month period at different locations.

I promised Pete I’d give his latest movie a full review, and I think I’ve delivered on that promise.  The Lunatic’ler has now had its premiere; it should be seen again this summer and fall in some horror festivals, so watch for it.  After that, perhaps it will receive a theatrical release, or perhaps it will go straight to DVD.  It is an imaginative, often effective little shocker which deserves to be seen.  I already didn’t like clowns, and that feeling is certainly more intense now.  And remember, parents, tickling can be harmful if it is overdone; just watch this movie for the proof.  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  5 May 2016.