SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (1982)

 











Directed By: Amy Holden Jones
Written By: Rita Mae Brown
Cinematography By: Stephen L. Posey
Editor: Sean Foley

Cast: Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille, Michael Villella, Debra De Liso,

An eighteen-year-old high school girl is left at home by her parents and she decides to have a slumber party. There is friction between some of the invited guests and the new girl, who is better at basketball than they, so the new girl decides to stay at home (which is conveniently across the street from the host's house). Meanwhile, a murderer of five people with a propensity for power tools has escaped and is at large, and eventually makes his way to the party, where the guests begin experiencing an attrition problem, with only the new girl to help them.

 Let me start of by saying this film is bad, but luckily it is a case of being so bad it's good entertainment.

The acting is horrible the soundtrack made on a Casio keyboard and I obvious as well as ominous creepy music plays whenever the killer is about to strike.The killer is revealed early and as the story goes on has no real motivation other then Just being crazy which is an original idea as he just randomly seems to pick his victims and web confronted just spouts random gibberish.

The strange thug is this film was originally written to be a spoof of slasher films from a female point of view. Then producer Roger Corman decided to make the film be played straight instead and the films comes off as a typical slasher film of the time played with plenty of cloves that are laughable now and I find it hard to believe weren't laughable then. Their is much fun to be had watching the film from the ridiculous deaths including a pizza boy where one of the girls is so hungry she not only eats he pizza he still has in his hands but eats it on top of his dead body. He effects are pore but typical of the time and laughable as most of the characters seem to be hard of hearing and bad eyesight as people call for them and are murdered right next to them as well as the killer. So close and never hearing or seeing anything until he let’s his presence be known.

The film knows exactly what it is as the deaths come pretty wary and quickly out of nowhere.

This film definitely has a female voice while still being exploitive with plenty of nudity for no reason, and death right before sex. The killer even uses an extended giant drill which is entirely phallic as he impaled his mostly female victims with it. It truly is an over the top experience and mercifully short. So that the film is ending before I truly become monotonous. The few males in the film are far for heroic and even more scared and useless then the way female victims are unusually portrayed in these films. Just to break-up the monotony plenty of future victims drop by or are called to this slumber party to be slaughtered. One character isn't kidding when she says her house is like grand central station.

Now was it better to play this more straight is really a tricky question. If it had been played more as a spoof it would be noteworthy as one of the first films to actually do it during a time in culture where that was becoming popular, but it also might have failed as the rules and cliches weren't clearly as defined as we know then now they were still being written. Plus the film would have been asking us to laugh without which at the time would be like a comedian clearly not being themselves and telling random jokes and elbowing you in the ribs to laugh. It's more powerful and rewarding to laugh at the film as the film history plate straight but throws in some jokes. It might be bad but at least it tries in all seriousness and with conviction to try and be a slasher film which is what makes not more funny again like a comedian who at least is trying and do real you can respect them more for the effort instead of going the easy dishonest road.

This was the beginning of a unintentional trilogy I really want I see the sequels which are hard I find. But as this film is the highest rated as far as viewer reviews I can only imagine how horrible the sequels are which only makes me more thirsty to see them.

This is an inspired cult film filled with more nostalgia and a funny aside for horror fans. That actually is a historic piece of early yet inept horror that at least intended to be a bit funny in it's makeup as well as trying to be pro-female, but being just as bad as any horror film that makes all of it's female characters victims.

Rita Mae Brown wrote a screenplay for a parody of teen/slasher flicks and titled it "Sleepless Nights". However, when she submitted it to the producers, they filmed it as if it weren't a parody and retitled it "Slumber Party Massacre". As a result, the movie displays a lot more humor, both intended and unintended, than others of this genre. The original first draft of the script was called "Don't Open The Door".

Amy Holden Jones initially directed a prologue to show to Roger Corman to get the film made. He was so impressed by her short trailer that he wanted her to direct the script hat was already written as a feature. As it definitely has all the stamps of his usual films.

I am shocked this film never made not to mystery science theater yes it's that type of film and that bad. --I wish I could have seen it at the time to determine how much is intentional bad and comedy and how much is unintentional ad just inept.

The film deserves a lower grade, but inhale to give it points as it is a fun film.

GRADE: C -