Killer Party

(** out of *****)

It's another sorority pledge/killer-in-the-house flick, with three pretty sorority babes and all their friends getting butchered at an April Fool's Day costume party by the vengeful spirit of a reincarnated fraternity pledge. Only, none of this really gets going until the last half hour -- for most of the movie, we're treated with long, dumb scenes of typical fraternity/sorority hijinks, pranks and shenanigans (I wish my college experience had been half as fun as this movie makes it look.) Also, I docked this movie half a star for the obnoxious and totally unnecessary double-fake-out beginning (a movie inside of a stupid, "Thriller"-like music video inside of a movie). Finally, we get to the haunted house, where the resurrected killer walks around in a deep-sea diver suit and uses such diverse tools of the slasher trade as a hammer, a trident, and a guillotine. In the climax, one of the girls gets possessed and starts snarling and slobbering and crawling around on chandeliers and ceilings (not an altogether unimpressive performance, actually.) There's minimal nudity and all of the violence is off-screen. Paul Bartel makes one of his typical B-movie cameos as an uptight college professor, and the three main girls are played by Elaine Wilkes, Sherry Willis-Burch, and Joanna Johnson. Also with Martin Hewitt, Alicia Fleer and Ralph Seymour (from "Fletch"). The theme song played over the opening and closing credits (the chorus goes, `These are the best times of our life, these are the best times. ... ') sounds like a generic ‘80s song, but hearing it after most of the cast gets wiped out was amusing in a (most likely unintentional) ironic sort of way.

HIGHLIGHT: Johnson's performance as the drooling, wall-climbing, possessed college cutie, Jennifer, is the film's highlight. She's no Linda Blair, but, for this kind of derivative, low-budget trash, she's not half bad.

Not sure how things worked in the 80's, but I was in a fraternity in the 90's. If we had a bad relationship with a sorority, we'd give them an opportunity to get their philanthropy hours in and do all the heavy lifting - we'd follow it up with a cook out and beer. The bee / voyeurism scene would've gotten people kicked off campus. It's kind of an unintentional theme throughout this movie; attempts at portraying normal frat rat shenanigans come off as creepy and uncomfortable - we had a Martin type at our school and he didn't make it the full four years.

All that being said, the three female leads (only one of whom has an IMDB pic) are actually pretty good actors. I don't need that to enjoy a slasher movie, but it holds this one together for the most part. I totally bought their portrayal of goofy, ambitious college girls.

The kills are pretty average, but it's not offensively boring like Popcorn or Killer Workout. If you're going down the rabbit hole, might as well add this one to the list.

College pranks are mixed with murder, madness and demonic possession in this suspenseful thriller set on a university campus. Phoebe, Vivia and Jennifer are three pretty coeds enduring the rigors of pledging a popular sorority. But hazing is nothing compared to what's in store for them at the annual April Fools party in the abandoned Delta Sigma fraternity house. The cold, brooding structure has been boarded up and off limits to two decades, ever since the death of a student in a practical joke gone awry. But the house isn't empty and whatever's inside has been waiting 20 years. Now its time has come at a party that's going to be a real killer!

So much of this movie is just cringe bad attempts at college humour, but then it goes all exorcist with possession and murder galore. I kept expecting a twist ala the opening twists, but nope, it plays it straight and ends up being ok.

O.k. I can tell you a lot about this movie, good and bad, and some facts. Lets start with the facts- This movie was originally filmed in 1984, sat on a shelf for 2 years, until MGM/UA picked it up, had a week or two theatrical release in spring of 86. The movie, is basically about college horror, 20 years ago, a pledge was accidentally killed during a prank. 20 years later, 3 sorority sisters pledge at the same college. The party takes place in an abandoned house, where the pledge was killed. A party is planned, students begin to get killed, but a demonic force invades one of the 3 girls. The demonic force is the spirit of the 20 year dead student. I quess you know what happens next.. Things i liked and dislike about the film 1. Most of the killings take place off screen. For a horror r-rated movie, this could have (by todays standards) been an easily PG-13. I saw the TBS version, and there is not much cut out, Acept a little, and i mean little nudity, its like the makers forgot that it was supposed to be rated R. What i did like is the totally unexpected beginning. Yes, a mid 1980's music video. with a quiet riot/ratt group. My overall rating is a B- I have seen worse.

This film is currently out of print, and most likely will be indefinite. By all means get a rental copy... good luck!