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| Berserker | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jefferson Richard |
| Written by | Joseph Kaufman Jefferson Richard |
| Produced by | Jules Rivera |
| Starring | Greg Dawson Joseph Alan Johnson Valerie Sheldon Beth Toussaint George "Buck" Flower |
| Cinematography | Henning Schellerup |
| Edited by | Marcus Manton |
| Music by | Chuck Francour Gary Griffin |
| Distributed by | Shapiro Entertainment |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Berserker (also known as Berserker: The Nordic Curse) is a 1987 American slasher film written and directed by Jefferson Richard. The film centers on a group of campers who are stalked and murdered by a Viking berserker.
Plot
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According to an old Nordic legend, a Berserker was a bloodthirsty warrior who ate human flesh, was forbidden a restful death and fated to be reincarnated in their blood kin. A summer camp accidentally stumbles across the Berserker legend when it arises in Rainbow Valley, an area settled by Norwegian immigrants. The camp is abuzz with rumours of a wild bear killing people in the area, including speculation about an old couple who get lost. But is it really a bear?
Cast
- Greg Dawson as Josh Winter
- Joseph Alan Johnson as Mike Stone
- Rodney Montague as Larry Fishman
- Valerie Sheldon as Kathy
- Shannon Engemann as Kristi
- Beth Toussaint as Shelly
- Mike Riley as Berserker
- John F. Goff as Officer Walt Hill
- George "Buck" Flower as Pappy Nyquist
- Oscar Rowland as Homer Roberts
- Beverly Rowland as Edna Roberts
Production
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Parts of the film were shot at Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah.
Release
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2014) |
Home media
The film was released on DVD by Quantum Leap on October 22, 2001. It was later released by Hollywood DVD on August 2, 2004. Vinegar Syndrome released the film on Blu-ray in 2019.
Reception
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2014) |
Andrew Smith from Popcorn Pictures awarded the film a score of 3/10, writing, Berserker sounded great and could have become a little slasher gem but the lack of the berserker on-screen is disappointing and ‘Gentle Ben’ the bear doesn’t have any need to be in here. One to avoid unless you have a burning desire to see every 80s slasher film". Todd Martin from HorrorNews.net offered the film similar criticism, calling it "a boring, confusing, hokey, mess of a film". Will and Roni agreed that the Viking angle was underplayed.
References
- D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
- "Berserker (1987) - Jef Richard, Henning Schellerup". Allmovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- Smith, Andrew. "Berserker (1987)". Popcorn Pictures.co.uk. Andrew Smith. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- Martin, Todd (7 March 2015). "Film Review: Berserker (1987)". HorrorNews.net. Todd Martin. Retrieved 18 June 2018.