Possibly my favorite film of the 80s horror era/genre is MUTANT, starring Bo Hopkins and Wings Hauser. It tells of two brothers who happen onto a bizarre condition spreading through a rural town, but I dare not say more than that. It's well worth tracking down. Unfortunately, MUTANT is probably best remembered not for it's being a video rental staple, but for it's hectic production. The script was revised several times and directors changed early in shooting, though fortunately none of this shows on the final product, which is quite solid. This was one of the last films produced by Film Ventures International founder Edmond L. Montoro before he stole a bunch of cash from his company and fled the country before the law could nab him for crooked business practices (ironically, Montoro's picture can be seen on a wanted sheet in the Sheriff's office). I'm not even sure how much a theatrical run MUTANT had, but it can now be found in some Mill Creek multi-movie packs -in a rather nice print at that (though said print isn't as dark as the original screenings or the Vestron VHS release, so some imperfect effects during the climax are now visible). (Not to be confused with FORBIDDEN WORLD, which was shot, and even briefly released, under the same title.)
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