Do modern horror movies often leave you feeling tired and listless with a dull ache behind the eyes and a throbbing sensation at the back of the brain? If so, I recommend making an appointment with Dr. Giggles, an enjoyable slice of early-90s comedy/horror silliness that delivers a controlled dose of fun that'll have you back on your feet, right as rain in no time.

Larry Drake plays escaped lunatic Doctor Evan Rendell, nicknamed Dr. Giggles because of his incessant high-pitched laugh. Returning to his childhood home, where his equally loopy father was stoned to death by locals for removing the hearts of several unwilling patients (in an bid to find a suitable replacement for his wife's dodgy ticker),Rendell sets about resuming his father's work.

With a villain that spouts numerous corny one-liners whilst butchering his victims, an ageing policeman hiding a life-long secret, and the action taking place in such clichéd locales as a funfair, a lunatic asylum, and a deserted old house, this film mercilessly lampoons the slasher genre, taking the craziness to the next degree, including death via thermometer, giant sticking plaster, blood pressure gauge and stomach pump.

Director Manny Coto keeps things moving at a brisk pace and his film looks marvellous throughout, with great use of vibrant colours and innovative use of camera placement. Star Drake miraculously manages to keep a straight face while delivering the most (intentionally) painful lines of dialogue, and the rest of the cast—which includes Holly Marie Combs, Doug E. Doug, Cliff De Young and Michelle Johnson—deliver equally measured performances, their seriousness in the face of such absurdity being most admirable.

The other stars of the film are the excellent effects by the KNB group: although several of the murders are free of gore, the scenes that do get messy are satisfyingly graphic, with the most memorable moment being the 'rebirth' of the young Evan from the corpse of his mother, the child having been sewn inside her body as a means of escape! I don't know about you, but that is precisely the kind of demented lunacy guaranteed to put a spring back in my step.

7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

Patient 193- aptly known as Dr. Giggles- has escaped from the mental institution.

Now he's out to seek vengeance on the town that killed his father...by killing off their teenagers.

But not until he gets a chance to perfect the procedure his father died trying to develop- the world's first heart transplant.

Turns out, his mother was dying from a heart ailment. And his father went crazy trying to save her...cutting up his patients, so that he could harvest their hearts for her.

Like father, like son.

Although it starts off pretty cheesy, this is actually a badass film! The kills are creative as hell, there is a fair amount of gore, everyone fights back...even when you least expect it, there are numerous (believable) close calls, a nice little twist (just when you think it's over)...and some great one-liners! This film has it all...and despite it's cheesy nature...it really is a solid 90's slasher.

Much better than I expected it was going to be.

6.5 out of 10.

"Dr. Giggles" is an example of a campy cliché filled slasher that works. The story is actually pretty decent as far as most horror movies go and the acting is well done. Larry Drake is awesome as the mad doctor and the one-liners he delivers as he dispatches his "patients" is priceless. I still recall the laughter that came over the theatre when he delivered his final line of the flick. We even get the obligatory "nursery rhyme" that goes along perfectly with most small town killers.

This movie simply had everything we look for in a campy 90's b-horror. This is not a movie to be taken seriously, at all. That becomes clear when certain unlikely props start showing up seemingly out of nowhere. The actors all seem to be in on the joke though, which elevates the material somewhat. And the movie does have some atmospheric panache going for it, in spite of the bad 90's fashions on display. The hair and make-up styles were clean and simple, but those clothes. Who pairs a bared midriff with jeans roomy enough to hide a pumpkin in? This movie will make you think twice about the medical profession...

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.