Summary
Highlights
The hosts welcome viewers to Psychotronic Coast to Coast and introduce the film they watched, "The Paperboy" (1994). They immediately discuss the film's genre, labeling it a 'thriller' or 'horror,' and mock how such films are categorized for awards. Owen Neal, who picked the movie, is given credit. The film starts with The Paperboy suffocating an old lady, hinting at the unsettling narrative to come. The hosts joke about William Katt's extensive career in low-budget productions, anticipating that he will be featured in more of their future reviews.
Following the old lady's death, her daughter and granddaughter arrive. The Paperboy, Johnny, immediately begins to exhibit creepy and possessive behavior, intruding on their mourning, bringing in luggage, and expressing an unsettling desire to be part of their family. The hosts emphasize how unrealistic the mother's reaction is to Johnny's increasingly alarming actions, as she dismisses his behavior as merely 'socially awkward.' They note that a movie with such intense child obsession would likely not be made today, given the nature of the child actor's role. Johnny even states that the daughter will be his 'sister' and the mother his 'mom'.
The Paperboy's behavior escalates. He plants a baby monitor in the house to eavesdrop, leading to him freaking out in his basement (equipped with a freezer and space for a grave). The hosts joke about the incredible size of his basement, which also contains a freezer. Details emerge about Johnny's past: his mother, a religious extremist, physically abused him, and his father is depicted as an absentee figure. Despite constant red flags, like Johnny loosening a wire structure that causes the babysitter to fall and break her neck, the adults around him remain disturbingly unaware or unresponsive to his malevolent actions.
Johnny's violent tendencies become more overt. He kills his father with golf clubs after his father suggests moving and gifts him the clubs as an early birthday present. He also kills the old lady who warned the daughter to stay away from him by causing an asthma attack. Meanwhile, the mother, initially dismissive, starts to connect the dots after these incidents and a woman warns her about Johnny being 'evil.' The mother confronts the woman, then Johnny, who reveals his knowledge of their conversation. Johnny attempts to kill the daughter's boyfriend, William Katt, by setting his house on fire. The hosts comment on the over-the-top nature of William Katt's escape from the fiery explosion.
The mother realizes her daughter is missing and rushes to Johnny's house. She hears her daughter's voice, only to find it's a recording from the baby monitor playing in Johnny's shrine dedicated to her. Confronting Johnny in the basement, she discovers her husband's body buried in a large pit. She fights back with a shovel, and her daughter arrives, distracting Johnny. The mother escapes through a window, pursued by Johnny, who is armed with a pickaxe. The boyfriend, William Katt, dramatically appears, covered in some sort of pie filling and seemingly having survived the fire. Johnny is arrested, with the hosts making light of the improbable booking process.
The hosts reflect on the film, praising the child actor's over-the-top performance and comparing it to CSI episodes where villains suddenly reveal their true, exaggerated evil. They discuss how the film likely aired frequently on USA in the afternoons. They rate "The Paperboy" highly, calling it a 'five-star movie' and inducting William Katt into their Psychotronic Hall of Fame. Finally, they introduce next week's film, "Equinox" (1970). They mention its two cuts, the theatrical and original, and decide to watch the theatrical cut, noting its cult following and influence on horror and fantasy filmmakers.