kclipper Here's another unknown little horror gem from the glorious year of 1987 starring unknown actors and an unknown director whose contributions resulted in a messy but entertainingly campy film originally titled "The Lamp". For its U.K release in April 1987 during the peak of the worldwide VHS revolution, this received European distribution for six months until the U.S decided that the most popular films at that particular time dealt with horny teenagers meeting their grisly demises while sneaking off to overnight destinations, Therefore the title was changed to "The Outing" for its American video audience. This is the typical cheesy 80s slasher-type flick with amateurish acting, bad dialog and downright cheap special FX. Everything from red flashing jewelry, neon green eyes and blue lightning represent the strange paranormal activity that results from a monster-like "genie" that torments a sympathetic young heroine "Deborah Winters". Its your classic "Aladdin" story line combined with gory murders and annoying characters. The "genie" of the lamp eventually materializes into a terrible looking demonic creature obviously thrown together with cheap prosthetics and stalks the surviving cast through a museum after-hours. This movie falls into the "so bad its good" category, because there is a certain charming quality to it. The lead characters aren't unsympathetic, and the overall cheesiness, style of dress and weird aura has that 1980s ambiance that newer films lack. Fans of the 80's will love it, but modern era movie-goers would consider it boring and dated. Ultimately, its an unforgotten VHS cult-classic amongst the few and the proud.

Scott LeBrun "The Outing" is supremely cheap 'n' cheesy, crude 'n' clumsy, no budget horror entertainment. Granted, it's slow to get started and the good stuff is mostly saved for the second half. But once the mayhem begins, it proves to be quite amusing. The actors aren't the most professional one will ever see, but who would choose to watch something like this and expect any different? The important thing is that the movie *does* entertain the viewer, if on a somewhat modest level.A trio of rednecks attempt to rob an old woman. They try to make off with her genie lamp, but they all get slaughtered. Eventually the lamp makes its way into a museum. The curators' daughter Alex (Andra St. Ivanyi) is possessed, or something, and entices her friends into spending some time after hours in the museums' basement. Soon the djinn, or genie, within the lamp is free to continue the body count.The action in the second half can boast showmanship. The swooping camera-work isn't bad at all and the special effects and gore are substantially enjoyable, no matter how tacky they may be. Among the highlights are a boy chopped in half, a girl attacked in a bathtub by snakes, an opera singing security guard impaled by a spear, and a scientist shoved through a ceiling fan.The movie also stars the bland James Huston as curator Dr. Wallace, Deborah Winters (from such pictures as "The People Next Door" and "Blue Sunshine") as his love interest,Eve Farrell (Winters also plays the young and old Arab women), and Danny D. Daniels ("Retribution") as Wallaces' colleague Dr. Bressling. Tom Daley handles the directing duties.All in all, this is diverting enough to appeal to die hard genre devotees.Six out of 10.

lost-in-limbo Robbers break into an elderly lady's house, and uncover an exotic artifact in the shape of lamp. They murder her, and then they unknowingly unleash a Djinn from the lamp and they would follow her fate. Soon the lamp finds itself at a museum, where a bunch of students secretly decide to spend the night and would become the next targets of the rampaging djinn.The Lamp (aka The Outing) has an unusually sound (if simple) concept, largely brought down by its mediocre execution and formulaic inclusions. It starts off decent to only have its interest slowly fade due to its low scale plot developments and lumpy mid-section (focusing on a bunch of rather boring kids), but then the final third erratically erupts (rather gruesomely and incoherently) with a baffling freeze frame closing. However, gladly the numerous (some silly, but a couple remained effective) death scenes provided some inventiveness with a certain splash of nastiness and blood. While the special effects (glowing green mist) and make-up FX can be on the hokey side (a stiff, but towering Djinn), they still had a lively charm to them that reeks of its decade. Director Tom Daley's creaky direction doesn't use the compact locations (and a museum would be such a great setting for this carnage) all that well with little in the way of suspense, due to the uneven pacing that didn't help much in the build-up and atmosphere is barely evident with only a few lasting pockets. At least the quick, swirling camera work adds in some much needed verve and a sense of urgency, despite the routine POV framing. The performances are woeful, but not enough to destroy the viewing. Andra St. Ivanyi leads the way, with James Huston and Deborah Winters in lesser support.I didn't dislike it, but nonetheless it's completely average and cheap hokum that won't last too long in one's memory.

Backlash007 The Outing is a textbook example of how great artwork can entice you to pick up a movie from your local mom and pop video store's shelf. Now, the status of the movie inside said case could be questionable, but how can you pass up that art? Luckily The Outing is not that bad. Granted, the acting could use some touching up and the formula is an old one, but the gore effects stand out and the sheer eighties-ness of the piece shines through. The Outing (aka The Lamp) is about a group of high school students who decide to spend the night at the local museum. Unbeknownst to them the newest piece at the museum is a genie lamp harboring an evil Djinn. Keep in mind that this was many years before Wishmaster was made. When the horny teens decide to split up and explore the place (and each other) the Djinn is set loose to work his evil magic. That's the formulaic part. But there are some interesting moments along the way. Highlights include: A man getting ripped in half under water, a scientist being thrown into a ceiling fan, and a nubile teen taking a bath with snakes. It's just campy enough to keep me watching and gory enough for me not to give it a bad review.