Somehow, horror directors became so obsessed with torture, computer generated bugs and Japanese remakes they forgot the simple joys of over-the-top violence against puppets and wild sprays of fake blood. Fortunately, the minds behind Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer had enough devotion, spare tentacle models and the wisdom to hire horror icon Robert Englund to hack up a classic campy horror flick.

The one major problem with this silly gore-fest is that it doesn’t go far enough to really match the cult classics of the last few decades. While the faces unnaturally caving in when impacted may be fun, it can’t match classics like The Evil Dead for sheer ridiculous violence. Still, it is an enjoyable reminder of a time when horror films were more fun than grotesque.

Grade: B-

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer releases in select theaters Aug. 15.