Kirstie Alley becomes Mrs. John Larroquette in...

Kirstie Alley becomes Mrs. John Larroquette in Orion’s “Madhouse,” an antic yarn of cousins and friends whose visit upsets the tranquility of a young couple’s life. Written by and to mark the directorial debut of Tom Ropelewski, the comedy films in Arizona in early May.

An ad executive, passed over for promotion, goes berserk in Corsair’s “A Shock to the System,” filming May 3 in New York City. The rarely idle Michael Caine is negotiating for the lead in the thriller written by Andrew Klavan. Jan Egleson directs for producers Patrick McCormick and Leslie Morgan. . . .

George C. Scott captures the plum role of Lt. William Kinderman in Morgan Creek’s “The Exorcist: 15 Years Later” which starts mid-May in Dallas and D.C. William Peter Blatty wrote and directs the chiller about a series of grisly, ritual murders. Carter De Haven produces. . . . Tracy Griffith, Melanie’s younger sister, plays Lou Diamond Phillips’ wife in Nelson Entertainment’s “Transit.” The story concerns an executed killer’s spirit which terrorizes the family of the cop who brought him to justice. . . .

Vincent Price trips the light fantastic in New Horizon’s “Transylvania Twist.” Screenwriter R. J. Robertson’s spoof centers on the search for an evil tome overdue at the Transylvania library. Jim Wynorski produces and directs next month. . . .

British actress Jenny Seagrove is the ambiguously evil title character of Universal’s “The Nanny,” to film next month for director William Friedkin and producer Joe Wizan. Steven Volk adapted the Dan Greenburg novel about a nanny who holds rein on a young couple’s household. Carey Lowell (007’s new interest in “License to Kill”) has been cast as the wife. . . .

Chloe Webb plays an off-beat call girl involved with both Bob Hoskins and Denzel Washington(cq) in New Line’s “Heart Condition.” The moral comedy with a fantasy twist films locally in May for producer Steve Tisch(cq) and writer-director James Parriott. . . .

Martin Mull plays an unscrupulous developer out to get control of Ray Walston’s holiday lodge in Epic Pictures’ “Ski Patrol,” filming next month in Utah. The Paul Maslansky production written by Jerry Lazarus recalls the fun of ‘60s “Beach Party” movies. Rich Correll directs. . . .

Iconoclastic film maker Monte Hellman directs the black comic thriller “Better Watch Out” for producer Arthur Gorson and Quiet Films in May. Carlos Laszlo screenplay, a sequel to “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” begins when a young, blind psychic girl makes contact with a male coma victim during a medical experiment. Unfortunately, he later wakes up and goes after her--with a vengeance. . . .

Sequelitis: Though Cinepix’s “SnakeEater” won’t be in theaters until May, “SnakeEater II” goes before the cameras in Toronto next month. Lorenzo Lamas repeats his role of a tough ex-marine-turned-cop. George Erschbamer again directs from a screenplay by Don Carmody who produces with John Dunning and Michael Paseornek. Kathleen Kinmont, Lamas’ real-life wife, co-stars. . . .

Charles Fleischer, the voice and persona of Roger Rabbit, has penned two toons for Disney’s forthcoming Lou Diamond Phillips-Corbin Bernsen comedy “Disorganized Crime.” Fleischer earlier co-wrote the Chaka Khan hit “So Naughty.”