Witchtrap, The Paranormal and Gratuitous Nudity

Nothing like a horror film centering on a team of paranormal investigators. Yep...can't top that...unless we meet them in states of gratuitous and unnecessary nudity. Perhaps a plot device to suggest the stripped down restrictions on the belief of a regimental standard of science. Sure, we'll go with that. After all, I'm sure Linnea Quigley's gratuitous shower scene had nothing to do with cheap thrills and plot as an appeal to prurient interests. Hence 1989's "Witchtrap," directed by Kevin Tenney.

A our film begins an illusionist is thrown out of the second story of a haunted inn, to his death. Vicious ghost Avery Lauter (J.P. Luebsen) wants no visitors. Next, Agnes (Judy Tatum) is naked in a bath when the inn's owner calls her. Her nudity in the tub has nothing to do with the plot. She and her team are hired to exorcise the inn of Avery. She assembles her team, husband Felix (Rob Zapple), a mental medium, Whitney (Kathleen Bailey), a physical medium, and videographer Ginger (Quigley). Also brought in is a team of three private detectives to protect the paranormal gang. Tony (James W. Quinn) is the only one of those of significance. As the team enters, Ginger immediately finds the shower, strips, takes a gratuitous shower, and is impaled by the shower head...so sad.

Ginger's death coincides with Whitney's spell. The physical medium contorts and shakes every time Avery is killing someone. Before her first spell, Whitney strips out of her clothes in a scene irrelevant to the plot. Felix acts as Avery's voice and is possessed every time. Avery tells the team he will kill them. The team is pretty inept, even when clothed. In addition to Ginger's nude and gratuitous death, Avery's killings are quite nice as we even see a head explode like a grenade. As the malicious ghost goes through paranormal investigators and detectives like crap through a goose, Tony and Whitney team up to battle Avery and expel him from the inn.

Is killing the very nude and wet Linnea Quigley early in the film a major faux pas of the plot? Is the proclivity for gratuitous nude scenes an underused plot device in modern (post 1980s) paranormal horror films? Are exploding heads and gratuitous nude bath and shower scenes enough to make one want to watch a horror film? Okay, that last one was an easy one. For some gratuitous nudity and ghostly hi-jinx, enjoy "Witchtrap."