Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (1986): Netflixin 9/7/08

• Why I rented it: The late, great Jim Varney.
• Verdict: 5/10. The entire movie is basically an excuse for Mr. Varney to play a bunch of weird characters, some funnier than others but all pretty good. Auntie Nelda is classic. Oh yeah, there is a (pretty bad) plot, but it's only there to kill time between character appearances. A demo-worthy time capsule of 80s clothing, music, and special effects. Coming just before the seemingly endless string of Ernest movies, this was Varney's first movie of his own. And while I've always considered Ernest Goes to Camp to be the ne plus ultra of Mr. Varney's œuvre, this movie has enough flashes of dark, impish humor to make it worthy on its own.