🎥 VHS Vault: Dr. Giggles (1992)

“The doctor is in… and out of his mind.”

There’s nothing subtle about Dr. Giggles. A bloody, tongue-in-cheek slasher that leans hard into medical puns, Larry Drake’s maniacal performance keeps this early ’90s cult oddity pulsing long after its initial release. With scalpels, syringes, and surgical saws at the ready, the good doctor ensures no patient leaves his care alive.

Darkly humorous, inventive with kills, and steeped in camp, Dr. Giggles proves that the slasher formula still had plenty of room for creativity in the early ’90s. Its outrageous premise and memorable villain make it a standout on any VHS shelf.

Return to the operating table. Dr. Giggles is ready to make house calls.

🎬 Vault Fact File

• Release Date: October 23, 1992

• Director: Manny Coto

• Starring: Larry Drake, Holly Marie Combs, Cliff De Young, Glenn Quinn

• Tagline: “He makes house calls.”

• Budget: $7 million

• Box Office Gross: $8.4 million

• Fun Fact: First film produced under the Largo Entertainment and Dark Horse Comics collaboration.

• Notable Effect: A custom oversized mouth prop was used to shoot a POV kill scene from inside a character’s mouth. 

• Filming Location: Portland, Oregon

• Cult Status: Gained a following through VHS rentals and late-night cable, becoming a cult classic among horror fans.

📼 Watch It

Dr. Giggles is available for streaming or purchase on Amazon Prime Video. Get ready to join the doctor for some gruesome house calls.

⏪ Rewind or Fast Forward?

Rewind if you love over-the-top early ’90s slashers with campy humor and inventive kills. Fast forward if gruesome surgical gags and maniacal laughs aren’t your thing, but you might miss Larry Drake at his unhinged best.

Watch the official trailer for Dr. Giggles: