The Slumber Party Massacre

This is a movie from the early 80's and it contains the word "massacre" in the title, so you know the…um…DRILL! Standard, by-the-numbers slasher except that this is supposed to be a feminist slasher! In all honesty, I don't really get it. Portraying dumb but hot-looking girls stalked & killed by a homicidal maniac is a sexist crime, but if this exact same formula is presented by a FEMALE director and a FEMALE scriptwriter, it all of a sudden becomes a parody and/or a feminist statement? The male characters in this movie may be a bit dumber than usual but the teenage beauties are all still defenseless little lambs to the slaughter, so where exactly lays the girl-power element? Oh well, since I absolutely don't wish to receive negative feedback from female readers, I'll just restrict myself to reviewing the actual movie and leave the speculations of possible deeper meanings behind. Talking purely in terms of 80's horror, "The Slumber Party Massacre" is a pretty good effort with likable characters, a fair amount of suspense and a handful of excellent gory killings. With her parents away on holiday, a schoolgirl invites her friends for a sleepover party with the usual pizzas, beer and soft drugs. Unfortunately for them, an escaped lunatic with a gigantic power tool still terrorizes the area and he shows up as the party-pooper, drilling holes in everyone whose path he's crossing. The only hope for rescue in the new girl who lives across the street but – oh no – she wasn't invited to the party! The identity and motivations of serial killers are usually kept secret in 80's slashers until the ending (as they're frequently acquaintances of the victims), but you don't have to worry about that in this case. Right from the opening minute, newspapers and radio bulletins loudly announce that a psychopath escaped from the local asylum and he doesn't even bother to wear a silly mask, as he's already carrying the drilling device – which symbolizes a male penis – instead. There's little else you need to know, except that nearly all the girls willingly take their clothes off and that the obligatory after gym-class shower sequence comes early in the movie. Hooray for feminism!

I'm guessing the flick has about the largest female dead body count on Hollywood record. If the girls aren't running around half-nude, they're pumping out blood like human pin cushions, thanks to a looney guy who apparently flunked highschool mechanics. I'm not surprised 50's schlock maestro Roger Corman produced this near-parody of the slasher flick craze. After all, he mastered the teenage drive-in trade with epics such as Little Shop of Horrors (1959) and Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) back when I was a teen- maybe not Oscar fare, but still lot's of fun.

I wish I could say the same about this bloody mess. Except for the promising beginning, there's no real story, just a succession of dark menacing and anti-climaxes that're overdone and soon lose impact. At least the pacing is brisk, while the girls' shower scene may be the film's centerpiece, at least for us guys. Then too, it may be a cast of unknowns, but the girls do well even if short on acting experience. Can't say the same about the madman who's about as scary as an unshaven milkman. Anyway how about that power-drill that's not exactly a surgical instrument. My take on the madman's problem is that his own power-drill doesn't work, so he uses a symbolic mechanical one to get even with his female frustrations. However that may be, the over-done flick's not good enough to be either a parody or an effective fright fest.

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for "Slumber Party Massacre" ever since I first saw it at the ripe old age of 11. Sure it's not the bloodiest, scariest, well acted or written horror movie that wonderful 80's produced- but it does have something that makes it special and a standout on its own.

Trish (Michelle Michaels) is a popular basketball player whose parents have gone away for the weekend. Just so happens that the night before, convicted killer and mental patient Russ Thorn (wonderfully played by Michael Villella) has escaped from confinement. Awww...timing is everything! Val (Robin Stille) is the new girl in school as well as on the basketball team, who also happens to live right next door to Trish. Of course, Trish decides to gather her girls for a night of fun at her empty house. She suggests they invite Val, and is of course is rejected by her snobby & trampy friend Diane (Gina Mari).

Cut to the chase...the girls have there slumber party. Of course Russ has been following them around all day and is just waiting for his moment to strike. Val on the other hand is alone too next door, with the exception of her boy crazy 13 year old sister Courtney (Jennifer Meyers). When the pizza delivery boy shows up dead on Trish's doorstep- mayhem ensues. The girls (along with some boys who have crashed the Slumber Party) are scared to death. They are afraid to leave the house - so the boys volunteer to make a run for it.

One by one our teenagers get hacked away. Eventually Val and Courtney get involved in the goings on and before you know it our girls are in some serious trouble.

The movie works due to some genuinely funny comedic dialogue- and Michael Villella's great portrayal of the Driller Killer. When he says "I love you" in his sick and twisted way- you genuinely feel creeped out! The music is also quite good as well. With a 77 minute run time- Slumber Party Massacre doesn't drag and keeps pace quite nicely. If you collect horror and are a big fan of the classic cheesy horror movies from the beloved 80's, Slumber Party Massacre is worth an entry into your DVD collection.

This is definitely a true '80s slasher film! Since "Slumber Party Massacre" was released in 1982, you can say this may have been one of the films to create the '80s cheesy/slasher films...which is great! It is your basic '80 horror film; slumber party, drinking, comedic moments...and of course, the escaped maniac who is on his way to the party! Keep an eye out for Brinke Stevens as Linda, as this was one of her first roles. This is definitely a popcorn flick; so just sit back, & enjoy yourself. Also, the late Robin Stille was one of the leads in this film. She appeared in a few other '80s horror films, & is truly missed!

I first saw this in the mid 80s on a vhs. Revisited it recently.

High school girls r targetted on a slumber party by a maniac with a power drill.

Our psycho ain't a big built or scary looking guy but jus an ordinary fella with a very bad sense of dressing, he wears a dark blue denim jacket, on a red tshirt with dark blue jeans n black cowboy boots.

His power drill machine is heavier than him but unfortunately our teens cannot put up a fight against him inspite of being large in nos.

Forget about putting up a fight, a young guy keeps knocking on the door rather than jus running away from the old killer. Our teen wud have definitely outrunned the puny killer.

In another scene a stupid fella without uttering a word lays outside a door n when the killer kills him, he screams.

The film has the same cliches which has been endured by horror fans umpteenth no of times. A person hits the killer, the killer falls on the ground unconscious n rather than hitting the killer repeatedly while he is unconscious n down, people run away.

Marcus Dunstan's The Neighbour is a good example of a thriller without the usual cliches.

Now coming to some good points, the film has lots of nudity. In one scene a camera lingers on boobs n butt. It has a hot babe in a chemise exposing large cleavage.

The film does get a bit violent towards the end with some stabbings n slashings.