Next Victim (2003) - Synopsis
At the Suncrest Rehabilitation Center, there is something funny going on... and with all the lunatics running around, it's no wonder! The chief resident psychiatrist, Dr. Howard,
seems to be taking it all in stride as he seems to have more than just a certain afinity for nuts and fruits, crackers and...well, you get the point. But today is a bit more unusual than most. A young medical student (Eric Porn) is beginning rotations today, and Dr. Howard overzealously escourts him during his rounds. Horror film star legend Gunnar Hansen (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is Dr. Howard, the eccentric and seemingly unstable head of the mental institution. As he tells the intern the twisted tale of the circumstances that brought three unfortunate victims to Suncrest, this walk down the hall narrows the walls to the point that on which side Dr. Howard belongs is anyone's guess:
The first patient, Hansen (Michael Chamberlain) has simply become "Numb" from the constant bombardment of negative media. On the eve of what appears to have been a bright future for him, a perceived unfortunate event close to the heart causes him to withdraw into an isolated, detached, depressive state - interrupted only by the pizza delivery boy. He continues spiraling further down into a deranged psychopathic world. Where he finally winds up makes even Dr. Howard cringe!
An even darker reality looms within the realm of the Internet. Megan (Judith Bue) tries to stop her boyfriend, Jason Jackson (Mike Bryant) from succumbing to the lure of a clever advertising gimmick that makes deciphering fantasy from reality irresistable. Although, his friend Kevin (Jeff Solano), the pizza delivery boy, finds out the hard way that reality can be deadly. And two investigative detectives (Aaron Letrick and J R Remick) also discover that this website is not so secure. Still, lust and the promise of a free trip for two to Hawaii can't keep Jason from crossing over into the gruesome world of Monstercam.com. As for Megan...well, let's just say she's now under the constant supervision of Dr. Howard.
With all the talk of fruits and nuts, surely an appetite is bound to set in. And the pizza delivery boy may offer just the solution. A tantalizing dinner party given by Stephen
(Tim Gates) and Kate (Genevieve Deittrick of Temptation Island II) is the setting for this final patient's story where the evil and wicked dialogue among like-minds becomes food for
thought. Only through this obscure tale can we find out what goes on "Under the Table," a tale that might be a little too strange for even Dr. Howard to figure out!
