I don't think that I ever got around to watching this movie back in my younger years, even as an avid horror fan back then. I had a chance to sit down and watch it now late in 2016. I must admit that I didn't initially have any particularly high hopes for it, granted the fact that it was a 1983 slasher movie - as to what I understood from the synopsis. But having grown up with slasher movies, then I at least wanted to see what this movie was all about.

Let's just say that I didn't even make it to the ending of the movie before I had given up out of sheer boredom. "Mortuary" was painfully slow-paced and lacked anything even remotely thrilling. And it's storyline was essentially as fulfilling as trying to giftwrap emptiness.

For a slasher movie then "Mortuary" was anything but interesting or entertaining. It was, at best, a half-hearted attempt at a horror / slasher movie. Compared to movies such as "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" it was just an embarrassing movie to sit and bear witness to.

The movie was lacking a proper storyline to lure in the audience and keep you nailed to the seat, and it was this that lead me to give up and move on to watch another movie.

As for the acting, well I will say that people were doing adequate enough jobs with the limitations imposed on them in terms of a flawed storyline and lack of proper script. And it was fun, I will say that much, to see a very young Bill Paxton in a movie such as this.

"Mortuary" is not entertaining, and I can honestly say that I will not ever be returning to this movie in order to finish the last half of the movie. It just failed to entertain me on any level, and there is nothing worthwhile to be experienced here.

If you enjoy a proper slasher movie, then there are more than plenty to pick from, especially if you have a thing for 1980's movies.

MORTUARY is a typical low budget B-movie horror flick of the early 1980s, more cheesy than effective and certainly never scary. It's a bit boring, actually, and pales in comparison compared to similar fare from the era (such as the excellent and underrated ONE DARK NIGHT). It's chiefly of note for featuring a youthful and skinny Bill Paxton who does an entertaining job in a minor debut performance, as well as the great Christopher George in what would be his final role before his untimely death. There are lots of spooky shenanigans in a funeral home and a few gore scenes here and there, but the boring protagonists and Scooby Doo-style plot antics make it a bit of a patience tester.

Sweet young Christie Preston (a fine and appealing performance by the fetching Mary Beth McDonough of "The Waltons" fame) suffers from frightening nightmares in the wake of the drowning death of her father. However, Christie suspects that her dad's death wasn't accidental. Christie and her boyfriend Greg Stevens (likable David Wallace) find themselves in considerable jeopardy when they start poking around a local mortuary in search of the truth. Director Howard Avedis, who also co-wrote the compact script with his wife Marlene Schmidt, relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, does a sound job of crafting a creepy'n'morbid atmosphere, stages a couple of grisly murders with flair, makes good use of the scenic California locations, tosses in a bizarre death cult as well as a smidgen of sizzling soft-core sex and a dash of tasty female nudity for good measure, and pulls out the stops at the ghoulish conclusion. The solid acting from the sturdy cast holds the picture together: Christopher George as sinister mortician Hank Andrews, Lynda Day George as Christie's skeptical mom Eve, Alvy Moore as crusty flower shop owner Bob Stevens, and Bill Conklin as the no-nonsense Sheriff Duncan. However, Pill Paxton basically steals the show with his gloriously loopy portrayal of gawky Mozart-loving oddball embalmer Paul: Whether he's happily skipping through a cemetery or running around in a pasty mask and black cloak, Paxton is an absolute wacky hoot to watch. John Cacavas's ominous score hits the skin-crawling spot. Gary Graver's glossy cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. A fun little slice'n'dice item.