I really enjoyed Yuzna's "Society," which I view as a rather clever send off to the 80s: A satire of sorts in which an outsider teen chases the unobtainable girl, engages with his wacky friends and confronts a family that is increasingly alien to him. The tropes were John Hughes; but the special effects were Stan Winston: straight out of the animatronics and puppet cabinet of that time. It was very clever (and rather gross!)
"The Dentist" is not that film. There is almost no social commentary; and frankly it plays rather straight forward: Corbin Bernsen's "Alan" is the titular main character who becomes unhinged when his trophy wife takes up with the pool boy. There is a pretense that Alan is obsessed with ridding the world of dirt and decay (get it?!) Thus his wife's actions set loose a screw that has long been barely secured inside of him. But that's pretty thin as plot devices go.
So, original? Certainly not. But the cast is wonderful, and the dark humor make it worth the watch (like "Society," this film includes some running gags and camera work that presage the likes of "Scrubs" and "Malcolm ITM." Look for "Sarah" and the IRS agent.)
So why is "The Dentist" listed in IMdb as straight horror? Got me. It is definitely horror-comedy as far as I am concerned. Yes, it is gory, but a great deal of that is centered on the good doctor lapsing into a psychological rage as he works. Anyone who has ever visited a dentist will cringe.
