Shemp (Dan Merriman) is a videophile making a real-time documentary of his life, much to the chagrin of his friends.  In a pile of recycled tapes he finds evidence of a bizarre pan-dimensional experiment conducted more than a century ago, and decides to uncover what happened (the details of which happen to be readily at hand nearby).  Shemp’s unearthing of the world-shattering device leads to a shocking change in Shemp, as a portal to another world unleashes its fury in the form of strange insect creatures and the awakening undead.

Brett Piper’s Psyclops is a breezy horror-comedy in an old-school vein, with lots of self-referential humor, b-movie in-jokes, and retro stop-motion animation.  A likeable cast is put through the paces in a script that makes not one jot of sense throughout.  It’s the kind of movie where the protagonist, upon getting blessed/cursed with phenomenal cosmic powers, first decides to use his new-found abilities to go peek in the window of a sexy girl’s apartment to watch her change clothes.

Okay, so it makes SOME sense, but in any case the plot takes a back seat to stylish horror set pieces and off-the-wall humor.  Unfortunately the cast, and Piper, seem to be having too much fun, and some fundamentals fall through the cracks.  Psyclops seems a bit more slapdash than some of Piper’s efforts in shooting and editing, and is hindered by a woeful looping job of Hong Kong martial arts proportions.

Even before I donned Brett Piper’s Bigfoot suit (as, curiously enough, a “shemp” in the Polonia Brothers’ Among Us) I was a fan of Piper’s old-time thrills and chills style and his love of Harryhausen-flavored effects, so despite some technical flaws it’s hard to dislike what he’s doing here.  Psyclops is stylish and fun, made for fans of drive-in fare.

Three stars.