Movie Review: Spare Parts

I work nights, and generally try to watch movies after I get home around 2 or 3 am, which means I often fall asleep around the 20 minute mark. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and finish them, but usually I have to start all over some other night. It drives me crazy, but I still buy movies, and they stack up on the coffee table waiting for me to wade through them all. I bought Mill Creek's Drive-in 50 Movie Pack about a week ago and was trying to find some time to watch ONE of them along with some other recent aquisitions, and I finally got around to screening Spare Parts last night. This is one of the few VHS covers I remember gawking at during childhood that I haven't gone out of my way to see. It's (predictably, if you are at all familiar with low budget vhs horror releases of the 80s) a totally ridiculous image and really got my imagination running as to the terrible things that happen in the movie within....

Of course, as these things go in these kind of smalltime video releases, the image is totally unrepresentative of the film within. That's not to say that it's not an interesting movie, it's just features no chopping up of any bodies at all. And I'm kinda surprised at the ability of this West German TV movie to sustain some suspense, some okay characterization and an oddball feel that keeps you interested. Yeah, I fell asleep, but I finished it in the morning.
The story concerns a newlywed couple of grad students, Monika the blonde german exchange student, and Mike is uhh, the guy, who check into a cheap motel in new mexico during their honeymoon. This joint is run by a kooky (i know I shouldn't use that term) older woman who offers them fresh coffee and sandwiches. The couple engage in a not unpleasant sex scene (Monika is easy on the eyes), then venture out into the brush to check out the sunset. An ambulance rushes in and kidnaps Mike, and open fire with magnum on the fleeing Monika. When seeking help it becomes apparent that the Kooky motel-keeper is in with the guynappers, so M flags down a kindly truck driver and off they go.
to be continued, dude.